The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-12-08
lin DARKNESS and
COLD, HOMELESS
.OF HALIFAX PASS
night OF HORROR
| Many Without Blankets,
Fire or Lights, Shiver
Through Winter Gale
RELIEF TRAINS ARE
DELAYED BY STORM
Estimated That There Are
10000 Destitute People
In The City
FOOD SITUATION
rs MOST SERIOUS
mo Concerted Effort Yet
Made to Compile List
Of The Dead
FOOD SITUATION
is MOST SERIOUS
lRv Associated Press.l

Halifax, NJ. So Dec. 81 rom
staff Correspondent of The As
sociated Press.)-The Massa-
chusetts relief train that left
Boston Thursday night arrived
here today. There is absolutely no
way of estimating with any de.
GREE of accuracy the number OF
dead as a result of the explosion
on Thursday. Fifteen hundred
dead is the. generally accepted
figure by the authorities. In one
Eforuue there are 800 bodies.
The latter were reviewed by
multitude today but only . few
were identified. There are prob
ably 200 other bodies on view
awaiting identification. the
greater number of cases this VIII
be impossible. -
A citizens committee issued .
statement saying that between
5000 and 1000 dwellings occupied
by the poorer classes had been
destroyed affecting APPROX
mateIy 25,000 persons. lnvestIs
cation shows that almost 1O,OVO
persons are destitute
>. Snow TO the depth OF two tset
covers the devastated area. ne
iskrict 10 under strict guarug
canadian soldiers being asstsFeo
BY American blueiacksts.
The mayor today issued an order
suspendina the. Sabbath holiday
and directing that all stores re
manning safe for occupancy De
kept open and all labor contin"
ued.
Search of the ruins is greatly
delayed by the heavy snow
though many injured had peen
removed TO nearby towns before
the storm set in.
Halifax, m. s., Dec. s.-A blindinI
north country" snowstornS accom-
panying ale that at times attaln
ed a Yelocl Of more than fort!
miles an hour, has held this city o
in its grip for the last =
hours, adding new terrors to the awe
stricken survivors OF Thursday ois
aster and greatly Impeding th'
progress Of relief trains hurrylnt
nere from the United States anC
Dominion cities, with their urgentl!
needed supplies.
The Massachusetts, relief train wa
stalled in great snowdrifts near Am
aerst last night, and While snow
plows were used the progress wa
so slow that the trains arrival here
Is problematical. other rescue trains
are reported snowbound.
Night of Suffering.
With every building in Halifa1
and Dartmouth more or less dam
aged by the explosion and fire, men
women and children huddled togethel
IS best they could and passed
night Of suffering. The chilling wtnt
yhistled through smashed windows
There were scarcely blankets enough
10 cover wounded bodies and many
were unable to obtain food. Fires
were almost out of question and thu
only lights obtainable were from OF
amps or candles.
The citizens finance COMMITTEES
headed by Justice Harris, estimates
there are 10000 destitute people II
he devastated area, the majority o.
-hem from the poorer classes, near
" 1000 dwelling houses were de.
,troyed, the committee declares anc
The actual losses and the estimated
,ost of temporary maintenance vii
approximate $30,000.000.
Food Situation.
Perhaps the most serious of the
many problems to be met is the
.ood situation. There is enough food
n the city for immediate needs but
unless communication is opened sooE
The city faces the possibility Of fam
ne. Milk Is almost unobtainable and
.ears are expressed for the lives oi
babies in arms.
In the greater task Of caring fol
he living, no concerted effort is be-
ng made at present to compile a list
If the dead, but hundreds OF SOL
Tiers, sailors, American "Jachies,
and volunteers are cropping under the
mass OF wreckage searching foI
bodies. Police officials still estimate
he dead at 1000 and the injured al
!, 900 or more.