The Monticellonian., 1918-11-29
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 500,000-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 done for Halifax, but what Halifax has done for itself is a far longer story. Although the victim of disaster which at ranked her among the great tragedy cities of the world-Pompeii. 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 filtered 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 produced such a 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 particularly-but no parallel exists for the sequence of anliction with which Halifax was deuged. Swift and appalling death from the whitening explosion, mad panic at the fear of worse disaster from a magazine disruption horror from the fires which greedily deyoured the ruins torture from the rapidly changing weather cOndi- tions which went from blizzard to rain and from ratu to zero conditions in the three days succeed the day of the catastrophe. Fate seemed to have
 
 It's repertoire of calamites
 "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 lone who watched this Homeric bat tie" press correspondent. Chief among the plain business men of heroieA mold Robert T Mac1lreith, an eXmayor of Halifax who had or ganzed emergency relief station at the city hall within hour after the Imo had rammed the Mont Blanc and let loose the devastating ex- plosives pent up in the hold If the latter ship MaeIlreith and his loyal associates not only got on the job at once, but stayed there practically without rest or sleep for ten days, suecor'ng 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 moments delay. The private of George E. Graham of the Dominion Atlantic was partly wrecked by the blast, but General Manager Graham at became a leading spirit in the great task of ganizing temporary relief and his railroad gave invaluable assistance in the crisis
 In week the emergency shelter committed di- rected by W. s. Davidson chairman, housed 60O0 people and a large number were cared for the very first night. Hospitals were established and 4,OO0 patients treated in an incredibly short time. Two thousand bodies handled by the mortuary department
 The reconstruction committed, 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 inaugurated Mir. Pearson asked Col. Robert s. Low, the man who built the eantonments for the Canadian army to give Halifax the benefit of his experience. and the colonel went to work at with plenty of energy. and without pay to put roofs the heads of thousands of Halifax people When he had struck his stride, the man who built Valcartier camp for the Canadian ex-