REBUILDING A CITY

Northern Advocate, 27 May 1921, Page 4

REBUILDING A CITY

AREA KEHGUSED WITHIN FOt T R TEARS GREAT HALIFAX EXPLOSION DESCRIBED BY RESIDENT. The north end of Halifax, Novn devastated hy the terrific explosion of the morning of December C, 1917, his been nluiost entirely reconstructed, according to Mr J. L. Ralston, K..C, of Halifax, who is at present visiting Wellington. "The aiva destroyed by the explosions übout n laile square," ho toKl a "Dominion" reporter, "but l>y now :ic\v houses htivc boon built, and boiilowiU roplaee the roads that exist-, oil bofoiv the explosion. But it enn 1)0 siiid that within four years the ruined suburb has been reliaibilifnted." 'flu , explosion thnt caused fo much '.'.•imago, and was responsible for Ihe ilont'hs of 1000 persons in a town the ponsili.tinn of which v.iis approximately "t.M'iii, lock place at about f> o'dock in the morning. Two steamer-; lying in H-iHiax Kiivbour, in some nuiniier, collided, one- being :i Belgian vessel, Imo, with a cargo of T.N-.T. (trinitro-tuo-leno), a cbauly explosive, and the other a French iiiip, the Mont Blanc. Thci\? were two distinct explosions. The concussion eau?ed a kind of tidal wave, in-.l the force of it swept along "the North End, a hill portion of the city. After tbc first shock, which smashed every window within p. radius of two miles, and drove in doors and levelled fences, people rushr>d to the front of their homes, -terrified; to bo met with •a second concussion even worse than the first. "Many person,? were fearfuly cut with the glass from the windows," snid Mr Rslston. "The concussion practically stripped the North End hillside. In many case 3 houses were razed to the ground. The first relief was from Boston, Massachusetts, which sent a train load of doctors and tvnses, and carrying med'uril tiid. A relief .fund was then termed, aided by grants" from the Federal Government the provinces of Canada, find public bodies. Following this, an administrative commission was «et up, with control of the fundi. "A building was erected as a shelter on tlie Town Common, the property of the city, and later other shelters were built there, which were used for over throe yoars after the entastropho. Over 27 million dollars were used }n*f?hcyre-~ liof work. The North Etui was ■rebuilt in "hydro-stone" houses, of specially made concrete blocks; and although there were standard houses, tho fact that there were also several models of standardisation, has resulted in no two house? of exactly the sarnie construction being found in the same street. There is plenty of playground room in the newly-built areae. People wishing to buy the standardised houses were allowed so much on the value of the house that was destroyed by the explosion; the house being built, of course, on their own section; under the supervision of authorities appointed by tho Administrative Commission.^

"One hundred and fifty persons were blinded in the explosion," concluded Mr Ralston, "and the Commission raw to it that they were provided for, ii> the way of financial assistance, and educational instruction in possible avenues of employment foY them."