We had been ordered to escort a west-bound convoy through the submarine areas until we reached mid-Atlantic, where danger would be remote.
From that position the ships, after having been dispersed, might make their own way separately to Halifax.
This arrangement was duly fulfilled, and all went well until the Calgarian had only a few miles to steam when a radio message gave us the most amazing news—Halifax had been visited by one of the worst disasters that ever afflicted a modern city. Within thirty seconds the world's greatest munitions explosion destroyed £4,000,000 worth of property, killed 1,500 people, and injured 8,000 others.
Although some reference was made to the catastrophe in the British newspapers, so vast was it that all the details were not made public. until long after the war. Yet the cause of the disaster deserves to be borne in mind because of the terrible results which may happen from the German liners in New York were ready to rush forth into the Atlantic. This would have been a serious matter for more than one reason. X Firstly, the other German. surface raiders were nearly at their last gasp, and 30 fresh steamships with ample coal and provisions could have been a menace for the best part of an-
The French steamship Mont Blanc entered Halifax on the morning of the disaster. She was loaded with munitions from the United States.
To the north of Halifax lies Bedford Basin, entered by the Narrows formed by the city's shores and Dartmouth, a suburb on the opposite side, In this basin east-bound vessels had begun to assemble. The Norwegian ship Imo. chartered as a relief ship for the Belgians, was also there.
With the words "Belgian Relief" painted on both sides of her hull the Imo did not require escort. Carrying charitable gifts of food and clothing to Antwerp for those made destitute by war, she expected that the Germans, whether in the Atlantic or North Sea, would give her safe passage.
About 8 am. she got under way for the open sea, Meanwhile the Mont Blanc, which had been lying at anchor all night at the harbour entrance waiting for daylight, was coming up to the basin. She had a deck cargo of benzol In the holds were large quantities of wet and dry. picric acid, together with 'T.N.T.—the maximum amount of dangerous material which her space would allow.
It was a sunny, frosty winter's day. Each steamship had a pilot aboard. In mid-harbour the two steamers collided. Imo running her bows into the Mont Blanc with such an impact that sparks were caused.
Benzol began to leak along the deck, and within a few seconds the Mont Blane was a furnace, while Imo drifted around the harbour out of control.
Horror seized the French as they thought of the packed holds. Lowering a boat, they crowded into it and rowed away quickly.
Then they saw that one of their shipmates had been left behind. Back they went towards the floating hell, rescued the man and hurriedly pulled clear again. They had snatched the opportunity barely in time. The all-devouring flames were rapidly creeping towards the cargo below.
If the Mont Blanc were no longer a danger to her crew, she w peril to almost everybody else. She had become a blazing crucible at the mercy of wind and tide. People on shore crowded forth to gaze on the terrifying sight.
HM.S. Highflyer was lying near Halifax's naval dockyard. The commanding officer realized that something must be*done without wasting a second. If the vessel were to set alight to the dockyard it would be a great blow to Allied shipping.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.