The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-12-05
OWzE OF ~ zU0AEAAoHE EeECZED 4I/eEZNE CQDeuSSON

5OOOO0-One of the greatest contributions ever
made by bg-hearted public to a 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
done for Halifax but what Halifax has done for
itself is far longer story. Although the victim
OF a disaster which at once ranked her among
the great tragedy cities of the wOrd-POmpeii
Martinique, Galveston and San Francisco-Ha-
fax staggered to her feet a few seconds after the
titanic blast had laid waste her streets. de-
strOyed her homes and Uttered the 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
daring set of civilian heroes as sprang up at the
call of duty in those bleak December days in Hal
flax. History teens with horrOrs-recent his
tory particuarly-but no parallel exists for the
sequence of affection with which Halifax
deluged. Swift and appalling death from the
whitening explosion, mad panic at the fear of
worse disaster from magazine disruption, horror
from the fires which greeiiIy devoured the ruins,
torture from the rapidly changing weather condi-
lions 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 it had exhausted
its repertoire of calamities.
'Set against this appalling challenge was the
unknown and untried courage of Halifax's citi-
Zens. How they battled 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 Homeric bat
tie" as press correspondent Chief among the
plain business men Of heroic mold was Robert 7.
MacIreith. an ex-mayor of Halifax, who had or
ganiZed an emergency relief station at the city
hall within hour after the limo had rammed
the Mont Blanc aud let loose the devastating ex-
OlO In he hoId of no Iaff Shr
MacIlreith and his loyal associates not only got
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 man of force and initiative and man.
agerial ability went to work without a moments
delay. The private of George E. Graham of
the Dominion Atlantic was partly wrecked by
the blast, but General Manager Graham at once
became q leading spirit in the great task of or
ganizing temporary relief and his railroad gave
Invaluable assistance in the crisis
In a week the emergency shelter committee di-
rected by W. s. Davidson, chairman, housed 5000
people and large number were even cared for
the very first night. Hospitals were established
and 1000 patients treated in incredibly short
time. Two thousand bodies were handled by the
mortuary department
The reconstruction committee headed by G.
Fred Pearson a newspaper proprietor lost no
time in organizing the work of building temporary
homes for the homeless to cover the period which
must elapse before permanent construction could
be naugurated Mr.. Pearson asked Col Robert
S. Low. the who built the environments for
the Canadian army. to give Halifax the benefit of
his experience, and the colonel went to work at
once with plenty of energy, and without pay. to
put roofs over the heads of thousands of Halifax
people. When he had struck his stride, the man
who built Valcartier camp for the Canadian ex-