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Copy of report sent to Brigade Headquarters, one week after explosion.

Dec 13th, 1917

Dr. Chas. Copp,
Toronto, Ont.

Dear Doctor Copp:

I have communicated with you only by wire and my telegrams have been so contradictory that I trust you do not consider me quite bereft of grey matter.

In order to explain, I think I shall give you a brief outline of our work since the catastrophe, but in doing so shall have to be somewhat personal. Please try and realize that it is the wonderful work accomplished by our members that I wish to relate to you and not any little thing that I may have done myself.

At ten minutes after nine a.m. the time of the explosion, my home which is on the outskirts of the devastated area, was very badly shattered. In an instant, walls, ceilings, plaster, glass, furniture, etc. were in turmoil and wounded from the whole neighborhood were rushing into the house looking for my husband who is a Doctor. He was not at home, telephones were out of order, the house filled with injured, but while attending emergency cases such as controlling hemorrhage, etc. I sent the first able bodied man with a team to get in touch with the nearest members and ask them to report at the nearest Hospitals. it was un-necesssary, they were all there. Shortly after the explosion all citizens were ordered from their remaining homes to open spaces and at once the Common, which is directly opposite my home, was dotted with thousands of refugees, most of them wounded, many wrapped in bedding and in extreme pain. Mrs. Curry, one of my Nursing Officers assisted me. we spread a blanket about the centre of the common and sent Scouts to bring in the most urgent cases, which we treated until the danger of further explosion was past and we were permitted to return to what was left of our homes. The rest of the day my whole time was occupied with rendering first aid. Later in the evening I assisted at the Camp Hill Hospital where the overflow were on mattresses on the floor, and where I fully realized what our Brigade had meant to the Public.

At eleven o'clock the next morning, I was asked to attend a Citizen's meeting at the City Hall where I offered my services as Superintendent of our Division to organize as quickly as possible Voluntary District workers, inexperienced men and women, explaining that I did not have one member of the Brigade to call upon as they were all on duty. My offer was accepted and in less than half an hour, Miss Hunter, our Lady Divisional Secretary and myself had teams of women with typewritten information slips, pads and pencils ready to start out over the devastated area. The slips contained information telling those who were able to walk to where to go for