Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-12-12
Half of the City in Ruins-Fire
Causes Big Loss.
5000 PERSONS ARE HURT
Belgian Relief Ship Iona ColIides With
French Steamer Mont Blanc, Load
ed With Explosives, and Terrific
Explosion FolIoWs-Hundreds
Shocked to Death and Huge
Buildings Demolished
Crews on Boats in Har-
Dor Slain.

Halifax, N. S., Dec. 1.-Two thou
| sand persons are dead, 5000 or more
| Injured and fully one-half of the City
of Halifax is in ruins as the result of
an explosion in Bedford Basin, north
of town, when the Iona, a Belgian re-
lief ship, collided with the French mu-
milton ship Mont Blanc.
The Mont Blanc was blown to pieces,
but the crew escaped by the ships
boats before The explosion.
The pilot asserts that the collision
was due to a confusion of signal whis-
+ ties.
Many Seamen Lost.
The Mont Blanc was pierced on the
port side almost to the engine room.
The Iona, which was only slightly
damaged, backed away when flames
burst out on the munitions ship, and
was abandoned by the crew.
The captain of the Mont Blanc also
ordered his crew to the boats as he
realized an explosion was inevitable.
The men reached shore safely before
the tremendous blast, II minutes later,
which blew their ship to pieces.
Members of crews of ships in the
harbor were killed and injured. On
one steamer, the Pictou, it is report
ed that 10 of the crew of ~ we're
killed. Bodies of many seamen have
been picked up in the harbor.
Fire Threatens City.
Fire following the explosion, and
which early threatened to wipe out the
entire city, caused property damage
which will run into millions.
The force of the explosion wrecked
telegraph installation for miles in
every direction.
Virtually all the north end of the
city was laid waste and the property
damage will run far into the millions
Dartmouth Also Hit.
A part of the town of Dartmouth,
across the harbor from Halifax, also
was wrecked. Nearly all the buildings
in the dockyard there are in ruins.
The zone of destruction in Halifax
itself extends from the North street
railway station as far north as Afric-
vile to Bedford basin and covers an
area of about two square miles in the
district known as Richmond.
The buildings which were not de-
molished by the force of the terrific
explosion were destroyed by the fire
which followed.
Persons Injured in Collapse
Scores of persons were injured by
the collapse of the railway station,
Arena rink, military gymnasium, SUI
gar refinery and elevator. All business
has been suspended. Armed guards of
soldiers and sailors are patrolling the
city. Not a street car is moving and
part of Halifax was in darkness last
night.
The collision occurred on the wa
ter front off Rockingham, a suburb on
the City of Halifax, shortly before
8 80 o'clock in the morning.
Tons of Explosives.
The Mont Blanc, which arrived at
United States Atlantic port on No
vember 9, was laden with 5000 tons of
munitions for France. AS she was
leaving her berth, presumably for the
outward voyage across the Atlantic
she was rammed broadside by the Bel
gian relief ship.
The impact caused the ammunition |
in the French ship to explode, setting
the vessel afire. The flames spread to
the piers and adjoining buildings,
many of which had been wrecked by
the explosion.
Try to Fight Fire.
The ships crew was quickly called
to quarters and an attempt was made
to eXtinquish the flames. This failed. |
and as the fire approached the holds |
where the explosives were stored the |
captain ordered the seacocks opened, |
and the crew took to the boats, rowing
for their lives.
But the vessel drifted toward one of |
the piers and a few moments later an
explosion occurred, tearing the Mont
Blanc to pieces.
Overwhelming Blast
What happened after that can only /
be conjectured in large measure !
Everybody seems dazed by the result. |
The conclusion must have been posi- |
lively overwhelming.
1t killed telegraph operators at their
desks four miles away
1t broke windows in Truro 1t blew
heavily laden freight trucks off the
railway lines.
1t caused the collapse or partial col |
lapse of nearly every building along
21s miles of thoroughfares from the /
Union station to the Queens hotel.
1t sent the harbor shed and wharves
to wreck and ruin.
Destroys Terminals.
1t shook the magnificent new ocean !
terminals at the lower end Of the har