The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-12-08

Halifax. Dec. S.--Stricken Halifax,
with 1000 dead and 5000 injured by
the explosion and fire of Thursday,
was swept last night by raging
blizzard So fierce was the storm
that rescue workers were forced to
suspend their operations in the de-
vastated section. 1t is believed GER
tain that all the injured buried under
the ruins OF shattered buildings have
perished OF cold and ,un ,sr.
Battered by biting wind and
binding snow, the plight of the sur
vivors of Thursdays holocaust is
desperate. The windows and doors
of virtually every house in the city
we're shattered by the explosion
which wrecked the Richmond section
and devastated large part of the
water front, Improvised barricades
of boards give little protection
against the elements and attempts
to heat buildings into which the
snow is steadily drifting are hope
lesc
The city was again in darkness last
night, except for the Illumination af
forded by scanty supply of oil
lamps, and unless these were care
fully screened they were extinguish
ed as soon as lighted by the gale
which whistled through the crude
shutters. Only a small percentage
of the buildings had even this slight
protection from the storm.
The sufferings of those who escap
ed injury have been increased by the
fact that every available blanket and
quilt has been requisitioned for the
hundreds of injured in the temporary
hospitals Many OF these are sc
gravely wounded that their only hope
lies in the best of care Serious fears
are felt that cold. shock and exposure
will result in an outbreak of pneu
monia,
A single telegraph wire, bending
dangerously in the storm offered Hal
flax only precarious means Of com
munication with the outside world
and it was feared momentarily that
this line would snap. At best it gave
only hating connection with other
points. Telegraph and telephone
companies were making desperate
efforts to provide a makeshift ser
vice, but the work was beset with
great difficulties
While many generous offers of ma
terial relife have been received and
trainloads of supplies are on the way
the spector of famine was abroad last
night, for if the storm continues il
;,t xt-ifI
taffic. There is enough food on hand
FOR immediate needs, but it will last
only short time.
AS the day wore on, the immensity
of the disaster increased rather than
diminished. Hundreds of bodies were
taken to the morgeus and rescue
squads were constantly finding new
victims buried under tons of debris
until the blizzard forced them tc
cease work. There is every reason
to believe that many more will be
recovered
No concerted effort has been made
rs yet to compile a list of the dead
as every effort is being made to iden
tify those who perished, The condi
tion of many of the bodies makes
this exceedingly difficult and large
proportion of those who lost theii
lives will be buried as "nameless
dead" There is no reason however
to change the estimate of 1000 dead
and 5000 injured.
The fires which had been raging
for "a hours in the north end were
brought under control early yester
day and the city is no longer men
aced by conflagration.
While soldiers. sailors and volun
teers were searching the ruins OF the
north end yesterday business was en-
tirnlv SusDended I.