Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-11-08
Major AntiseIl and the
Mayor Bring Out Facts
Continued from page ~

u u.s. 80 49,
conferences with Col. John Rodgers
and OF his orders to take charge OF
h military situation here.
He also told of his visit with the
mayor to the plant and OF seeing many
dead. thirty-fve in number. being car
ried from the debris.
He told of statements made by T.
A. Gillespie that he would use his
good Offices to secure restitution for
those who had suffered from the ex-
plosion. There were 900. 900 shells In
the plant, he was told, and 100. 900 on
sidings at Ernston. He aid officials
of the plant advised hat South Am
boyans not be allowed to return to
their homes.
The mayor. Mr.. Griswold and the
major read prepared statements to the
committee.
A guard. the major said, who vas
employed Mt the plant, was picked
up by him. He was not much of a
guard ms he had n broken gun and
was without ammunition. Major An
tiScl told of "a visit made by himself
and Capt. Thomas l.. Hanson on Tues,
day. October Z. Uninterrupted, they
went nj the magazines, one of
which was marked $751;, He spoke of
their inspection of one OF the maga-
zines and told OF their entrance to
the magazine and the count OF the
boxes of INT there and found 1885,
900 pounds Of the explosive. in the
magazine. He also spoke OF being in
tcrruptcd by m aged guard who point-
Cd ont to them a larger magazine,
which, he claimed, contained 600, 900
pounds of INT.
The guard said oil the young fell
lows were out.
The guard had little admiration for
the Gillespie company management,
he told the major.
From the mayors description of the
magazines on the creek 1t was seen
that they were faulty in construction
and had wooden doors with exposed
roofs.
He also described trips up the creek
by motor boat n of how easy 4
would be to detonate the contents or
the magazines.
Upon examination by Judge Lyon as
to guards when the trip was made up
the creek. the major said he had but
once been intercepted and then had
been passed by a United States Coast
Guard.
T. II. Gillespie. president OF the T..
A. Gillespie Loading Co. and son of T.
other officials Of the company, are
demonstrating considerable interest In
the hearings.
Col. Ralph Cruise and Col. Aprauncs
Oh the ordnance COIpS, 1OISTcSSind
Thomas j. Scully and prominent ctti-
zens OF this and other cities are again
present today.
Mr.. Faux cross-examined Major
Antisell closely upon his ~organiza-
ton OF the militia companies of the
local battalion as well as many other
volunteers who came here to aid.
The cross-examination of Major
Antisell by Mr.. Faux continued for
A. -.-
as to his first statements.
Captain Thomas L. Hanson OF Bat
terry e. Second N. ]. f. A. N. @. who
accompanied Major Antisell to the
plan and the magazines was the
next called. He dcscS.bcd the
trip to the magazines and
the contents of the one which they
entered. He said the magazine was
constructed of galvanized iron with
a ve~ntilator and told of how they had
managed to enter the magazine de-
spite the fact that there was n pad
lock on the door.
He said there were 1856 boxes
marked T N T explosives in it. He
further substantiated the statements
made by Major Antisell as to the con
%versation with the aged guard.
Captain Hanson said they saw no
guard until after they had entered the
first magazine and emerged there
from.
Mr., Faulks asked the captain # the
Cheesequake road was closed to traf-
hc on Tuesday and the captain replied
hat he did rot know OF II.
1t was also apparent that he was at
tempting to o that because Major
Antiscil and Captain Hanson were in
uniform they were not interrupted by
the guards on the roads leading 10
and in the plant.
Charles E. ~SteueTwald. q real es-
tate dealer Of this city and a resident
OF South Amohy was next called and
sworn. He testified TO the fact tina;
his home was ignited from tho explo-
sion and was totally destroyed a;
about noon on Saturday. October 6.
He said II was exactly $50 feet east OF
the main road from South Amboy Il
Keyport and on the west side from the
plant.
The house. he said. had a cedar
shingia room and was constructed o;
brick. lie had fed from the house
but there were others there he said.
who had attempted to save some or
his property. He claimed that he
could produce witnesses to the fact
that a fragment Of a shell had set fire
to the house.
Senator Frelinghuysen said he
wanted to show that houses 2,100 feet
east Nof the plant were endangered BY
the explosion.
At 4his point the hearing was al
journep until : o'clock this afternoon.