The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-06
THRILLING STORIES b
TOLD }. BY BY SURVIVORS
Like a European Battle and
Victims Have Shell Shook
and All Its Terrors. r..
REsCUERs FACE DANGER
Locomotive Engineers Drag
Tons Of T N T Through Fire
in Heroic Style.

in Heroic Style. '+
Lightless, struotureless. except for
here and there stark chimney butt
sticking up amid the debris OF the build
ing OF which 1t once was a part, ana IN
habited only by the armed soldiers pro-
tecting It from ghouls and other marau-
ders, South Amboy rested last night
blackened canyon OF death, when re-
porter for THE SUN rode into the place
huddied amid the tossing load Of q
bread car manned by members OF the
New Brunswick Board Of Trade. who
were serving as volunteer relief workers.
Now and then an sunexploded shell
was touched by fire and went on with
scream and q fare OF name. The light
that came from such explosions was all
that relieved the utter biackness OF the
place, except the pickering fame from
lanterns in the hands OF the guarding
soldiers as they moved along their posts
and the occasional more steady fiame OF
campfres In what were vacant lots be-
fore the soldiers converted them into
sleeping Quartera
Through all OF the day and early hours
Of tho night the military guard hunE
about the extreme outskirts OF the city
had prevented reporters from getting
inside the devastated city. As the bread
car swung alons the road 1t bumped
and swerved and pitched perilously.
Shell craters, like unto those that cover
the European battlenelds, made the trip
in the intense darkness al but tmpossi-
BILE. .s
Carrying the Bodies Away.
As the pitching automobile on its mis-
sion Of mercy swept past the outer guard
| of soldiers long string Of other auto
mobiles approached It from the opposite
direction. They were bound out Of the
waste city. and their load was COM
posed OF the bodies Of the dead Just
drawn from the still burning debris, and
the wounded, some of whom had lain
for hours whore they fell victims of the
first blast Friday night
Here and there along the road the
automobile passed solitary figures sit
ting crouched BY the roadside. their
heads in their hands Occupants OF
the automobile spoke to several OF them.
When they answered at all 1t was In
coherently. as II they could not under
stand what was SAID to taem. Further
along the road physicians treating these
isolated wanderers explained they were
victims Of shell shock as complete and
sense shattering as that suffered by SOL
diers on the actual battle fronts in
France.
working among the ruins THE Sun
reporter came across Chief Of Police
Mcdonald Of South Amboy. His case
was typical OF nifty other men who had
worked necessarily inside the town from
brief time after the first blast OF the
explosion rocked the whole district for
miles on every side OF the stricken city
Chief Mcdonald said he was visiting ar
Ill friend in a hospital at Perth Amboy
when the first explosion occurred Friday
night. He left hurriedly. but the auto.
mobile in which he was travelling
pitched into shell hole on the way &c
South Amboy and the engine stalled.
Passing Through Shell Fire.
The chauffeur climbed down TO crank
It and broke his wrist. Mcdonald placed
the chauffeur back In the car. cranked Il
himself. and drove on into the town
Miraculously almost the automobile
missed being hit by any OF the thou
sands OF shells that screamed on al
sides OF It as 1t sped into the explosion.
Quickly the chief drove the automo'
bile to his own home and placed his
terrified wife and children on an auto
town with refugees that nlled It to II,
utmost capacity. He has not seen hi
relatives since and has not the slightes
idea where they were taken. Ten othei
men were found whose experience wal
the same and whose families where
abouts are unknown to them.
when entered the town." Chief No
Donald said. women were running fran
tically through the streets The Who'll,
place was alight with exploding shells
1t seems a miracle how they missed
killing the panic stricken hundreds II
the street. Children dragged in terro
at their mothers skirts. - ...
| Explosion followed explosion rapidly
and each new blast sent an even NOR
. violent barrags Of shells screaming In nj
directions. We have worked ever sine
then. without sleep and with very littl
food. doing what we could to aid tn
! injured and to recover the bodies Of tn
dead. But the Job is not nearly I'm
ished."
Survivor Dazed by shock.
A dazed man crossed the reporter
path In a darkened lot and the reporte
asked him where he had been when tn
explosion occurred. He said he was a
work in what was known as Unit 6-l-1
q machine shop or the Gillespie plan
when the first blast went OFF.
IT don't know how many men were (
there at the time" he said. at wa
terrible. I Just turned and ran as tn
building collapsed. or was carried AVA
don't know what happened TO the 9th
ers. / didn't see anything. / Just ra
as fast as I could"
An aged tender OF a railroad bridg
! In the town of Morgan was at his pos
when the FIRST explosion occurred. II
still was there at 10 o'clock yesterdn
morning. His younger assistant at tn
bridge became terror st!cleen and fiet
Shells poured all about the old man. TIL
bridge was pierced by several OF then
but 1t did not collapse.
With his red nag In his hand he stage
on his Job. without wavering. But whe
he left the place yesterday morning.
was stone deaf and remained so 10
, seven hours. He could scarcely hea
, when the reporter spoke to him La
night. and be was 30 dazed he could d
: little more than give a vague idea G
/ what his experience had been.
II heard a big explosion and saw
, lot Of people dash past me. That's a.
know" was the extent of his descrip
, tion OF the terrible ordeal through whic