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Archibald MacMechan

Halifax Disaster Record Office Materials

The Daily Echo

07 December 1917. — 4 pages : 30 x 42 cm.

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A Stricken City
The Daily Echo.
volume XXXI. No 249 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Friday, December 7,1917. Price Two Cents

Death Toll In Great Disaster Growing

Relief Work Among The Grief Stricken People Of The City
Every Available Building Is Being Used To Care For The Wounded and the Military and Police Patrol the Streets -- Pathetic Scenes At The Homes That Are No More.

One of the temporary morgues were situated in the basement of the Chebucto Road School were at an early hour Thursday evening almost a steady stream of vehicles of all sorts were conveying the dead and depositing them in the basement in long rows.

The bodies were carried into the building and placed in long sheet covered rows. Practically none of them were recognizable
in their blackened and in many cases burned condition.

Relief bands of military were covering the Common and the slops of Camp Hill with a mushroom like growth of bell tents which sprung into being with the passing minutes as if some magical force was behind them.

Military and police of all descriptions patrolled the streets, and in orderly grime stained gatherings worked among the ruins and loaded the people they recovered into waiting vehicles. Of those who were fortunate enough to escape with their lives practically every second person in the city was injured.

Medically men worked in an effort to render aid wherever it was needed and during the day must have relived thousands who were not beyond their aid.

In the early morning after the colission, fire broke out and the department apparatus was rushed to the scene. They were preceded by the Fire Chief Edward Condon, Deputy Chief William Brunt and Peter Broderick in the Cheif's automobile. While on their way the explosion occured instantly killing all of the occupants.

The flame swept belt begins at what is known as the North Street Bridge and extends northward to Pier Eight Richmond on the water front and backward to a point running practically parallel with Gottingen Street. This embraces about two or two and a half square miles of territory. In this portion of the city there is nothing recognizable.

List of know dead At The Undertakers'

The identified dead at Snow's Mortuary include the following:
Wm. Brunt, 41, 123 Creighton St.
Chas. S. Purcell, 64 165 South Clifton Street.
Wm. Broderick, H. F.D.
Patrick Murphy, 53, 11 Creighton St.
V. G. Coleman, Edward St
L. B. Coleman, 278 Robie St.
---- Hiseler, 11 Black St.
Catherine Snow, 23, 936 Barrington St.
Wm. McFatridge, Robie St.
ExController G. F. Harris
Mrs. Lizzie Westhaver
Lieut. Com. Jas. A. Murray, Naval Instructor.
Mattie Aisle, 18, 53 Union St.
Marry Lefort, 3, John Lefort, 7, Annie Lefort, 18, Kalie Lefort 2 Cecelie aged 35.
Maxine, Daaghter of Thomas Williams, 8
Helena Munro, 37, 3 Ross St.
James Monamy, 6 105 Roome St., Son of James A. Monamy.
Blanche Bowes, 26, wife of George, 227 1/2 Gottingen St.
Elsie Allan, 16, 24 Allan St.
Mrs. Florence Kennedy, 121 Veith St., wife of David Kennedy, and child.
Mrs. Currie Wallace, 28, of Goldbora
Mrs. Lenid, 101 Creighton St.
Mary Simons, 23, Bishop St.
Mary Myra, 56 Union St.
Clarnce Hartlen, 14 Black St.
W. J. Beurce, Union St.
Hazel Beurce
Ruth Dwyer, 6, West Young St.
Clarence Thomas, 48 Hollis St.
Martha Thomas, 48 Hollis St.
Bessie E. Brehant, 7 East Young St.
Isabel Hinch, 23, 24 Richmond St.
John Hinch, 9
James Hinch, 53
Wm. Drake, 23,1557 Barrington St.

Among the identified at Spencers Mortuary are:
Miss Wood, 17
Kelcup boy and girl 3 1/2 and 2 years, children of Sergt. Kellup Wellington Barracks
Miss Edwards
Mr. Whiteway, 53 Longard Rd.
Baby Hamm, of Richmond, whose father is among the missing Hillis Foundry Employees.
A boy from Dartmouth
Wm. Donahoe
Mrs. McLeod and two children, Richmond
---- Elliott
A little girl named Ryan who lived at Wellington Barracks
John Munrce, aged 7, brought to the Mortuary from the Market Wharf this morning

There are numbers of bodies at the undertakers mortuaries still unidentified and identifications are made hourly. Among the bodies at the Snow's Mortuary are those of a few of the stevedores who were at work in the Richmond Refinery building when the shock came. Among the bodies is that of Mr. Tobiu one of the coopers of the stevedoring staff

Important
A meeting of the Relief Committee on Finance will be held at the Bank of Nova Scotia at 7.30 this evening. Members are requested to attend.

Thousands Dead And Thousands are Homeless As A Result Of The Terific Explosion Yesterday

Whole Families wiped out of existence, homes wrecked, and intense suffering prevails -Relief is on the way but in too many cases it is too late

A stricken city, racked by fire, with a thousand families homeless and twice that number dead, Halifax today is suffering as it has never suffered before. The collision that occurred on the hardor [harbor] yesterday morning has made a shambles of the North End of the City, has inflicted damage that will mount in to the millions of dollars and has created untold sorrow among our people.
While there is no official estimate as of yet of the death toll, it is considered a surety that it will be well over two thousand. Whole families were wiped out of existence when their homes were knocked down like so much cardboard. Buildings in which where many employes were swept to the ground and in some cases there was not a single survivor.
The hospitals are filled to overflowing and some of the cases have been heart-rending. One wee tot five years old was taken into Camp Hill Military Hospital sadly mutilated. Despite her wounds she was cheerful and bright, though she wanted "her Mamy." The hospital nurses could not bring themselves to tell her mother, father, brothers and sisters were all dead.
The admissions at Camp Hill and Cogswell Street have been well over three thousand and it is estimated that the number of wounded, more or less seriously, is over five thousand. Doctors form the outside points have been rushed to the city and the heroism of some of the local medical men is worth more than a passing notice. Some of them with their faces badly cut or limping from leg wounds kept at their duties unflichingly and save many a life.
A Daily Echo reporter yesterday interviewed the Captain of the French Steamer Monteblanc, th munition ship which exploded and caused the frightful loss of life and property. The Captain was no willing to talk. "C'est Terrible, c'est effroyante" (it is terrible, frightful) was all he would say. He stated that he would reserve his statement until the official inquiry was held.
Relief trains are coming in from various points in the Provence and even the United States. Yesterday trains with hundreds of wounded left Halifax for Truro and Kentville.

If You Want Accommodation Or If You Will Supply Accommodation For Homeless and for Nurses and Doctors, Notify Immediately The Registrar's Office at the City Hall (Formerly City Clerk's Office)


Reference: Archibald MacMechan Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 volume 2124 number 247

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