The sun., 1918-10-07

serve guards, wet to the skin but treat
ing their discomforts jokingly as the
rain and hail continued to pelt them.
Rescue of Dumb Animals.
II was the Red Cross girls, working
amid the ruins In the early morning, who
first came upon suffering horses, dogs,
cats and oven focks OF noisy chickens, all
Of which miraculously had lived through
the explosions, but many of them 30 pitt
fully injured that they had to be killed.
The possibility of n greater explosion, of
the kind that had caused Manhattan
officials to grow a bit hysterical on
Saturday, was still at least a possibility,
although efforts had been made, and
were still in the making. to keep the
fire away from the greater stores Of ex-
plosives sunken beneath the scared
ground In the northeastern section Of the
plant.
For one thing, so II was learned only
last night, when Capt. w. w. Watson of
the Ordnance Department and Major
Armstrong Of the British army few over
the plant IN nm airplane on Saturday
afternoon they dropped bombs with a
nice precision on the banks OF Cheese
quake Creek. which runs past the sunken
magazines. In such a fashion that great
holes were torn in tho creek banks.
Thus the waters OF the creek were d.
verted to a hollow and in turn flowed
over the concrete coverings of some OF
the larger magazines.
As far as those magazines were con-
cerned the danger from FIRE was thus
largely dissipated, but there always was
there Is even a remote possibility still
that a flying shell might set Off one of
these larger stores OF INT. It was a
flying shell, for instance, from the ini-
tial explosion in unit 6-11 which sped
across almost three miles Of wooded hills
and exploded among the barracks of the
plant, starting fire which made all of
the barracks shambles At late
hour last night, however. army men were
OF the opinion that the danger of further
serious explosions was almost negli-
gible.
The great fear which on Saturday
turned Manhattan topsy turvy for a
time reacted on many Of the citizens of
Perth Amboy. Keyport and a few OF the
other towns closest to the plant. Perth
Amboy by Saturday afternoon had re-
covered from its fright to the extent
OF daring to walk on the sidewalks
again instead OF avoiding the danger Of
falling window glass by using the middle
OF the pavement, but with the news from
Manhattan that perhaps appalling ex-
plosions were still to come the Perth
Amboy townsmen again grew nervous.
AS a result many Of them either
walked the streets all OF Saturday night
and Sunday morning or found shelter in
tents or other CLASHES enclosures. pre-
ferrins exposure to the soft beds In
their own homes which might be in the
path of flying glass II the great bang
were to come.
The news that workers abort the plant
had managed. late on SATURDAY. to sink
five barges noored at the mouth of
Cheesequake Creek did much to re-
assure the timid yesterday. All Of the
barges were loaded high with tons of
high explosives. There was no time to
save the costly materials: the soldiers.
sailors and United States Guards con-
tented themselves with working their
way to the moored barses and scuttling
them.
Many Yarns Are spun.
All day long and last night the stories
as to the origin OF the initial explosion
sped from mouth to mouth among the
workmen and others In and about the
plant, the stories running from the ex-
pected German spy variety to triviali-
ties such as short circuits and careless
handling of explosives. Needless to
say none OF the yarns had an authorita-
tive ring because. as an army officer
put 1t. "the man who alone knows what
caused the first bang never lives TO tell
about It,"
In the opinion Of a company checker
who was standing a few yards from unit
ell when the explosions began on
Friday night. a loaded shell fell to the
floor and so started the destruction
Loaded shells were often dropped to
the floor" the checker. who was knocked
over by the blast. but escaped unframed
told THE Sun reporter yesterday. A
spark is necessary to detonate INT
but. said the checker. with an opening
still yawning In the nose OF loaded
she'll not quite completed, a spark
caused by the metal striking the con.
crete floor could set the shell into ac-
ton.
Perth Amboy arose yesterday and
went to bed last night amid scenes
rome abroad rather than in a peaceful
town in New Jersey. The tramp of feet
OF marching soldiers and the shs RI
commands of their officers were heard
almost with the coming OF dawn az regu.
lars and militiamen poured into the
town TO replace the weary guardsmer
and sailors who had held long yist
through the night.
Seemingly all the private automobile:
in lower New York and northern New
Jersey had been pressed into service