Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-11-09

into the causes of the explosion and
disaster at the T. A. Gillespie Loading
lCompany's plant at Morgan on Octo-
| Der 4 and s, T. A Gillespie was again
on the stand.
Senators Myers and Beckham were
not sitting today and Senator Joseph
is. Frelinghuysen conducted thiS
mornings session.
| The fact was developed today that
the Morgan plant received completed
, shells from the other Gillespie inter-
ests before the disaster, and that
these shells led to the congestion at
the plant. "a.
| when the committee completed It's
session yesterday afternoon 1t was In
possession of valuable ana startilns
testimony. and the grilling examina-
tion of Thomas A. Gillespie, father OF
the T. A. Gillespie Loading Company.
and many allied interests was about
com. leted.
| In the course of the afternoons
Testimony 1t was developed that with
the knowledge of the Gillespie con-
cern an alien enemy inspector had
worked in the plant. He was gov
ernment employe by the name Of
lOdendahl, and since the explosion
that wrecked the plant on october
and s, he has not been seen, has not
/ been at the plant and the officials OF
1.-The factory themselves express ignor-
ance as to his whereabouts.
1t was also brought out at the
hearing that ten alien enemies had
been employed at the plant prior 10
the explosion and that of these ten
two were guards entrusted with the
Iproper policing of the 1900 acres of
ground that the huge operation COW
ers.
II developed that the actual force
of guards maintained at the plant by
the Gillespie company was about 800
linen employed on three shifts, aver
laying about 1T men to the shift, the
lpolice force and patrol for the vast
expanse the works covered. In the
employ of the company at the time
of the explosion, it was testihed.
there were $500 men and at the
present time there are about 5000 on
the rolls.
The head of the company said that
the number of shells at the plant
was not in excess of what the gov
eminent allowed. He also said that
There was O congestion of shells at
1.-THE plant despite the fact that the
company had ample facilities for
storing shells. He blamed this con-
gestion and the fact that there was
congestion on the railroad tracks. to
the fact that rails could not be pro-
cured.
one million, two hundred thousand
shells were at the plant at the time
of the fire. The highest average
number of shells stored there at any
time, Mr.. Gillespie said, was less
than on the night of October 4. He
said that there were many shells
stored there from the other plants
which were incomplete, not having
boosters attached.
Mr.. Gillespie reiterated his asser-
ton that lack of transportation facil-
tiles was the cause of the congestion.
The absence of the boosters was also
blamed, to a certain extent. for the
congestion, the witness said. On the
day before the explosions this trans
portation was again resumed. but as
80 900 shells a day was the capacity
of the dock at the plant it was evil
dent, he said. that 1t would take from
ten days to two weeks to clean out
the supply Of shells.
There was no suggestion from the
War Department to cease production
of shells, he said, despite the lack of
Transportation. He admitted that the
recent fire and explosion proved the
fact that 1t was dangerous to have
a large amount of explosives and
lloaded shells at the plant.
Senator Frelinghuysen said that he
pressure from the Ordnance Depart
ment the amount of explosives was
due to that. Mr.. Gillespie told of
,two-day visit to the plant in Septem-
ber by General Williams, chief of the
/ Ordnance Department. General Will
liams did not warn against excessive
loading or storage of explosives, the
witness said.
what was the number of shells in
the plant when General Williams was
there" Judge Lyon asked and the
witness replied that he did not know.
Judge Lyon developed the fact
that up to the time of the explosion
there had been shipped out but
$4,000 trench mortar shells sent TO
the Raritan arsenal and $500 shells
/ to another source, so that since oper-
alton started at the plant these were
the only shells sent from the plant.
The rules and regulations regard
| ing the carrying of matches and
smoking in the plant were in the
hands of the officials of the plant, the
witness said. He admitted that off,
GERS of the company might have had
twhiskey or liquors in their private
bedrooms. There was no liquor In
the business offices of the plant. Sem
ator Frelinghuysen said that the fact
that there was whiskey in rooms Of
the officers was contrary to the rules
and articles of war In having them on
government property. The witness
said that the houses were in the
hands of the Gillespie company and
not the government. The senator said
that had he been head of the plant
he would have seen that there was no
whiskey in the plant. The greatest
amount Mr.. Gillespie said he had
ever seen there was one bottle.
| Smoking was allowed within the
fence of the plant itself. In the homes
| there, and in the administration
buildings. but these are a mile and
q half or two miles from the units,
which were each surrounded by
fences of their own.
On the night Of the explosion, Mr..
Gillespie said, he found there were
a92 guards on the rolls OF the COM
pany. He said that fve guards were
stationed at the gates Of each unit to
see that employees did not carry
matches.
Robert w. Eldridge. general SUPER
intendent of the Gillespie plant. said
the regulations with regard, TO the
carrying OF matches past the main
gates now were that men could mot
carry them. Prior to October 4, he
lsaid. the men were permitted. to
smoke outside of the manufacturing
units Of the plant.