Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-12

100000.
New York, Jan. 1.-THE eighty acre
ammunition plant Of the Canadian Car
and Ammunition Company, near
hlngsland, N. j., Is SCARED and
piackened rum today. The fire that
s,arted there iate yesterday still
s1nolaered iii spots, and the, tiremen
wno stOuu at a SAFE distance last nlgnt
watching Inc eAploslon of nait a NIL
non Iuree aud s,A-4ncn sneiis cioseo IN
on the runs CAUTIOUSLY.
TueIe nave peen no official reports
VI loss OF nIe- ana the l,4uO employees
cf the pant escaped. Ineir sarety
prouaply IS due u the fact that the
tne storage rooms.
Loss ls S4,000,o00.
The loss Is esLiInale0 az $4,O00,0O0,
que almost entirely to the desLrucuOn
of shells. The rectangular enclosure
contained between forty or fifty buiid-
lngs, but these We're of flimsy con-
slruction ana IL was said the company
expected to aDanaon them in a snort
time. si.g ss x <
The hundreds Of families who flea
from Klngsland returned TO their
homes tins morning. Many Of the
!iomes were so shell riddied that they
were not tenable.
The police authorities lifted the dead
line they had tn4 own around the resi-
dence section in an effort to. prevent
footing and assisted the returning
eownsmen in putting their residences
in order. Many of those who ran tor
safety spent the nignr in churches and
schools.
The shops Of the Delaware g. Lack
| awanna road in the vlc.nlty OF the
plant were badly damaged. Shells
rained into them, running machinery
ana equipment.
On the cnance that employees in
| iul ed and suIIering from exposure
uilgnt be lying on the Hackensack
meadows, over which many escaped,
Ipolice were detailed to make search
1t Is probable that persons have been
drowned IN the meadow streams.
Superintendent Harkness, of the
works, said he believed there was nc
loss of life. He did not know how
the fire started nor could he estimate
the damage.
TWO Hours Of Explosions
The explosions lasteo more than two
hours and telrorlzed northeastern New
Jersey. 1t was reported that an ex-
plosion in the storehouse had caused
the detonation Of $4,000 tons Of dyna-
mate loaded on freight cars. A hre
spread until it ragged 1nruout the plant
which covers several acres.
Interm,ttently as the flames
lreached stores Of explosives the earth
was shaken.
The. idetonations, which could be
! felt in parts Of New York, brought
panic to the New Jersey countryside
| ii en- and women III Lyndhucst, Kings
land and other nearby communities
LIED from the danger towards the Pas
| sale river.
The Canadian Car and Foundry
Company plant, an extensive concern
that covers acres, had been working
! day and night on war orders from the
British government. At night It pre-.
sented a picturesque scene, illuminated
with searchlights and electric lamps.
/ Air Filled With Shells.
James J. Kelly, warden Of the Snake
Hill penitentiary, about one mile from
| the scene, said at o'clock that thu
detonations were as violent as the,
lhad been an hour before. He gave
vivid description of the conf1agration
He said the burning area resembled 9
gigantic display Of fireworks. AS hun
dreds of shells exploded the skies Were
filled with myriad sparks.
Il don't want to see any more fire
works like this, said the warden ovel
the telephone. I'VE are all ltttl'
4 afraid. The walls are shaking badly
Land broken glass Is falling with ever!
iiexplosion. / wish could sstaW
Ifrom here"
j The 219 prisoners, the warden said
i were frightened, but were behaving
tweii. Arrangements were being mad
to remove the convicts should the ex
lploding last much longer.
s'5F.