The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-08
THE DAILY GATE CITY
homes to the survivors. Every house

homes to the survivors. Every hous,
was crowded.
Refugees are using soldiers quar-
tiers, while the troops occupy tent:
in the cold. Owing TO the shortag,
OF building materials ii has been de
cided TO save all wreckage and use
1t for reconstruction Mem bers or al
building trades are working together
British and American sailors are
patrolling the streets.
/ Sir Robert Borden, premier of Can
ada, is present He placed the re-
sources of the government at the dis
posal of the relief committee. Offers
of assistance are pouring in. News
papers are setting up by hand the
names OF persons who have reported
themselves alive.
Many of these were first believed
to have been killed.
Relief From Uncle Sam.
WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-Twenty-
five thousand blankets and six hun
dred stoves from Portsmouth IN. HI
navy yard were today ordered sent
by Secretary of the Navy Daniels TO
relieve the suffering of the blizzard
swept Halifax. He also despatched
a hospital unit from Provincetown.
Mass. and informed the Red Cross
that everything the navy has avail
able for relief work is at the dis
posal of Halifax.
Three American vessels have ar
rived since the explosion and are do
ing work of mercy for the city.
One ship adapted to hospital pur-
poses, has been converted into a
great sick bay where American
naval surgeons and Halifax doctors
are attending hundreds of injured.
American sailors ashore are po-
Icing the city and building shacks
to shelter the freezing people
An overnight message from the /
American naval commander in charge !
described the situation in Halifax as
acute and confused by 1
the tearing blizzard.
Naval officials were in some doubt |
today as to the origin of the expIos (
ion and suggested there might be
some truth in reports that a. prelim-
mary explosion along the water
front had sent the vessels scurrying
out, resulting in the munition ship
collision.
Preachers Vivid Description.
MONTREAL. Que, Dec. S.-Telling
vivid story of terribly burned chill
dren pitifully trying to awaken dead
mothers, of weeping women calling
Tor their loved ones through blazing
streets, of agony, wholesale carnage
and horror, Rev. George Adam, of EN-
manuel Congregational church, return
ed to Montreal from Halifax today.
He was one Of the first survivors to
leave the stricken city. His own es-
cape from death he considers miracu-
,ous. {
Halifax seemed the most peaceful
place in the world ten minutes before
the explosion" he said today. Then
: violent tremor shook the hotel (
ihree OF four seconds passed. The I
windows of my bedroom crashed in. 1
furniture was knocked over. / be-
ieved the town was being shelled. l
could hear people running about the
streets. shouting and weeping. The
rotel corridors We're strewn with de-
hris. When reached the street ri
'ound it Uttered with jewelry, clothes, I
broken glass. food and everything i'm
.ginable that had been forced by the
.ir conclusion out of the shops as
he plate glass windows burst
In front of the lieutenant cover
lor's residence / paused to watch the
'eople in flight. It looked like a STAN
EIDE of Belgian refugees. An endless
tream OF terrified men, women and
hiidren was passing. There were
arious numbers who had left their
onvents, old bed-ridden women being
arried, half dressed mothers with
abies hurriedly wrapped in blankets
little boys led blind men. Children
Keeping bitterly-hurried past fran
ically ciutching their pet dogs and
ats. Sailors. fremen and survivors
rom the water front, joined the
lrong- Many were bleeding.
Wagons, automobiles and trucks
Mingled with the panic stricken pop
lace The cry was going from lip to
p that another explosion was imi- h.
emit
Harry Mclean, OF the Cook Con
-ruction company, took me through .
le devastated area in his automobile. .
.ouses had been blown down by the ,
Flames were licking up /.
trough the woodwork where many .
ere trapped Dead lay "a the streets.
The means Of the injured, wound
] and dying were heartrending. The
.reams of suffering children stabbed !.
le heart on every side. On the edge
this area great factories were
iooting tongues of flame. The cot
n factory's flames roared 200 feet I
to the air. Z
There are many stories OF families .
iped out, of burned children seeking
.inly to awaken dead mothers, of hus-
ands racing home to find a ruin and {
.eir families dead The chauffeur
no was driving our car was one OF
family OF nine. Seven Of them perl
he'd.
"a railway man at the round house
und his wife and children dead and I
en went back TO his work. All kinds I
buildings were taken over for hos I
tails. Churches and theatres rapidly