The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-06

all the light that any one could ask for.
These fame pillars were visible for miles.
Col Douglas I. Mckay, ex-Police Com
missioner of New York, arrived yester-
day from Washington to investigate for
the Ordnance Department. He was one
Of those who talked with Major Arm
strong and Capt Watson after their air
plane observation trip He would make
no statement, but from others it was
learned that the INT laden barges were
about q mile from the nearest flames
and seemingly were in no danger OF
going up.
The early explosions devastated the
village of Morgan and the later ones
made a mess Of South Amboy. Miles
away at Railway, N. j.. the steeple of
the Second Presbyterian Church swayed
under an atmospheric blow administered
at IL zoe o'clock in the afternoon and
bricks showered to the street. The last
major explosion came at about p. NJ.
BY that time the town OF South Amboy
resembied n village in France. Houses
were roofiess and chimneyless, doors and
door frames had been blown away, shin
giles Uttered the streets. Very Few Of the
population had stayed to witness this
disruption. In the darkness. herded by
military guards. they had escaped to the
open country or crossed the bridge to
Perth Amboy, which Is about three
quarters of a mile long and seemed
about fifty miles to the refugees.
Removal of Injured.
The injured were taken to a tenn
porary hospital in Perth Amboy and
later distributed among other hospitals
In towns as far away as Elizabeth and
New Brunswick. The plateau where
stood the Gillespie plant has been known
as "the battlefield" ever since skirmish
was fought there in the Revolutionary
War. 1t was as from battlefield that
the inhabitants of the region fled and as
after a battle that the wounded were
succored.
Agonizing stories of huge loss of life,
of fearful Incidents back In the INT in
ferno added to the fright of the extles.
1t was reported. for instance, that there
was trainload Of INT on a branch rail-
road track within the Gillespie enclosure,
and that while an engineer who stuck to
his throttle was trying to get the train
away two carloads had exploded. killing
a lot of men.
Realization that flames, creeping
through the ruins and the dry grass of
the plateau. might reach other shell fac
tories and send the whole northern New
Jersey world into the air. did not tend to
lessen the terror.
As a matter of fact. these other
plants were in little danger. but every
body seemed intent on believing the
worst that any one could tell him. As
to the underground magazine near
Cheesequake Creek, 1t was provided with
an automatic flooding system. but as no
one could get near the magazine 1t was
impossible to say whether the system
had worked all right or not.
Injured Unable to Explain.
At noon thirty-eight injured had been
taken to the Perth Amboy Hospital. All
were able to talk. but unable to ex-
plain the disaster. Others who were
hurt were taken to the Colonla base
hospital, St. Peters in New Brunswick.
the army convalescent hospital at Lake
wood, the Alexian Brothers Hospital at
Elizabeth, to Keyport. Newark and
Staten Island.
The Central Railroad of New Jersey
discontinued Its regular schedule refus->
Ing to take passengers further than
Sewaren. eight miles from Morgan sta
ton. The nearest TO Morgan that news
paper men could get was Perth Amboy,
iive miles away. While a SUN reporter
was telephoning from Perth Amboy the
old Packard House lost a door,
There were eight bodies in the I'M
dertaking rooms Of, Coroner +. L. Ma
son az Perth Amboy last night. and II
was said there were fifteen bodies at
Garretson's morgue in South Amboy.
The only body definitely Identified up
to that time was that OF John Miller of
Newark, an inspector at the Gillespie
plant.
Mr.. Gillespie said he believed the COM
pany's payroll was saved and that by
checking up names to-day he probably
could tell definitely who among his en-
ployees were lost. Three hundred sol
diers OF the Regular Army went to the
outskirts of the plant last night to re-
lieve Coast Guard men and militia who
had been working twenty-four hours.
Gi-i Braves Peril to Help.
A girl. Mignop Brickman. living near
the Gillespie enclosure. stayed up all
Nriday night making hot coffee for the
guards and refugees under shell fire I'M
til the guards compelled her to leave.
In Perth Amboy they were also tell
Ing OF the bravery OF George Francisco
and Richard Lamb, mechanical engi-
neers on duty at the plant. who after
the first explosion crawlGd through the
darkness and shut of the live steam
supply OF the entire plant so that It