Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-11-14
RECONSTRUCTION 1T MORGAN
SHELL PLANT IS STOPPED


(Continued from page ID
upon an operator of this system vita
a cool head; one who would manipu-
late the system in such n way during
the of need that would effect
a cutting out of hat part disabled In
the local explosion, and sending the
water through the mains and sprln-
klers OF the unchanged units.
Mr.. Hawley. IN the course OF his
testimony. explained that the body he
represented was named at the sugges-
ton of President Wilson to make rec
concentrations for the protection OF
war plants. n was composed of en-
gineers from all parts of the country.
Testimony by both MFR. II. ". Haw-
ley and Colonel Spruance brought out
the conference Of October .. Mr.. Haw-
ley declared he recommended q divi-
sion OF the empty shell loading units
by galvanized iron partitions, so that
in the event OF a fire, 1t would be
confined to the area of a single unit.
His sprinkler recommendations, Mr.
Hawley indicated. fell upon deaf cars.
Colonel S~pruance declared that the
s~nrinleler system wouid become useless
simultaneously with the explosion. But
the witness in reply to the senators
query. 1T would not have hampered
the plants operation to have these
" AAaiN . AAAoteNftths nOhld IL IT,
piled that it probably would not.
The senator's. Congressman Thomas
j. Scully. colonies, the legal array and
city. company and ordnance rep
resentatives surrounded a large map
of the loading plant on a large table
and watched Mr.. Eldridge trace his
movements during the early hours of
the explosion. The great tragedy was
re-enacted as Mr.. Eldridge explained
In detail the various locations of the
water mains. the units and the course
travelled by the flames. The drop of
h water pressure from $50 pounds
to 100 pounds within forty minutes
after the fire started. was cited by MI.
Eldridge.
The witness admitted tina the yard
was pretty well crowded. with cars
and a super-abundance of explosives
on the night of the explosion. because
h government had been shipping in
more thai the plant could handle.
He did not know the exact figures on
the mount on hand. The cause of
the explosion, Mr.. Eldridge said,
could only be guessed at"
From an official of the plant, the
exact statue of the order halting .e-
construction work at the plant, was
ascertained. He said that the order
affected only the she'll loading work
that the construction of the storage
houses to take care of incoming sup
plies. was still going on.
The official. discussing the proba-
BILE future Of the plant, hoped" IL
would eventually became an immense
storage plant. by virtue of it's light
erage n railroad facilities.
In reply to q question put to him
by Judge Lindebury. OF counsel for
the loading company. r. Hawley said
that the Du Pont plant at Kenvil was
now the largest in the world; that the
Morgan plant had previously occupied
that position.
Practically the entire morning ses-
sion that an attempt was made 20
fire fighting apparatus employed, and
now employed at the plant. H. u.
Nish, chief engineer at the plant, told
of a drilled fire department OF thirty
three members at the plant.
In answer to a question from Sena-
tor Frelinghuysen, MI. Mish declar-
ed that a map was available of all the
water valves on the night of the explo-
sion. that IN tempt was made to
reach the shattered valves In order to
shut them off and thereby increase the
pressure of the remaining system, but
that they could not be reached owing
to their locations. and the danger of
explosion.
Mr.. Mish declared that he frs,
learned of trouble with the water
mains between IL and IL o'clock. The
first explosion occurred before s
o'clock. Ftremen from Perth Amboy
found they could not get n pres
sure at 8 o'clock. Mr.. Mish declared
he did nothing In the way of direct
ing. He admitted he knew the method
or operation. but that he left that
with the fire department.
On examination by former Judge
Adrian Lyon, Mr.. Misk admitted that
only Sections 81 and Go had been
affected up to the time he learned OF
the low water p~ressure: that the sys-
tenn was so constructed as to permit
cutting GU these valves If 1t were
possible to do so under existing con-
ditions. Mr.. Misk in reply to the Sem
ator's question on what was meant by
existing conditions, said "the danger
of flying shells"
The senator Herewith suggested
that the flremen. operating their hose
almost alongside of the fire, did not
seem affected by existing conditions.
During Mr.. Misk's occupancy of the
witness stand Judge Lindebury read
into the records a confidential letter
from h Office of the Chief of Staff.
War Department, to the Gillespie
Loading Company, approving the
plans of construction, with the add
ton of a few minor suggestions anent
fire protection. Another letter of ap-
prevail was read from the Ordnance
Department.
Questioning by Sheriff Elmer H.
Geran of Monmouth county. associate
counsel of the Perth Amboy Council OF
Defense. brought from Mr.. Misk the
fact thai for a distance OF moro than
q half mile n of the principal water
mains ~paraI1eled the railroad track
carrying cars of t. N. T. and shells.
This main was only fifteen feet away