Evening journal., 1918-10-05
HUNDREDS DEAD
AFTER TINT. BLAST
At PERTH AMBOY
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States entered the war, paled beside tho
tremendous force OF this crash.
The property damage will run far
into the millions. The plant alone, ac
cording % estimates, was valued a.
siS,0O0,OO0. This has been practically
destroyed. What part OF II remained al
dawn today was slowly crumbing un
der the explosions OF shell stores OF
was being eaten away by a fire whlcl
could not be controlled.
There were thousands In the planl
when the flrst explosion took place. A.
those not hurt dashed from their posi-
tions other blasts followed Remnant
OF human bodies, according 20 reports,
were found In various places. One man
declared he had seen a twisted mass OF
arms and legs in a blacksmith shop
Three hundred men were In the build
ing where the first blast let go. How
many OF them escaped or whether any
did Is only a matter for speculation
Ordinarily there are about 5000 20 5000
workers IN TIE plant. The explosion
struck Just after the change IN the shift
Hundreds OF women employed durlnc
the day had left the plant and none Of
these, II is believed lost their lives.
Great destruction was caused by ny-
ing shells which mounted into the air
whlstling into the surrounding country
as their fuses were touched on by
the fire. A civilian talking to a guard
Is said 10 have been killed Instantly
when his head was torn OF by one OF
these shells. The guard was not in
lured
Hospitals at Elizabeth. Rsrltan, New
ark, Jersey City and other nearby points
rushed ambulances and surgical aid 10
the plant. One morgue was said 10
have received eight bodies. and reports
were received that a company OF coast
artillerymen had removed fourteen 9th
er bodies from the wreckage OF a build
ing.
Half the population OF South Amboy
lied TO Pe,th AmbOy when the blasts
continued and early today all those who
We're leit' went away. Soldiers began
patrol OF the streets 10 protect the
houses.
Military authorities have taken alb
solute charge. They have refused In
formation to civil authorities. A com
plete investigation, II was stated, al
ready Is under way.
Several theories regarding the start
OF the disaster have been advanced. Ii
has been stated that a boiler exploded
that a workman dropped a shell and
that a shell became ignited The build
/ ings contained shells ranging In diam
eter from three inch TO nine inch. man
ufactured for the most part for French
IJs and l55s.
Many or the small buildings Of which
/ the plant Is mainly composed, went
skyward in the series Of blasts that
preceded the fire. or else were burned
thereafter. In all there were twenty
or thirty explosions In the space OF
five minutes, shortly after O'Clock.
Immediately thereafter the SKY was
lighted by the glare OF widespread
flames.
The T. A. Gillespie plant at Morgan
Is used for the loading Of shells. Ac-
cording TO officials Of the company at
the main ofilce. at Gillespie Nj, three
miles from Morgan, the first explosion
took place m a building used for the
loading OF slx-inch shells.
In the 1--WE minutes that followed that
part OF New Jersey was shaken by a
series OF blasts like the rapid firing OF
thrown into confusion by the tremen-
dous conclusions and South Amboy
was badly damaged
Immediately all available assistance
flre-nghting and medical, was rushed 10
Morgan. While the explosions were
still crashing ambulances started on
the dead run for Perth AmbOy Hos
pital. A few minutes later and ths
wires were hit, summ0ning every avail
able bit OF fire apparatus from New
Brunswick, Railway and Elizabeth.
South Amboy, a mile and a half from
Morgan, suffered heavily. Every pane
OF glass in the town was shattered by
the force Of the explosion. Rocked
by blast after blast, choked by smoke
and dazzled by fierce bursts OF fame
that ran along the horizon after each
conclusion. the people OF the town,
mainly foreigners, were thrown into
panic.
Gathering up the most precious OF
their household goods. they fled. For
an hour the bridge across the Rari-
tan, which links the community with
Perth AmbOy, was chOked by hundreds
OF refugees, fleeing to safety on foot.
by horse and by automobile. Women
lost their husbands and children lost
their parents in the push that fought
and struggled across the causeway.
The changing OF ambulances from Perth
AmbOy and the hOOting OF fire engines
from other cities, as they plOughed
their way as rapidly as possible
through the terrOr-stricken mob OF fu-
gitlyes. added 10 the confusion.
In the hour following the flrst eX-
plOslon, South Amboy was stripped OF
half OF its normal population.
As far as can be learned, the first
Of the series OF explosions occurred |
about the time the night shift was to
go TO work. The explosion was fol-
lowed by others, In quick succession. l
There was a lull, and then came
dozen or more Of the explosions. Some
OF these were so severe they were
heard miles away. and in some in
stances glass was broken in houses and
stores FIVE 20 ten miles from the scene.
People living In Westfleld, Metuchen,
plainfield and other municipalities In
that part OF the state felt the det0na-
lions and were certain the explosion
had occurred in their immediate vicin-
ty
Practically every pane Of glass in
he hospital at South Amboy was bro
ken by the impact and while the
INJURED were being carried into that
building and cared for the explosions
Patients were badly fright
med, despite tho assurances OF the
iurses and physicians that there was
10 danger TO them.
Soldiers from Camp Vail, coast guards
rom Perth Amboy and local police |