THE HOLOCAUST AT HALIFAX

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 65, 10 December 1917, Page 5

THE HOLOCAUST AT HALIFAX

LATEST ESTIMATE OF CASUALTIES 4000 PEOPLE DEAD TERRIBLE SCENES IN THE CITY Ottawa, December 7. Further details of the Halifax disaster show that owing to tie signals being confused a Belgian relief steamer collided with a French steamer loaded with 3000 tons of munitions, including petrol and trinitro-toluol ("T.N.TV'). Fire swept the ship, ; causing nn explosion. Scoros of peo- ; pie, including children, were crushed to death by falling buildings. Flames swept the ruins, and two ecruare miles i of the city were devastated. The Chief of Police estimates there are 2000 dead; other estimates are smaller. Confirmatory details showing that the death roll is.over 2000 are continu- j ally Thirty girls em- : ployed in a printing works arc dead. y Speoial Red Cross trains havo ■ left' i Now York and other cities. Boston ' is furnishing a hospital train for the j relief of tho sufferers. The war had made Halifax one of tho < most important ports in America, and tho harbour was always filled with : shipping. ■ A shell hurled from tho Mont Blane (presumably tho name of the munitions ship) struck tho gasoline tanks aboard tho steamer Warper. The gasoline j exploded, destroying tho "Wasper, and killing several on board. _ ' ■ : All the children except two were kill- . ed in a Protestant orphanago. In ono house a baby was seen alivo, pinned . beneath the wreckage, but the workers \ were unable to reach it before th» •; flames consumed it. Many_ caees of ; blinded people are in hospital. Win- ; dows and doors fell out of buildings; others collapsed internally, thus start- - ing fires. Some wounded people dragged themselves into the open, and re- : mnined in the snow throughout the i night beforo' they were discovered. Eye-witnesses describe the corpses in, tho streets' as in worse condition that those mutilated by German bombs.— Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. SNOWSTORMSFOILOW THE FIRE : CITY PATROLLED BY BLUE-, ; JACKETS. I . Halifax, December 7. i Reports regarding tho death roll continue to grow, some estimates placing it at 5000, but this is believed to be an exaggeration. It is impossible to obtain accurate details. A snowetorm followed the fire, and : tho homeless people are suffering greatly. Bluejackets from an American warship in harbour patrolled the city, ■. in conjunction with British forces. The people, when the first shock was over, concluded that an aerial bombardment was in progress. A Canadian steamer was torn Trom her moorings • by the concussion and sent adrift.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.. FIRST OFFIOAL CASUALTY ESTIMATE 1 TOTAL OF FIVE THOUSAND, ' Halifax, December 7. Tho first official estimate of tn* : casualties gives a total of five thousand, of whom two thousand are dead and three thousand injured, many Eeri-ously.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. DEATH ROLL NOW 4000 , (Rec. December 10, 0.30 a.m.) Ottawa, December 8. ' ; Tho death roll at Halifax is now estimated at four thousand. The bodies ■ of two hundred sailors and workmen havo been recovered from the water- ; front. Blizzard weather still continues.—Reuter. ENQUIRYJECIDED ON ; , Ottawa, December 7. The Government has decided to appoint a judicial tribunal to investigate the cause of the disaster.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ■ i TOWNS 150 MILES AWAY ROCKED LIKE' i AN EARTHQUAKE ; (Roc. December 9, 5.5 p.m.) ! Ottawa, December 8. j The latest estimate of tho dead at ' ' ; Halifax is 2800. The ill-fated munition i steamer Mont Blanc contained 2800 \ I tons of the most powerful explosives. i The. debris, shells, and ship-plates were j found at a radius of five miles. Towns .: 150 miles distant from the scene rock- j bd like an earthquake, while-ships 50 j milos out at sea had a similar oxpori- j ence.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' ! RELIEF TRAINS SNOW-BOp \ (Rec. December 9, 5.5 p.m.) , j New York, December 8. ! The "New York Times" special cor- 1 respondent says that Halifax was like ! a living hell. Many of the injured who ■ could not be rescued perished in tho j blizzard. To-night the tomv is in J darkness except for lanterns. Rohef trains are stuck in tho snow. It is estimated that 1500 bodies have been i recovered.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. •< APPALLING LOSS TO PROPERTY ■ ' TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE DESTITUTE. t ; (Rec. December 9, 5.5 p.m.) ] Ottawa, December 8. Sir Robert Bordon has placed the ; whole of the resources of the Federal Government at the disposal of the Hah- : fax munioipal authorities. The property losses are estimated .at six-mil- ; ion sterling. Four thousand dwellings , wore demolished, and twenty thousand peoplo rendered destituto.-Reuter. GENEROUS HELPJROM AMERICA ' A MILLION STERLING VOTE. (Rec. December 9, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, December 8. Congress has been asked to vote five ; million dollars (a million sterling) or tho relief of Halifax.-xVus.-N.Z. Cable , ; Assn.