Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-10-05

Perth Srnbov ~ r Oct WITH
flames raging among the huldiurs where
explosions occurred an night ring ~ me
great hell loading plant N u 4 Gillespie
and Companr. - Morgan. ln-
dications were ~ 40 m todav ruorc
than twelve hours aftrr 'ho fret jrforiif
ION. hat perhaps hundreds II persons
hgd lprslhod
Of the conpauy'= 1000 night .hft
employees only lni he'd f~en definitely
accounted fnr Thc first detonatiorz
shook Morgan and surrounding 'orrf-
orv as far aa Vow ; orl Citv. whore he
SHOCK rocked houaoz ard shattered
windows IN he business districts
1900 WORKERS. lussreG.
Buildings are hoIng blasted ~ stop tho
spread of hanes which were said to ~
raging n snne ~ buildings a. Q Boa ~
AZ that hour only l0l of Inc company
20OO night shift employees bad peou
accounted for. SCORES ri injured have baen
srnt to hospitals ri Elizabeth and Rawat
Whether the 400 unaccounted for
we're dead or had fed IL was mp0ssihle
"a determine. Flrpmen were fighting the
flames and scattered shells were explod-
ing. and all en- rgles were devoted % avert
ing q worse disaster Thousands of people
had hurried sway from Morgan and
surrounding towns during he night,
leaving many commumtics to-day virtually
without resident populations, and ~ was
considered probable hat with theTr went
MANY ~ he Gillespie employees rs yet
unaccmmtpd for
EXPLOSIONS CONTINUES TOD Ar.
mother terrific explosion ~ IN y. IT..
magazine occurred a. 1000 : 10 Build
tnRs rocked IN Perth Nmhov
Military guards we're thrown around
the plant
The injured arc being CARED Tor De-
pubic buildings lud 10 private homrs,
and scores who were more seriously hart
were taken I'D hospitals at Elizabeth
Railway and other towns
While Ing eXpiOsiuns we're occurring
Nice-PrcsId mt Yates ~ he tllltsple
Co. gave ouf the fo wing statement,
We cannot conceive how 10 can last
much longer The .arge magazines of
T y ere buried 20 hanA % 'hp
ChcescQuakc Tcca and. We tooi, aTc safe
TOWN UNDER MILITARY CONTROL.
Perth Ambov and South Amboy aloon~
arc closed and tnc towns 1rfaiiy uc
under military control. state giard.men
nted states coast guards ana battery
Of field artillery arr dong guard duty
Occasional explosions occurred thi.
afternoon two miles away from thr
. Gillespie plant People of Perth AUhor
momcutauly expecting further explosions
from T y. T. magazines we're leaving
that city hy the thousands. south AmUcy
IS devastated and deserted.
The magazines which are buried
the creek contain seven day appiy 'f
r. y T.
rEoPLn r,.LG vL,uaT rowNs.
south Amboy five mics away. fait
the greatest force az the rypioslon and
the military guard there ordered every
one 20 leave the town as prrcautlon.
The residents most oi whom hal been o
terror throughout the nghf did not ne'.l
formal urging, and the roads 20 Perth
Ambov and Other towns we're paCNei
With people and AT hurryIng 'u ESCAPE
the danger lonc.
Earlier n the evening VuWertai shells
ol y.r.uu- calbr. destined for
,I,e M IN. allied armic. bad
b,cn hurting through the fowl.
Various units of ihc Ncw Jersey
state Guard were called upon p protect
the home. of people who nad fed nal
dawn today. drcmcn, guari-men and
rescue PARTIES were unable ~ approach
the runs Of thc plant and search for
bodir, of the victims nu account of tine
cyer-prcscnt danger Of exploding sheA.
and ammunition
ALLIES ENEMIES Nor BLAMED.
The cause ID the disaster s not known.
Rumors were circulated THAT spies or
alien enemies were rcsponhlc. hut hose
wcrc promptly discounted hy officials.
The extent If The properly loss has
MOI been estimated hy The company
officers. The plant Is said TO have been
valued Mt $4,000, 900.
\aw York Oct. 5.-The series ~
terrific explosions, at the shell-loading
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