The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-05
Greatest Loading Plant in Ma
ton Blows up with Roar
Which Sounds Like
Bombardment
SCORES WERE KILLED
Mighty Blast outdoes Toms River
Explosion and Destroys Plant
Worth Eighteen
Millions.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.]
NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-Scores OF
persons were believed to be dead and
many others manned in various de-
grees, were in hospitals In New Jer.
sey early today and the nations
greatest shell loading plant, the prop
erty Of the T. A. Gillespie loading
company of Morgan, N. j., near South
Amboy, was in ruins as the resutof
an explosion OF trinitrotoluol last
night.
Explosions were continuing early
today. At seven q. m. there was a
blast that shook houses in Brooklyn.
shattering windows at Flatbush.
Houses near the scene Of the explo-
sion were swept from their founda-
tions. Scarcely window Is left In
tact IN Perth Amboy.
military authorities who have taken
charge OF the territory refused to
make any estimate of the number OF
dead.
A military guard has been thrown
about the district.
Access to the devastated district
was practically impossible at an early
hour Telephone and telegraph wires
have been swept away early by the
explosions. Reports were made to
New York ty means Of messengers
sent to telephones from the area
New York was experiencing the
thrills OF q bombardment by the heaV-
lest guns. Distant crashes doomed
through tho lower section OF the city.
Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn
were rocked at times by the force OF
the blasts. Black Tom and Kingsland
explosions which shocked the city De-
fore the United States entered the war
psled beside the tremendous force OF
this crash.
The property damage viii run into
the millions. The plant alone accord
inx to estimates was valued at $1S,-
ooo. 900. This has been utterly destroy
ed that part OF It remaining at dawn
today was slowly crumbling under the
explosions of shell stores or was be-
ing eaten away by fire which could
not be controlled.
There were thousands In the plant
when the first explosion took place.
As those not hurt dashed from their
positions. other blasts followed. REM
naQIS OIL nuI1du bOdICcs oSNoiNAANS ~
reports. were found in various places
One man declared he had seen twist
ed mass OF arms and legs in a black
smith shop. Three hundred men were
in the building where the first blast
let 90. How many Of them escaped, or
whether any did, is only matter FOR
speculation.
Ordinarily there are about five
thousand to six thousand workers In
the plant.
The explosion struck Just after the
change in the shift.
Hundreds of women employed dur
ing the day had left the plant and
none Of these, it is believed, lost their
lives.
Great destruction was caused by
flying shells which mounted into the
air and whistled into the surrounding
country as fast as their fuses were
touched off by the fire.
A civilian talking to a. guard is said
to have been killed instantly when
bis head was torn off by one of these
shells. The guard was not injured.
Hospitals at Elizabeth. Raritan.
Newark, Jersey City an6 other nearby
potnts rushed ambulances and surgi-
cal aid to the plant One morgtle WAS
said TO have received eight bodies and
reports were received that a company
of coast artillerymen had removed
fourteen other bodies from the wreck
age of a building.
Half of the population OF South
Amboy fled to Perth Amboy when the
blasts continued, and early today all
those who were left went away. Sol
deirs began patrol of the streets to
protect the houses Military authori-
Ties have taken absolute charge. They
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