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MG 1 VOL 2124 number 213

HALIFAX DISASTER RECORD OFFICE
CHRONICLE BUILDING

HALIFAX, N.S.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE.
Lieut-Col Oxley, Post-Master, Halifax.

Post-Office building itself was shaken by the force of the explosion. The plaster on the solid concrete walls was cracked. There was evidence that the whole building had been shaken.
(Walter Black stated to Director that the building of Pickford and Black was shaken as if with an earthquake. He had himself experienced slight shocks of earthquakes in the East Indies, and thought this was an earthquake.) Windows to the north and west and east were blown in in the Post Office Building, but no ceilings fell, and no doors were forced.

Injuries to personnel. A number of the P.O. employees, at work in the building were badly cut by the glass. Even two weeks later some Herbert? were having pieces of glass taken out of their arms Heisler, clerk, worked on, although badly injured. One of the letter-carriers, (Spruce,) was killed while on his beat at Richmond -- cause of death unknown -- rumor that he had been seen assisting a woman and child out of a house. Simply disappeared. Body identified by a trouser-leg of letter-carrier uniform. Sub-postmaster Craighton, at Richmond, carried off -- house and all.
The work of the post-office went on in a 'marvelous way', in spite of the results of the explosion. The windows had to be boarded up and the mails got ready for the train as usual. The staff did not go out for meals. The post-master had food brought in for them. The men went home to sleep. There was no delay in forwarding mails, except for the despatch of trains. The men worked especially hard on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th. In reply to the question "Was there any

signed
x Thomas Spruce, h. 53, Russell St.