Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-11-16
j SENATORS
INSPECT PLANT
Say All Evidence Will be Com
pIeted Next Thursday and
Friday Into Disaster
PROBE Is NEARING END
Newspaper Men Barred in Wis
it to Works-Try to Bar
Lyon and Geran
PROBE IS NEARING END

The three members VI lhc ChhscN
States senatorial committee investl-
eating the disaster at the Gillespie
Shell Loading plant at Morgan Octo-
her 4 and inspected the plant yes
terday afternoon. The committee,
composed of Senators Myers, Beck
ham and Frelinghuysen, terminated
the days session in the City Council
chamber at O'Clock and then, guld-
ed by company officials and accom-
panied by experts and ordnance Off
GERS, motored to the great govern
ment war enterprise which AFFORDED
the basis of such startling and sem
sational testimony during the past
two days.
Just prior to adjournment Senator
Myers announced that the hearing
would continue Thursday morning,
November 81. If necessary, the ses-
sion on that day will be continued
until 10 o'clock at night. and again
to that hour the following day in
order to conclude the drawn-out
hearing by next Friday night.
So far as the committee and the
Perth Amboy Council of Defense
were concerned, all their witnesses
had been practically examined when
adjournment came at 3 o'clock yes
terday afternoon, but counsel for the
Gillespie company declared that there
was available an array of witnesses
whose testimony would tend to refute
many of the allegations and dispel a
large part of the impression that
4 negligence at the plant contributed to
the catastrophe.
For two days the evidence produced
, including that drawn from the off,
cials of the company, under the ex-
animation of Senator Frelinghuysen,
was of an unsavory flavor. so far as 1t
affected the safety and comfort of
residents ana property owners In this
vicinity. To Offset a large part of this,
the attorneys for the company de-
-clared just before adjournment that
disprove theories and impressions that
were erroneous. Tor instance" said
Frederic ]. Faulkes of counsel for
the company, "the statement has been
made that the guards at the plant fed
at the time of the explosion. We have
witnesses to prove that this Is an un-
truth and that the guards stuck faith
fully"
But, with all their verbal manifes-
tations of nothing to conceal and will
ingness to place all their cards upon
the table. the officials refused to per-
init the newspapermen to accompany
the senatorial committee and the
others in the party to the government
plant yesterday afternoon. They were
told that there was nothing doing.
At first the inspection party was to
be composed exclusively of the COM
pany's officials, experts and legal
counsel in addition to the senatorial
committee. When this plan was an
nounced, former Judge Adrian Lyon
and Elmer II. Geran, associated as
counsel for the Perth Amboy Council
of Defense:, invited themselves
along" The matter was discussed at
luncheon by the officials. When it
%AI hof
neys Lindebury and Faulkes. the
company's counsel were TO be includ-
ed in the party, permission was given
finally to the counsers attorneys to
come along.
A number of reasons actuated the
senators in deciding upon the inspec-
ton tour yesterday afternoon. rms
plan, announced without previous no.
tice few hours before it started.
came as q surprise to the company
officials. Until that time, the commit
tee had contented itself with listening
to testimony and drawing their i'm
pressions of distances and locations,
from a large map of the plant. But
the testimony had produced some Gu
rious angles-that there was still a
huge amount of explosives on hand.
that water mains intended to fight
fires were laid parallel to and but fif-
teen feet away from railroad tracks
powder or loaded shells. There were
many points to be cleared up, points
that failed to draw direct or compre-
hensive replies from witnesses even
under the merciIess prodding of Sem
ator Frelinghuvsen.
What the findings OF the committee
will be in its report is a matter of
conjecture. The evidence so far has
shown that the state regulations ap-
plying to the distances in construction
of munition plants had been disrc-
parded in the building of the Moran
plant. To offset this the company has
produced an opinion of the Judge Ad-
yocate General permittin~ such a de-
parture. Admissions were drawn from
officials that there was about S0,00O.-
900 pounds of powder at the plant the
night of the catastrophe. highly ex-
ther declared through crowded trans
porfation facilities. Magazines con-
structed to hold 100000 pounds of
powder had been loaded with 800. 900
and more. Hundreds of thou 1ands of
shells were stored I'm cars. The ord
nance department has not escaped un-
scathed. Testimony seemed well
agreed that shipments OF powder were
continued to the plant by the depart
mcnt in the face of protests from the
plant officials. who cited crowded con-
ditions.
8 near as can De learned. the COM
mittee had not planned a personal ex-
cursion 70 the big grounds. hut the
jumbled facts produced In the past
two daysro Of the hearing brought about
E fdden decision. A telegram from
fSngressn1an Thomas ]. Scully to Sec
retary OF War Baker protesting
against the large amount of explosives
still stored there, is said to have car
ried some influence too.
After the committee had announced
the tour. expressions of interest on
tContinued on page five.1