THE HALIFAX DISASTER

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 20

THE HALIFAX DISASTER

HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. RELIEF FUNDS. (By Cable.) The Mont Blanc explosion in Halifax Harbour caused a fire which threatened the military magazine, and the people fled from the streets in the neighbourhood, expecting the instant destruction of the entire city. An officer of the 72nd Ottawa Battery called for volunteers to assist to flood the magazine, and, despite the intense heat, every man of the battery responded. They worked in icy water, waist deep, until the danger had been averted.

The Immo's crew assert that the disaster was due to the Mont Blanc mistaking signals. The Tmmo turned to starboard, thinking she would be able to pass, but the distance was too short, and she rammed the Mont Blanc on the starboard side, the damage appearing to be but slight. The Mont Blanc headed for the city piers, and the Immo towards shallow water, in order to see the extent of her damage. Then chemical flames were seen on the Mont Blanc's deck.

The explosion followed, hurling the Immo ashore on the crest of a tidal wave. The Immo's captain had his head blown off; the pilot's body was thrown ashore; the helmsman was found dead at his post; and every man of the crew who was above deck was killed. Only those who were below escaped, and they were found later dazed amongst the brushwood ashore.

,--Whervthe explosion occurred a second munition ship, the Picton, was set afire, and if she had exploded it would certainly have wrecked the whole water front. Her crew, however, extinguished the fire before it reached the cargo.

The latest estimates of those known to be dead number 1200, of whom 900 have been identified. There are 2000 missing and 8000 injured, while 25,000 are homeless.

The damage to property amounts to £5,000,000. The military authorities are making wholesale arrests of German residents, who have previously only been required to report to the police once a month. Nine ships were wrecked or sent aground as a result of the " tidal wave" caused by the Mont Blanc munition sjhip's explosion. A wall of water 25ft high swept the water front, and 65 stevedores engaged on the Furness, WiThy, and Co.'s wharf were drowned. A tug was lifted on to the top of the pier, her crew escaping uninjured. A worker engaged on another pier felt the pier shed tremble. He slipped under a wooden beam when the wave engulfed the pier, and he clung to the beam until rescued. Six men who had been working alongside him were killed. There were 188 men working in the dry dock, and they were caught by the swirl of water which fell over the dock sides, all of them being drowned.

A shell from the Mont Blanc fell in front of a house occupied by Captain Kendall, ex-commander of the ill-fated Empress of Ireland (lost by collision in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in May, 1914, the loss of life being 1012). The shell buried itself in the ground without exploding. Captain Kendall escaped with a few cuts from broken glass. Thirteen men in the rigging of ships of some warships in harbour were blown into the harbour' and drowned.

A soldier working amongst the ruins found his own baby alive, but later he discovered his wife and five other children dead. A steamer entering the harbour during the " tidal wave" rammed another and then ran ashore.

Seven men are dead aboard the Canadian cruiser Niobe, and five others, who were afloat in a boat, were drowned. The Niobe broke from her moorings, but was secured before she sustained any damage. Upwards of 500 were blinded in the disaster. . They were standing on the waterfront, watching the Mont Blanc bum when the explosion occurred. The governmental investigation into the disaster has opened. Captain Lamodec, of the Mont Blanc, described the collision. The Imo was crossing his course, exchanging signals. The Imo was travelling at a high speed, while the Mont Blanc's speed was slow. He believed tMS&Imo altered her course too late. Captain Lamodec manoeuvred, hoping to save the part of his vesSfel where the picric acid was stored, but he failed in this. When the fire broke out he ordered the crew to abandon the ship, seeing that it was useless for them to remain. The crew escaped to land with the los& of one life.

A spy was arrested aboard an American relief ship when she arrived- at Halifax. The man was jDassing under the alias of Henry French, but his real name is believed to be Louis Vosburg. A map of Halifax and important papers were found in his possession. He was afterwards released, as the authorities consider him harmless.

It is reported that, following on the arrest of alleged spies a*, Halifax, secrat German codes were found ; also the remains of a wireless station amidst the ruins caused by the explosion.

RELIEF FUZNTBS. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law announced that the Government had sent a message of sympathy from the citizens of Halifax (Yorkshire), also a gift of £1,000,000 to the relief fund. The Australian Federal Government intends to make a substantial contribution to the Halifax Relief Fund. The amount has not been fixed. The following message has been received by Mr Massey, the Prime Minister, in' reply' to a cablegram of sympathy sent to the Prime Minister of Canada, following the Halifax disas-

ter: "Sir Robert Borden., has communicated your very kind expression of sympathy to the bereaved citizens. On behalf of the Mayor and citizens. I wish to say we are deeply moved by your thoughtfulness.—(Signed) R. T. M'IXRIETH, Chairman, Relief Committee." OTAGO DAILY TIMES RELIEF FUND. In compliance with various requests wo have, with the sanction of the Minister of Internal Affairs, opened a fund for the relief of the distress which has been caused in Halifax, Nova Scotia, through the terrible explosion that occurred there the week before last. > We have received the following subscript tions to the fund : Herbert, Haynes, and Co. (Ltd.) £SO 0 0 Ja.nes Begg 50 0 0 Mr and Mrs Theomin 50 0 0 Ross and Glendining (Ltd.) ... 25 0 0 A. S. Paterson and Co. (Ltd.) ... 21 0 0 M. Stuart Holmes 20 0 0 Mrs .Fergus 20 0 0 Part surplus from Boys' High School sports, devoted to patriotic objects 10 0 0 Geo. R. Story 10 0 Q Agnes B. Story 10 0 0 John Wither, Anderson Bay ... 10 0 0 William Couston 10 0 0 Mrs O. F. Greenslade 5 5 0 Wilson Malt Extract Co. (Ltd.) ... 5 5 0 Roid and Gray (Ltd.) ... 5-5 0 John Donaldson 5 5 0 Wm. Souter. Flag Swamp .... 5 0 0 Smith and Smith (Ltd.) 5 0 0 White and Co. (Ltd.) 5 0 0 Otago Preserving Co. (Ltd.) ... 5 0 0 Tivoli Tea Rooms Proprietary ... 5 0 0 Miss Hall's work-room (Messrs Herbert, Haynes and Co. (Ltd.) 3 3 0 H. de C. M'Arthur 3 3 0 Will Forrester 3 3 0 Gerald Bernstein 3 3 0 "D. M. T." 22 0 Mungo Watson 110 "R. A. C." 0 15 0