The sun., 1918-10-08
EXPLOSION TRACED
TO SHELL HANDLING
7. A. Gillespie Believes Initial
Blast Occurred in Operat-
ing Room.
81 MEN ARE MISSING
Federal Agents Continue Hunt
in New Jersey for Two
Enemy Aliens.
81 MEN ARE MISSING

sixty-four men are missing and s25
Of the 700 buildings of the T. A. Gill
iespie Loading Company were destroyed
by the FIRE and explosions at the am
runition plant in Morgan, N. j.. FRI
day and Saturday. according to a state
rnent given out at Perth Amboy yes
,erday by T. A. Gillespie. president Of
the corporation. Thirty-five bodies have
been taken from the ruins.
The>initiai explosion. so Mr.. Gillespie
said. probably took place in the shell
leading room. The theory that It oc-
CURED In the amatol kettles of the
INT service room is rejected by him.
II IS possible, according to Mr.. Gillespie.
that tho disaster was due TO an ''in-
advertent act on the part OF one of
the operators" He charactizes this
theory. however. as mere conjecture"
No mention is made In the statement
Of the other possible causes OF the ex-
plosion. including the chance that It
may have been the deliberate act of an
enemy alien. Government agents are
continuing deir investigation and FOR
this purpose have established headquaS-
ters In Perth Amboy. The secret SER
vice men visited the scene of the ex-
plosion last Saturday armed with a de-
tailed description OF two enemy aliens
who are said to have obtained en-
ployment in the Gillespie plant by rep
resenting themselves as neutrals.
Long on the Blacklist.
The names OF the two men under
IL ~ L..
list Of the Department OF Justice. They
we're last seen in South Amboy early
Saturday morning several hours after
the worst OF the explosions occurred.
Mr.. Gillespie's statement was issued
after he had made n complete survey
OF the devastated plant in company
with United States Army officers. 1t
follows In part:
''rhe T. A. Gillespie Loading Com
pany plant consisted of 200 buildings, Of
which 325 were destroyed. There were
thirteen complete units for the loading
Of shells. Twelve of these units We
know to be destroyed: the thirteenth
unit we have not been able TO examine
thoroughly. but 1t has been damaged
somewhat.
"Ali OF the cottages used and occu-
pied by the superintendent and their
families. together with the administra-
ton building and mess halls, and so
forth, have been destroyed. The labor
camp. consisting of forty buildings. Is
practically intact. The power house,
docks. ,trackage system through the
works and the storage warehouses and
magazines have not been damaged to
any great extent
~It is our opinion that that plant was
destroyed by fire caused by the explod-
ing shells from the No. 1 plant.
In the No. l plant seventy-six men
were working, twelve being United
States Government inspectors OF these
Seventy-six men twelve are accounted
for. including two inspectors; the bal
ance. or n total of sixty -four. are miss
ing, less than this number of bodies
having SO far been recovered.
Result OF Inspection.
"After a careful inspection Of the site
OF the plant IL Is clear that the initial
explosion in all probability did not occur
either in the INT service magazine or
N the low pressure steam jacketed
arnatol kettles. as previously reported In
SOME Of the press dispatches.
"All the available evidence points to
he initial explosion having occurred In
one of the regular operating rooms in
which the 1856 nm. shells are handled
under established methods which have
been successfully In vogue in this plant
without accident for over three months
Any more definite information as to the
original cause is purely a matter of
conjecture.
Department of Justice agents and the
War Department are investigating an
,,ffdavlt made shortly after the first of
he series of explosions. which alleges
hat carelessness was the cause.
II was also learned in the Ordnance
Department that the man who made and
signed the affidavit is foreigner. but
his name was not divulged. The rumor
PERSISTS that the explosion was caused
by something more suspicious than care
lesness. and 1t is admitted in the Ord
Germans were employed in the shell
loading factory.
Attributed to Carelessness.
Frederick W. Moore. a civil engineer
IN the Ordnance Department, in discuss
,ng the affidavit yesterday said that "the
facts contained In the affidavit prove be-
aond doubt that the explosion which oc-
cured Friday night was due to care
,essness."
1t was reported yesterday that the
tr1davit In question contains the follow
ing information which was furnished by
- New Yorker who was employed in the
plant as a shell loader:
Il was returning to the unit ell,
when the explosion occurred, when I
saw a man chipping INT from the side
- shell, where 1t had become caked.
saw sparks flying and knowing the
danger Of an explosion, turned and ran.
\ few minutes later there was q great
,oar and the earth trembled. 1 con-
finued 10 run until I met an automobile
and then went on TO Keansburg."
The foreigners affidavit was obtained
Saturday at the suggestion of Mayor
William w. Ramsay Of Keansburg.
The outbreak of Spanish influenza
among the refugees Ia giving Red Cross
officials In charge Of the relief work
serious concern. In addition to the 800
Eases which already existed. 70 new
ones were reported yesterday. There
were four deaths from pneumonia among
the homeless.