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Halifax Disaster Record Office
Chronicle Building
Halifax, N. S.

COPY
EXPLOSION AT HALIFAX, N. S.
December 6th, 1917
Thursday, Dec. 6th, 1917.

I reached the Citadel Hill at about 9.05 a.m. and was just getting out of my car when the Explosion occurred. I was thrown violently down on the ground while all around me glass from the Offices and Barrack Rooms were flying. Thinking that it was a shell bursting near me I ran across the square on to the South Parapet to look seaward, but on reaching there I saw a huge volume of smoke rising hundreds of feet into the air in the North End of the City and realizing that it was a magazine of some kind that had blown up I ordered the men, who were running out of all the buildings covered with blood from the glass, to take cover. As soon as all danger from flying fragments was over I ordered the Fire Call to be sounded and the men who had received cuts were sent to the Medical Orderly. At about 9.30 the Adjutant took over and I left the Citadel with the Medical Orderly and as many bandages as could be procured and went North to the scene of the Explosion. I took two lots of wounded to the V. G. Hospital and then left the Orderly at a dressing station formed at the Armouries. My next lot were taken to the Infirmary. I then went to the extreme end of Gottingen Street and from here took as many seriously hurt as could be found to the Camp Hill Hospital, among which were a child of about 8 years of ago who died, probably of shock, and a woman who bled to death, having had her arm blown off. I then called home at about 11 a. m. and from somewhere near Oxford Street took a woman to the Hospital who had a premature birth. I assisted in running people to Hospital and rescue work until 7 p.m. and then took cases from the V. G. Hospital to the 'OLD COLONY', which was lying at the DockYard. At 11 p. m. I reported to the V. G. H. and