New-York tribune., 1918-10-06
50 to 200 Dead
In Munition Blast

might collapse. The refugees were
diverted to more roundabout route.
All afternoon the work of clearing
the zone, which army officers believed
would be blasted out of all recognizable
shape if the great magazine went up,
proceeded. while the fire continued to
rage and crept nearer and nearer the
danger line behind its barrage OF
shells.
How near was the wave of fire to
the magazine? Was it still advancing?
These were questions that passed up
and down the Gordon of troops that
held their ground and wondered half
humorously what was going to happen
to them when "the big one goes
Airplane to Rescue
But the officers in charge of the
situation had been at work and had de-
termined TO use one of the malnstays
of human warfare upon this battle
with inanimate things.
1t was thought that the great maga-
zine woulo go at somewhere near 4
o'clock Jusc before that hour those
who watched, and waited saw a black
speck come drifting in from the east,
watched it grow and take form until
the snarl OF a motor came to their
ears above the thunder of bursting
shells. 1t was an aeroplane from the
flying fields at Hampstead, sent to
scout above the advancing ranks Of
the fire.
The Gordon Of troops saw it wheel
, and dip in and out of tie smoke cloud.
, Once it swept so close chat they could
see the observer leaning out, field
glasses glued 10 his eyes. At last the
observation was completed and the
I 81 :: l. l.
of waiting men.
CAN safe" came the answer to the
question each was asking. "lt won't
reach the magazine"
II do not think the explosion re-
suited from careessness among our
employees" said T. A. Gillespie. head
of the munition plant, yesterday after
comforting with military authorities
at Perth Amboy. Without venturing
any reply to a question as to the pos
sibility of the explosions being the
work of Germany, Mr.. Gillespie said:
This is war, however, and we are in
the midst of it."
The Gillespie plant had barely begun
to produce at its maximum rate when
Il
started the disaster. Three of the
new buildings were levelled at the
first blast and the shock was felt in
Queens. From then until noon the
rumble and detonations were nearly
continuous. Jersey roads were choked
by streams of refugees, who, in turn,
had to crowd to the bitches to permit
the motor trucks filled with soldiers
and sailors coming to establish mar
tia1 law within ten-mile zone Of the
plant to get to their posts.
Military Takes Charge
Military authorities took control at
once, the first to arrive being a de-
tachment of Coast Guards from New
York. Colonel Douglas !. Mckay, for
mer Deputy Police Commissioner and
now Of the loading section of the pro-
/ duction division of the Ordnance De-
partment, arrived at South Amboy in
the morning from Washington and
started an inquiry. :
The plant consists of more than 1870
buildings in all, and was one Of the
largest munition works in the world,
valued at more than S1s,000,000. Only
three of the nineteen units of the
plant are believed to have been in
operation at the time Of the explosion.
Seven of the nineteen units had been
put in commission and the other
twelve were ready for occupancy. They
consisted of one and two story wooden
buildings with iron roofs, each $50
feet long and rs feet wide The plant
extended for half mile along Rari-
tan Bay.
Surrounding the manufacturing CEN