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THE DAILY ECHO,

AN APPALLING DISASTER; FRIGHTFUL DAMAGE; GREATER PART OF NORTH END IS A MASS OF RUINS

Collision Which Occurred at 9.05 Yesterday Morning Has Laid the Northern End of the City in Ruins. Mont Blanc a French Munition Boat Collides in Harbor with a Belgian Relief ship and Blows up .... Dead number Hundreds and Casualties are Known to be in the Thousands... Every Available Place in the City being Utilized as Emergency Morgues and Hospitals... No Cause yet Found for the Collision... Crowds of Frenzied People rush Through Streets Fleeing from what was First Thought to be a German Raid... Streets Littered with Dead... Practically two Square Miles of Territory a Burning Ruin.

MISSING:
Will anyone knowing the whereabouts of the following kindly communicate with The Daily Echo
Frank D. Hillis,
Mrs. Lewis Cann. from cor. Albert & Young St
Miss Alma Cann
Cyril Cann.
Mrs. William Hinch.
Mrs. J. F. Farreland from 30 1-2 Nor. Albert St.
George Godwin, aged 8 years, from 59 Russell St.
H. Inch, entire family,
Stockholm family.
Miss Gladys Bennett.
Joe Copper, 7 years, 254 Maynard St.
Madeline Elliott, 35 Veith St., mother and one daughter, Helen.
Agnes Elliott, Vera Elliott, at Y. M. C. A., aged 6 dead. Mrs.
Irene Elliott, Elliott is alive.
Grace Elliott,
John Elliott,
Mrs. R. Donnelly and two children, 6 Veith St.
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lovett and two children.
Ex.-Ald. Constant Upham,
Levi Dauphinee, Queensland.
Mrs. John Campbell, Dartmouth.
Mrs. W. J. Moody, North Albert St.
Mrs. A. W. Moody " " "
William Moody, two years old.
Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Thomson, 1235 Barrington St., and four children, Jeane, Bernice, Edna and Will.
Mrs. Michael Flavin, Kaye St.
Charles Short, King St., Dartmouth.
George F. H. Harris, Ex-Controller.
Miss Hilda Kennedy, 16 Granville St., aged 17. Stenographer at Gunn and Company, near North Street Station.
Mrs. Potier, Wellington Barracks.
Mrs. Thomson and three children, North Albert Street.
Mrs. S. M. Moonoy,
Miss S M Mooney, 15 Russell Street.
Mr Jim Mooney,
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Hillis
Frank Carew, of the Furness Withy & Co. staff.
Edward Horner, aged 19, car checker, Richmond yard, 95 Agricola St.
Two children of Ald. Parker.
Martin Quinn, watchman of the RichmondSugar Refinery Building, feared dead.
Mrs. Frank Davis and two boys, Charlie and Frank
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Halifax was shocked to its very heart at five minutes past nine o'clock yesterday morning by an explosion which left a trail of death and ruin unparalleled in the history of this or any other Canadian city. A French munition steamer, carrying 4,000 tons of munitions, including, it is said, a considerable quantity of Trinol-Toluol, the most highly explosive material manufactured, and a Belgian relief steamer came into collision off Pier 8, just at the entrance to the Basin. A deck cargo of benzine on the munition boat ignited, and a few minutes later, the 4,000 tons of munitions aboard, exploded with a terrifying roar and a crash that made the earth quake for hundreds of miles around.
As a result a large part of the North End of the City and a considerable section of the Water Front has been laid in ruins, buildings were wrecked, windows were shattered all over the Peninsula, hardly a pane of glass in the City or Dartmouth remains intact, while the toll of dead and wounded has reached appalling dimensions.
The chief of Police estimated last night that the number of dead will run to two thousand. Every hospital, hall and school suitable for caring for the wounded is filled with suffering men and women and children, many of them terribly cut by flying glass. Every second person in the City and Dartmouth has been wounded, and the City looks as if it had been swept by a devastating tornado. In many cases whole families were killed in their homes, while every street of the North End contains the mutilated bodies of men, women and children whose lives were blotted out in an instant.
In the confusion which prevailed throughout the day and night when every effort was concentrated on caring for the wounded, it was impossible to compile a complete list of or any adequate lists of the dead. Among those who are reported killed are:
DEAD:
Isaac Creighton; Hogan, Boiler Maker; John Harris, son of George Harris, who is also missing; David Whiston, West Young Street; William McFatridge: Mrs. Charles Stockall, the wife of the foreman of the Dominion Atlantic Railway at North Street, and child; Mrs. W. J. Sweatman, wife of Rev. W. J. Sweatman, of Kaye Street Methodist Church, and child; Mrs. Myers, 56 Union Street; Mrs.
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Early in the day it was reported that the two Hillis families who reside on Richmond street back of the foundry of James Hillis & Sons, had been killed. George B. Hillis was in the firm's office on Hollis Street when the explosion occurred and was not injured. His wife and two sons Franklin and ordon were all located and are in hospital. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Hillis and their two children, however, are missing. Frank D. Hillis, the well known member of the firm is also missing and up to last night no trace of hm was reported.
Fire Chief Edward Condon, deputy Chief Edward Brunt and Engineer Peter Broderick who were proceeding to Deep Water Terminus in the Chief's automobile were hurled in the air and instantly killed.
The explosion was followed by fires which immediately broke out on shore and up to an early hour this morning the fires were still burning. From North Street Station to Africville most of the buildings have been destroyed.
A portion of the roof of the Station itself fell in and the casualties there were heavy only two of the people in the station at the time escaping without serious injury. Superintendent J. T. Hallisey of the C. G. R. was in his official car at North Street at the time, and was severely cut about the head and face. General Manager George Graham of the Dominion Atlantic with his wife and daughter were breakfasting in their car at North Street but escaped uninjured.
The Dry Dock plant was wrecked and two steamers lying at the Dry Dock pier had their superstructures swept away and were riddled with fragments of flying steel. There was only one casualty on one of these steamers but on the other not a man of the crew of forty was found alive. The Captain, Pilot, officers and crew of the Montblanc abandoned their ship after the collision and reached the Dartmouth shore with the loss of only one man. The tale of the crew of the Imo is still in doubt, but a Morning Chronicle reporter who boarded the steamer yesterday afternoon found the bodies of three men on the deck. The boat were bottom up, and it is believed the crew were caught by the explosion as they were attempting to reach the shore. Neither the agents nor the Norwegian Consul have had any word of them.
Pilot William Hayes who was on the Imo, is also missing. Pilot Frank Mackey, who was on the Montblanc, escaped unhurt.
The Relief Committee was constituted yesterday afternoon it requests:
1. That all parents or guardians seeking lost children and all persons who are housing lost children are requested to call at the City Clerk's office and Register.
2. All persons who are homeless or who need shelter are also requested to Register with the City Clerk when they will be assigned quarters as soon as possible.
3. All persons who are willing to provide accommodation for sufferers are requested to file their names together with accommodation available with the City Clerk.
4. As there will likely be a serious shortage in the available supply of glass, all persons removing glass are earnestly requested to do so with as little breakage as possible. A large quantity of the glass required will be sizes as small as 8 x 10 and 10 x 12 inches. If persons assisting in this way will telephone the City Clerk's office such glass will be sent for.
5. All persons renewing sashes to have same made with small lights in order that small sizes of glass may be used.
6. All outside town contributing relief, furnish as far as
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