Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-05
PILOT MACKAY BLAMED
FOR HALIFAX HORROR
Commissions Report Is Followed
RS Arrest OF Vessel
Official.
MANsLAUGhTER is CHARGE
Fifteen Hundred People Lost Their
Lives, Several Thousand We're In
jured and Vast Area Laid IN
Ruins December 6.
tBy Associated Pre.,. l

tby Associated Fret.
HALIFAX. n. s., February 4.--Blame
for tho collision between the French
munitlon ship Mont Blsnc and the
Belgian relief ship lno. resulting in
the explosion OF the former vessel,
which destroyed Q largo pa, OF Halifax
, OH December 6. was placed upon pllot
MackaF. OF Haitian. and Captain I.ano-
doe OF the French ship in Judgment
announced to-day by cha government
commission which investigated the coll
Iis.on
With the announcement OF the COM
missions Judgment. Pilot Mackay was
arrested. charge with granddaughter.
the commission having recommends }
that he be criminally prosecuted and his
license Cancelled.
The commission also recomm ended to
the French authorities the cancellation
Of the license OF Captain Lnn:odcc. and
"iha, he be dealt with according to the
Law OF HIS country"
Capita in I.amodcc WAS also arrested
( charged with manslaughteT.
The commission held that Captain
Lamodec and the pilot violated the rules
re road.
CAPTAIN LAMoDEC ALSO
HELD on SAME CHARGE
Captain Larnodec and Pilot Ma :kay
arc in addition found guilty by the
commission OF negloc. OF public safety
on the ground they d!d not take proper
steps to warn the inhabitants OF Tho
city OF probable explosion. Ths com.
mission further considers tho pilotage
authorities deserving OF ceneure" for
permitting Mackay to piio, ships since
the disaster.
Captain Wyatt chief examination or
Ger OF the port Is found guilty OF neg
lect in performance OF suites requiring
Kim TO seep himself informed OF the
movements. actual and intended, Of
ships in the harbor, and IN not taking
adequate steps to enforce various regu-
| iat:one.
Fifteen hundred persons were killed,
, several thousand injured and an area
of two and a half square miles ada
| cent 10 the narrows, was laid bare by
, the explosion aboard the Mont Blanc
Ttot Mackay was bringing the Mont
Blanc into port when the vessel VA.
ramncd amidships by the limo. out.
ward bound. The weather wa. clear
and as the ships passed In the narrow
channel. signals were confused. II uas
said. and the crash came before the
pilot of the limo. nov dead, vas able
TO have her swung about into free
waterr.
The accident set fro TO tanks OF BEN
zol on the deck OF the Mont Blanc. and
| instantly great volumes of smoke shot
skyward. Realizing tho danger. Mac
kay, Captain I.amodec and the ships
crew took TO the boats and proceeded
at top speed toward shore. AS they
,, landed they continued TO run. They
were more than a mile from the water
when tho ship blow up. Every man
in the party was knocked down snd
two were injured by flying bits Of steel
ono fatally.
Smoke from the burning ship was
observed atty miles at SCI half an hour
before the explosion. The spectacle at
tracted Thousands OF persons to the
@ator front and none dreamed OF the
. impending danger. AS the flames from
the deck reached down to the cargo
there came a mighty blast taat sent
big structures tunbling to the ground
and ripped out nearly every window in
Halifax. Several hundred persons
standing along tho wator front were
hurled into the harbor. and it is be-
lisved by the authorities that many
bodies arc still underwater. frozen to
the bottom.
The Srea5eet ices OF life and damage
occurred in the north end Of the city
largely populated by working people.