The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-09
SIGNS OF FOB PLOT
IN. BLAST AT MORGAN
Letter to Mexican Address and
Plscards'in Plant Predicted
Disaster.
REBUILDING Is RUSHED
New York Boards .Combed for
Labor-Many Refugees
Grip Victims.
REBUILDING Is RUSHED

Evidence Indicating enemy agents may
have had q hand. In causing the. exc
plosion that wrecked the she'll loading
plant Of the T. A. Gillespie Company at
Morgan, N. j., last Friday night , was
strengthened yesterday whom announce
ment was made At washington that
Government agents investigating the dis
sster had found letter predicting the
explosion would occur when IL did.
The letter was signed 'Tisine," was
picked UP In the railroad station OF .
town near the scene Of the explosion and
was addressed TO man in Sonora,
Mexico. While they are inclined to ques-
tion the genuinsnsss Of the letter. the
Government operatives are investigating
II and several other suspicious circum-
stances connected with the destruction
Of tho plant
Notices Preaieted Blast.
Stories told by workmen at the plant
Of notices posted several days before
the explosion warning Of some accident
TO follow tend also to confirm the theory
that tho explosion was not accidental.
On the other hand agents Of the De-
partment OF Justice said last night that
they believed the first explosion occurred
In a workroom. rather than In the pow
der magazine Of the plant. This 10 taken
to inficate that ehe FIRST series OF ex-
piosidns may have been accidental.
Government operatives refused to
make public the text Of the letter pre-
dieting the explosion or TO tell exactly
when or where II was found. They re-
fused also 10 indicate. whether their In
vestigation had revealed any clue to the
identity of the writer.
Hundreds Of truck loads of new ma
teriai for the reconstruction of the T. A.
Gillespie plant arrived there yesterday
and the work Of rebuilding II to be
pushed with the utmost vigor. II was
sta ted that the company had purchased
| $500 additional acres Of land TO double
the size OF the works and that the new
buildings would be- separated by much
greater areas than the old ones. thus
lessening the danger Of another catas-
trophe.
Mayor Pembroke of Perth Amboy
headed protest against rebuilding
along the old lines, declaring such a
| step would again jeopardixe the lives OF
thousands living in the vicinity. Thomas
J.. Scully. member OF Congress. arrived
at Perth Amboy yesterday in response
| Ia request by the Mayor and Joined
him In the protest An appeal was also
| sent to Secretary of War Baker for
more troops to guard the ruins, which
are being searched for more bodies by
1.000 workmen. II was Announced that
| 500 United States troops were en- route
to relieve the New Jersey National
Guard units which have been on duty
there. Soldiers guarded the bridge be-
tween Perth Amboy and South Amboy
and held up all traffic pending an In
| ves.. slt.cE hy engineers to determine
| whether the structure IL safe.
| Fight Made On Grip.
Energetic efforts are being made to
check the spread Of influenza among
the refugees. hundreds Of whom con-
tnued to return to their wrecked homes
| yesterday 1t 10 estimated there are be-
tween 400 and 400 csses In Perth AM
| boy and all patients are being isolated az
| rapidly as possible. Dr. G. W. Naulty Of
the United States Public Health Service
who Is on the ground, asked the New
Jersey Board OF Health officials to take
! charge OF the work. The Perth Amboy
High School still contains 200 patients
who are too III to be moved. They are
suffering from influenza. nervous break
| downs or pneumonia. Several babies
have been born to women refugees.
Henry d. Sayer. Federal Director OF
| the United States Employment Service
sent a telegram last night to every chair.
man OF the community labor boards in
| New York State. appealing for unskilled
laborers to aid in the reconstruction
work at Morgan In order that the supply
Of ammunition to the American forces In
France be kept at n maximum. He said
that non-essential industries must b
stripped Of labor in order that the work
at Morgan 60 on, and that the order tool
priority over all other outstanding orders
for labor He declared that the Govern.
men would draft the 1900 men needed
from non-essential industries " his
appeal to the community labor boards
proved ineffective.
Red Cross officials announced las,
night that $50 new cases OF infiuenzs
had been discovered among refugees ai
Perth Amboy. Stores are being used
for the patients and the advisabiiity Of
taking over the Ells Club for q hospi.
tai 10 being considered. The situation q,
South Amboy Is not as serious.