Huge Halifax death toll

Spectators at the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s Spring meeting on December 1 watch the horses in...
Spectators at the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s Spring meeting on December 1 watch the horses in the Amateur Handicap. — Otago Witness, 12.12.1917.
OTTAWA: Details of the Halifax disaster state that owing to confused signals a Belgian relief steamer collided with the Mont Blanc, a French steamer loaded with 3000 tons of munitions, petrol, and trinitrotoluol.

Fires swept the ship, causing an explosion. Scores of people, including children, were crushed to death by falling buildings. The flames swept over the ruins. Two square miles of the city were devastated.

The Chief of Police estimates there are 2000 dead; other estimates are smaller. Special Red Cross trains have left New York and other cities for the scene of the disaster.

According to Halifax reports the death roll continues to grow.

It is impossible to secure accurate details. A snowstorm followed the fire, and the homeless people are suffering greatly. Bluejackets from an American warship patrolled the city in conjunction with British forces.

Halifax reports that all the children except two in the Protestant Orphanage were killed. A shell which was hurled from the steamer Mont Blanc struck the gas tanks aboard the steamer Wasper.

The gasolene exploded, destroying the Wasper and killing several of those aboard. Many cases of blinded people have been sent to the hospital.

The windows and doors fell out of buildings; other structures collapsed internally, thus starting fires.

Some of the wounded dragged themselves into the open and remained in the snow throughout the night before they were discovered. Eye-witnesses describe the corpses in the streets as being in worse condition than those mutilated by German bombs.

Fishy prejudice

Mr G. M. Thomson, when addressing some Port Chalmers fishermen on Saturday afternoon, said it was merely prejudice that prevented people from eating many kinds of fish. Speaking of  a recent visit to Sydney, he described the excellent fish shops and variety of fish he saw there. Then he came nearer home and said he was one day in a fish shop in Dunedin, and saw beautiful filletted and smoked "blue cod" in neatly got-up boxes, sold at one shilling per pound. He entered and asked the salesman and owner what kind of fish these were. There was no answer. Then, examining the fish closely, he ventured to affirm they were filletted elephant or dog fish.

"Oh, you know too much," replied the owner, "but they are quite good and excellent food."

To this Mr Thomson attested. One of the fishermen then rose and said: "Look here, boys, I can tell you something quite as good. Some years ago I was selling fish all round Dunedin. Among others upon whom I called was a Mr Thomson, whom I always found a ready customer, and an excellent judge of fish. For a week on end one time there was no fish. Then, shoals of elephant and dogfish were caught, and not to be beaten I filletted and shopped as many of them as I could."

Rustling in Canterbury

A correspondent of the Christchurch Press writes: Sheep and cattle-stealing is pretty rife in a certain district within 40 miles of Christchurch. One farm in the hills, of 300 acres, has lost 30 sheep and four head of cattle, and another farmer has lost a number of sheep also, no fewer than 16 rams (Romneys), while still another has lost three head of young cattle. — ODT, 10.12.19.17.

 

• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ

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