Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-05

other towns.
More Explosions Follow.
With big explosions still taking
place at 10 a. m., shaking surround
ing towns. Vice President Yates of
the Gillespie Company gave out the
following statement: 1--WE cannot con-
The large magazines of T. N. T. are
buried in a bank of the Cheesequake
creek and we feel are safe"
Perth Amboy and South Amboy
saloons were closed and the towns
were under military control. State
guardsmen. United States coast
guards aud battery of fed artillery
were doing guard duty.
Occasional explosions were taking
place this forenoon as far as two
| The people of Perth Amboy. mo-
mentarily expecting further terrific
explosions from trinitrotoluol maga-
zines. were leaving that city by the
thousands. South Amboy was devas-
tated and deserted. The magazines.
contain a seven-day supply of N. T.
The actually known dead number
fourteen, their bodies having been re-
covered. 4,,,y...s.s
The military Gordon thrown arotfid
the devastated district made difficult
the continuing explosions made the
work of rescue a task fraught with
the greatest peril to rescuers.
Other Plants Threatened.
At II o'clock flames and sparks
from the Gillespie plant were threat
ening two other big munitions places
known as the Oliver and California
plants. Hundreds of soldiers. sailors.
Gillespie employees and civilian vol
unteers were engaged in a desperate
fight to avert an even greater disaS-
ter. 1t was feared that if either of
these plants caught fire there would
be explosions which would tumble
into ruins the many buildings already
laSt-shaken.
AS measure of precaution, the au-
thorities ordered the evacuation of all
towns within a ten-mile radius of
Morgan.
Persons in party of fifteen refu-
gees arriving at one of the towns said
that before the first explosion occur
red last night they saw an airplane
lowering over the Gillespie plant.
Beds and Cots Rushed to Victims.
Parties of exhausted men have been
struggling into Jersey villages all
night with appeals for cots for burn
eO anu IHullldteu tInplOyeS ana nremen
at Morgan. In response automobiles
were loaded with mattresses, blankets
and small beds and were speeded to
various towns where relief work was
being concentrated. Every hour
brought more doctors and nurses
Reports from all towns within a
radius of ten miles tell of the walls of
small buildings being cracked and of
damage done in every home.
Stories of Heroism Told.
Out of all the confusion came stories
of heroism and disregard of danger A
trainload of explosives lay on siding
near the Gillespie plant. A railroad
fireman, his identity not yet known
jumped to the engineers post on a loco
motive. backed the engine and coupled
it to the train and took the cars out Of
Pleted a shell struck him and he was
killed.
In contrast to thousands Of towns
people who fed, the wives and other
relatives of employees hurried into the
vicinity of the Gillespie plant and be-
came frantic upon learning that hun
creds of the workers might have been
killed. Throughout the night these
persons refused to leave the district and
were kept away from the fire-swept
ruins only by the military guards.
The cause of the disaster is not
known, but several investigations are
under way today. Rumors were circu-
lated that spies or alien enemies were
responsible, but these were promptly
discounted by officials