STEAMER'S ESCAPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17112, 18 March 1919, Page 8

STEAMER'S ESCAPE.

THE HALIFAX DISASTER. 13 KILLED AND MUCH DAMAGE. Since the beginning of the war steamers have had some marvellous escapes from disaster, but it would be difficult to find a parallel to that of the steamer Calonne, now in Wellington with coal from Newcastle. Tho Calonne was in Halifax Harbour on December 6, 1917, when the great explosion occurred, and emerged from the disaster almost a compictc wreck from the deck upwards. She was within 900 ft of the ammunition ship which blew up and destroyed most of the shipping in the | harbour, and wrecked half the town. Particulars received at the time stated that the Mont Blanc, an incoming French ship of 5000 tons, with a cargo of explosives, and tho Imo, a Belgian relief ship, which was leaving tha harbour for the trip across the Atlantic, collided. 'Hie Mont Blanc, it appears, had a quantity of benzine on dick, and this was soon ablaze, and in a few minutes the flames were licking the masts. The collision occurred at 8.30 a.m., and a few minutes later the explosion took place. There was a terrific report, and the Mont Blanc disappeared. The Calonne seemed to get the full force of tho explosion, and everything on and above deck was broug.it down—funnel, deck-houses, and hatch 1 earns, which were flung on to the wharf among tho debris of the buildings. The vessel presented the appearance of a shell-swept ship. A start was then made to rescue the wounded and to remove the bodies of the dead. Thirteen men on board the vessel wcro killed outright, and many were | wounded. A number of horses were to j be shipped that morning, hut they were delayed, and all the horseboxes were wrecked.' The, Calonne escaped complete destruction owing to the fact that she had on board a large cargo of flour, and was low in the water. The chief engineer was wounded, the chief officer was knocked about, and the fourth engineer had his arm broken. The two wireless operators were standing together, and the junior was killed. The water in the harbour was lifted up as by a volcanic eruption, and a tugboat was projected on to a heap of debris on the wharf. The Calonne was given a bad list, owing to cargo shifting, and a black pall hung over the whole city. For six weeks the officers and crew jived ashore I while temporary repairs were being effected to enable the ship to go to New York, where she was for four months undergoing repairs. Everything on deck—funnel, masts, deck-houses, ventilators—is now new, the ship having been completely refitted. The Calonne was built 20 vears aero, and belongs to the Watford Line, London. She was on the Atlantic run during the four years of war, and managed to evade accident until her experience at Halifax.