New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-08
Naval Magazine
Blown Up First,
Boston Man Hears
Tells of Halifax Report
That Body of German Was
Found Near Scene

BOSTON, Dec IA report that a
naval magazine blew up, precipitating
the Halifax disaster, and that the body
of a dead German was found near the
magazine, was brought 70 this city to-
night by A. j. Goldberg, button mer-
chant, of New York, who was in the
first party of refugees to reach here
from the shattered city.
Goldberg did not youch for the truth
Of the magazine EXPLOSION report. He
said the information was given him BY
q railroad official, who said he had it
from member of the municipal gov
eminent at Halifax.
According to his story, when the
naval magazine exploded ships in the
immediate vicinity cut loose their
moorings and scurried out into the
stream. In the fleet was a heavily
laden munitions steamer. During the
scramble for safety she was rammed
by freight steamer and blew up,
spreading havoc far and wide.
Mr.. Goldberg lives at $50 West 14lst
Street, New York. In company with
Charles J. Clark, a travelling salesman,
whose home is at 30l st. James Street,
Montreal, he was on a train bound from
St. John to Halifax.
Boston Mans Story.
1--WE were eight miles out from Hal
flax and twenty minutes late said
Mr.. Goldberg, when there was a slight
explosion, and then terrible one. The
train came to sudden stop. Almost
Immediately the Pullman car began 10
rock and the glass began TO break. 1t
was clear morning, Gnd as we got out
Of the car we could SEES great cloud
Of smoke hanging low ovsr Halifax in
the distance.
"The engineer of the train said he
thought the gas tank in HslifaS had eX-
ploded so he started up the train and
we proceeded slowly. When we got TO
Africville the train came to a stop. We
got out and were Mortified at the sight
we saw.
"The platform of the railroad sta
ton was crowded with wounded people,
most of them children. Many of the
children were cropping about. They
could not see. Their eyes were filled
with small bits OF glass. noticed,
too. that most of the children were cut
about the neck. 1t seemed just as il a
keen edged knife had slashed each little
throat.
I'VE took about two hundred and
fifty of the injured aboard the train
and gave them what medical aid we
could All the passengers turned doc
tor. The first one ! treated was a
little girl. She could not see. Her
eyes were filled with glass. | got the
glass out, but she could not see. She
was blind. The glass had cut into her
eyeballs. She was a brave little mite
She didn't cry one bit.
CLARK deserves great credit. He
knows little about medicine, and ne
pitched right in. bet he treated fifty
/ of the wounded. lie had bottle OF
brandy in his grip, and that helped
some.
Mother With Two Dead Babies
l babies in her arms. Her face was Gov
cred with blood, but she kept wipine
/ the blood from her eyes, hugging the
/ babies 10 her breast all the while. W.
took the babies from her, that we might
dress her wounds with bandsges that
we made from the Pullman bed linen
The two babies were dead. We didn't
tell the mother, but put the little ones
away in a berth.
After q while the train was started
back 20 Truro with the wounded. -Four
children died on the way.
1.-TWO sailors on the train said they
had been blown of d tug in the harbor
They were soaked to the skin and were
shivering.
ION the way back to Truro We got
view Of the harbor. saw three Bel
gian relief ships, and apparently they
hadn't been damaged"