The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-23
MOBILE FIGHTING
 TO0VERC0MEHER
 LATEST HANDICAP
Men Work Heroically to Re- move Dead From Wreck
 age of Power House. Candles Give Light

NlWDhGs ECOHuAEy @S~~NSRcSA@A~S
 Mobile, . town of 100000 people.
 and made up of all nationalities.
 will be in darkness several days,
 notwithstanding superhuman ef-
 forts are being made to place in
 operation a temporary power plant
 to take the place of the one ae-
 stroyed in the terrific explosiou
 ljiMk sADSK tha ensirc town Aa far
 as Mobile bay and the water front
 Friday night while theatre crowdS
 were going from their hoMes to
 the downtown district.
 The mammoth plant that once fur nished current for the hugt shipbuild- ing plants that dot the waterfront in the Gulf City is mass of ruins, and this city has been struck another hard blow that will require many months to overcome.
 Cyclones have swept the large steamers from the piers, houses have been demolished, fires have laid to waste hundreds of thousands of doi- lars worth of property, but never be- fore has the city had such a shock as that of Friday night, when, without a warning, the power plant. occupying half block in the busy section of the city was blown into thousand frag- ments, killing three persons and in- turing at least dozen.
 CURFEW IN EFFECT
 Saturday found Mobile for the sec ond time within two years fighting a brave battle to overcome serious Mayor Crawford, ruging cooperation of all citizens during the emergency and while the city is dark. informed the police that they would be expected to enforce temporary curfew law, requiring all persons to be off the streets before 10 o'clock. Each person on the streets must have a good ex- planation to give, otherwise the jail win be their home for the night, or the emergency period.
 Men worked heroically all day Sat- urday removing the dead fro mthe debris that covered Royal street in front of the power house. Firemen still were fighting flames that broke out shortly after the explosion.
 Stores closed early Saturday night. Many purchased candles and lanterns for the night. but barber shops, pic- turc shows and theatres. as well az other amusements. were compelled to close when darkness came
 One of the amusing incidents of the disaster was the scramble that took place for candles. One large hotel is said to have purchased 5000 at a cost of 10 cents each. Then again. there is said to be profiteering in Mobile since the disaster. The price of candies jumped 50 per cent Lanterns were cut of reach of the poor man.
 Montgomery citizens rushed to Mo- bile on the first train. following the explosion when report said the town had been wiped out" by an explosion. They found hotels could not accOmnio- date them. and were forced to take early trains out. s,s5 Mobile is struggling to overcome the effect of the disaster. The Mobile Reg ister is printing four pages Tn the morning. while the News-ItAm is also printing the same number 6f pas es. They are getting power froM local hotel which has its own paent Tkourands of man and wbppen arc out of employment berailGe ef the closing down of plantJ and the shtp- yards The police dspa artuaent hes been doubled, the chief fe4rfng fhere - III ! De outIawry dnrinG the eSpef9ensy.