Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-11-15

n tOtdt ~ Cboid VI a ohU
lions for munitions plants, the fact
that an alien enemy might ave been
responsible for the disaster, the ap-
pearance of the Mysterious Mr..
Odendahl," and above all the testi-
! mony that on October 4 and 8 when
, the T. A. Gillespie Shell Loading
plant at Morgan was destroyed by
fire and explosions there were be-
tween $4,000. 900 and s0,0o0,0O0
pounds of explosives there, that the
largest quantity in one building was
$50, 900 and hat at present there are
about 1000, 900 pounds there were
the salient features of the investiga-
ton being conducted into the con-
| struction and operation of the plant
by Senators Myers, Beckham and
Frelinghuysen at the City Hall yes
terday afternoon and today.
While the testimony at previous
sittings of the senatorial investigation
committee into the Morgan disaster
has been startling and highly inter-
/ esting, that developed at the hearings
yesterday afternoon and today far
surpassed In importance any prevl-
ously held.
When the T.. A. Gillespie Company,
planning the construction of the Nor
gan shell loading plant. decided to
disregard the state distance regula-
lions affecting munitions plans in the
| construction of the plant, q legal opin-
ion upon the right to do 50. was sought
from neither the United States Attor-
ney General or State Attorney General
| An o%pinion,a favorable one, for the
| plans OF the companv was, however,
secured from the Judge Advocate
General.
The testimony was drawn from p.
A. Yates, vice president and general
manager of the company, by enato
Joseph g. F~relinghuvse he hear
ing this morning into the causes M
effects of the Morgan shell loading
plant disaster October A and B. More
details of the contract under which
the Gillespie J. aiding Company oper-
ated the plant of the government were
brought forward with Mr.. Yates in the
| witness chair. Mr.. Yates was the
last witness yesterday afternoon and
was the first called at the start OF
the hearing this
Under the contract, the oadins
company received ten per cent profit
above cost of operation on certain
parts of the work, and six per cent on
others. Since the explosion. however,
all Reconstruction work hat been
done without profit. The ten per cent
p~roftpoftor Jspshrdlu
profit applied also to all salaries paIu
officials of the company. These in
cluded $12,0 900 a year paid to Major
Armstrong. a British officer connected
with the company since the first or
the year. Under the contract, the
| company received a profit of ten per
cent or 81. 200 on Major Armstrong;
salary.
Mr.. Yates admitted that his COM
pany ran no INK of liability d
the government contract.
| Senator Frelinghuysen made 1t
clear early in the course of Mr.. Yates
testimony that he intended to go deep
Iy into the contract provisions. He
asked for the administration pay ro,,
and O supplementary pay roll Tor all
persons who do not appear on the
administration or labor pay rolls.
did any of the New Jersey author
tiles inspect the plant?" asked the
senator.
Mr.. Yates replied that a Mr.: Roach,
a state representative had called and
l IUdI lb lot tEJ@NN1
making an inspection.
Further testimony bOught forth The
fact that Mr.. Moach represented the
sanitation branch of the state depart
ment of labor, and that an Inspection
tour was refused him, becauses the
plant officials felt the authority to do
so Law with the chief of ordnance.
Testifying on the extent Of ~ dam
age caused by the explosions and fire,
Mr.. Yates said that the total was about
s21, 900. 900. This was entirely borne
by the government.
Supplementing his figures of yes
terday afternoon, Mr.. Yates produced
a typewriter list TO show the exact
amount of powder and shells on hand
on the night of the explosion. There
was q total of S0,S55,079 pounds. or
this. the larger items were: Nitrate OF
ammonia, 1000, 900 pounds; TINT, T.
500. 900 pounds smokeless power
1,S71,s60; nitrate starch, 1O7.4OO; "bO-
50.' s.45O.o0o; nitrate starch 4'oll'-
070.
or the total about IL, 900, 900 pounda
4 was detonated or burned.
A total of 1,213,458 shells was on
hand, of which about 100000 we're
destroyed. Some idea OF the conges-
ton az the yards was contained In the
fact hat Of the total amount on hand,
4b6.96O, or more than one-third were
In railroad cars. There Were Il6,4SS
in storage, and the balance. SS.0O0.-
on lighterage.
Mr.. Yates testified that previous TO
the time of ~congested traffic condi-
lions. the plant had been shippinA
about so. 900 shells a day. The shells
in the cars, with the exception or a
minor quantity. had boosters attached.
Mr.. Yates testified that efforts made
to remove the cars from the plant
| netted a total OF fifteen or twenty.