The Ordway new era., 1918-12-13
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500 0O0-one of the greatest contributions
made by big-hearted public to stricken city.
What has been done, or is being done. with this
vast sum- Many people who opened their hearts
and their purses to Halifax would like to know,
and this article is designed to supply the infor-
nation.
The figures given above tell in part what was
done for Halifax, but what Halifax has done for
itself is a far longer story. Although the victim
OF a disaster which at once ranked her among
the great tragedy cities of the world-Pompeit
Martinique. Galveston and San Francisco-Hali-
fax staggered to her feet few seconds after the
titanic blast had laid waste her streets, de-
stroyed her homes and Uttered the snow with her
dead. and went to work to fetch order out Of
chaos.
From spectacular and heroic point of view."
declared George Macdonald of the Canadian
Press. this continent has never produced such a
daring set of civilian heroes as sprang up Mt the
call Of duty in those bleak December days in Hal
flax. History teens with horrors-recent his
tory particularly-but parallel exists for the
sequence of afliction with which Halifax was
deluged Swift and appalling death from the
withering explosion, mad panic Mt the fear of n
worse disaster from n magazine disruption. horror
from the fires which greedily devoured the ruins,
torture from the rapidly changing weather condi-
tons which went from blizzard to rain and from
rain to conditions In the three days succeed
the day of the catastrophe. Fate seemed to have
ceased its assaults only when 1t had exhausted
Its repertoire of calamities.
"Set against this appalling challenge was the
unknown and untred courage of Halfax's ctti-
zens. How they battIed through the combination
Of anguish and misery. almost alone for week.
Is one of the most inspiring dramas of history"
So much for what Halifax started to do. from
the pen of zone who watched this Homerc bat
tle' press correspondent. Chief among the
plain business of heroic mold was Robert 7.
MacIlreith, ex-mayor of Halifax. who had or
ganized an emergency relief station at the city
hall. within hour after the limo had rammed
tIpaA Mont 1nf fhn nY,
plosives pent up in the hold of the latter ship.
MacIlreith and his loyal associates not only got
on the job at once. but stayed there. practically
without rest sleep for ten days. succoring the
wounded housing the homeless, feeding the desti-
tute, caring for the dependents. providing fuel
| and transportation. fighting fire and burying the
dead.
Every Of force and initiative and man.
agerial ability went to work without moments
delay. The private car of George E. Graham of
the Dominion Atlantic partly wrecked by
| the blast. but General Manager Graham at once
| became leading spirit in the great task of
ganizlng temporary relief and his railroad gave
invaluable assistance In the crisis.
In u week the emergency shelter committee. d.
| rected by w. s. Davidson. chairman. housed 60Oo
people and large number were even cared for
the very first night. Hospitals were established
and 1000 patients treated in an incredibly short
| time Two thousand bodies were handled by the
| mOrtuary department.
The reconstruction committee. headed by q.
Fred Pearson, newspaper proprietor. lost no
fine In organizing the work of building temporary
| homes for the homeless to cover III. period which
must elapse before permanent construction could
| he naugurated. Mr. Pearson asked Col Robert
| y. Low, the who built the cantonments for
| he Canadian army. to give Halifax the benefit Of
I! MS experience and the colonel went to work at
| nee with plenty of energy, and without pay. to
! mi roofs the heads Of thousands of Halifax
| 'eople. When he had struck his stride. the man
who built valcartier camp for the Canadian ex-