Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-10-21
PREPARES TO PAY
DAMAGE FROM EXPLOSION
CONTINUED from page ~


2. Instructions were received on
October 10 to make a quick survey Of
rthe damage to all property outside Of
hat owned by the United States Gov
eminent, and to prepare an approx
mate estimate OF this damage as -
basis for requesting an appropriation
from Congress to a for claims ars-
ing from this cause
8. The houses in the town of South
Amboy and the country Immediately
surrounding the Gillespie plant suf-
fered severe damage to glass, plaster
and chimneys: several buildings sur
fered structural damage. and at least
three residences were destroyed b.
fire. The attached photographs show
some of the damaged structures. The
damage to Perth Amboy was limited
to severe glass brcakage. excepting n
few Isolated cases OF damaged plaster
The surrounding towns suffered only
glass breakage. The attached map
indicates the area hat sustained dam
age.
4. Attached hereto is an approx
mate estimate of the damage done to
property exclusive of United states
Government property. aggregating 81
f~S6,690.00
This estimate was arrived at after a
general survey Of the damaged dis
tricts. supplemented by information
obtained from city n town officials,
contractors. insurance men, and others
who ave been actively engaged In de
termining the extent OF the damagS
The survey was made from october IL
to II, inclusive. On account of the
present high cost of construction
work, which will be further Increased
as winter sets In, this preliminary esti-
mate Is made sufficiently high to cover
all factors which go towards i%ncreas-
ing the cost OF reconstruction under
these abnormal conditions. but ii will
be impossible to ascertain accurately
the extent of the damage until n de-
tailed survey is made. The prelimi-
nary estimate as given Is intended TO
cover complete repairs to all damaged
structures outside OF government
property: also certain personal losses
OF employees of the Gillespie Company.
s. Approximately one-third of the
total estimate Is for damages to glass,
amounting to SS96.000, of which II Is
estimated hat 10 per cent. or S672,-
600 va covered by insurance.
6. Attention Is called to an item OF
$500 In the preliminary estimate re-
forred to above, to cover losses to per-
sonal property sustained by employees
of the T. A. gillespie Shell Loading
Company. who were living In govern
AAANAAA hSaRt JAZZ ~ ~ AthA -
Is especially important that this sum
be included In the appropriation by
Congress. as there Is no fund available
out of which these losses can be paid.
7. Particular attention Is directed to
the damage sustained by the Polish
Catholic Church of South Amboy. New
Jersey. The group OF church build
ings includes the church itself. the
parish school, convent, and parish
hnroo which uvaya arnnfnd fhrArrh
personal contributions from members.
All the buildings were considerably
damaged. The attached photographs
will give some dea of the damage us
tanned by the church itself. The par
ish is probably the largest In the city
and over five hundred children have
been attending the school.
8. A detailed report of the prelimi-
nary survey will be presented later,
(Signed) G. c. MUNOZ.
Major. Ord. Dept. u. s. a.
Congressman Scully has succeeded
in getting the support of the leaders
in both the Senate and House to his
joint resolution. 1t is too late to have
this rider attached to the Appropria-
ton Bill in the House, since it is ex-
pected that the bill will DO through the
House this afternoon or certainly to-
morrow. The procedure which has
btCh a6ittu upon IA W nave TIE fluFI
attached to the bill in the Senate. It
will then go TO the Conference Com
mittee OF the Senate and House. and
as 1t has the support of the leaders in
both branches OF Congress. there is
no question as to It's passage, particu-
larly as 1t has also the support OF the
War Department. upon whose esti-
mate the loss and the amount OF the
appropriation have been arrived at.
With the report that was given to
Congressman Scully. were some pic
lures showing the results OF the ex-
plosion in various sections and also n
Typographical man which shows the
area over which the explosion was fel
and the damage done. 1t Is Congress-
man Scully's intention to send this
map TO South Amboy and later to
Perth Amboy. where 1t will be on ex-
hibition.