Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-01-27
DANGER Of
EXPLOSIVES
REMOVED
Congressman ScuIIy Says That
Perth and South Amboy Are
Again Safe

All explosives which were at an
! chorages in Raritan and Prince bays.
| loaded on scows awaiting develop
ments and dumping at sea have been
removed and with that has come the
| removal of danger to South and Perth
Amboy, Congressman Thomas J.
| Scully said today.
The congressman was appealed to
| by the city of South Amboy, when the
port warden of that place, Captain
VanBuren, called the attention of the
| city council to the fact that there were
1900 tons Of high explosive shells ly-
| ing at an anchorage 1000 feet from
the city dock.
Mr.. Scully has sent to this city a
copy of correspondence from Major
| w. E. Hardness, of the loading Sec
! tion Of the ordnance department, to
| Colonel c. I. Harris, Jr., on the sub
ject of explosives in Raritan bay off
Perth Amboy. The communication
follows:
| /. Referring to the article in the
Perth Amboy EVENING NEWS as of
Wedn esday, January 22, 1919, which
states that the port warden had call
ed attention to the Common Council
of the city of South Amboy to the
fact that 1000 tons of loaded shells
were in anchorage All which is
about 1000 feet from the city docks
and detrimental to the safety of the
city. beg to advise that our investiga-
tion of this article has Resulted as
follows:
2. Took the matter up with Capt.
Hodges of the supply department,
ordnance, and we talked to Lieut..
Libby In Lieut. Ellxins' Office at As
Broadway, New York. This Office
has charge of transporting explosives
and shells from the docks to ships.
IN Jv~s- Il II III. fIsnA
this material Is not loaded shells but
is 1900 tons of picric acid which was
originally on its way to sea to be
dumped and was returned by order
of the bureau of mines to be stored
at Raritan. He advises that the last
two lighters are leaving the anchor
age today for Raritan arsenal.
Mr.. Scully has taken up communi-
cation which was published in til
South Amboy Citizen under date ol
January IA, and has answered num-
erically, all the questions propounded
by the writer who signed himself un-
der the cognomen, zone of the Goats
The communication follows:
"Mr. Editor:
"win you permit me to ask few
r s through the columns OF your
valuable paper?
Can any reader answer any or all
of the following interrogations?
How much INT Is in storage a.
Morgan at the present time?
! at It true that shipments are made
and in a few days return under orig
inal seal, material is unloaded and
placed back in magazines from which
1t was taken?"
us 1t n fact that the Gillespie COM
pany will receive one cent for every
| ten cents that are paid out in dam
ages to those who suffered loss In the
recent explosion7
"Is there anything in the rumol
that the Gillespie Company is TO con
tinue in charge at Morgan?
"If there were to occur another ex.
plosion at this plant would Gillespie
! again collect one cent for every ter
cents that the government paid out in
damages?
"WoulS it be treason or propaganda
TO venture the opinion that should
anything let 60 Halifax would fade
into insignihcance"
| Mr.. Scully's answers to the above
questions are included in a letter from
him received today, which follows:
IT will answer the attached ques-
tions as I have numbered them:
"(1) Four and one-half million
pounds of INT remaining. This is
less than the most rigid application OF
taws of the state of New Jersey.
I'D Inefe Is not ruin IN the state
ment that INT is returned and stored
in the Morgan. plant.
"(3) No. Mr.. Gillespie has moth
ing TO 60 with the settlement OF
claims.
"(4) No. The present plans is to
make the Morgan plant a sort of sup
ply division OF the Ordnance Bureau
"(5) Answer no. Mr.. Gillespie, has
nothing to do with the question OF
damages or the payment Of same,
This is handled by the Ordance Claim
Board. which is under the Secretary
of War.
"(6) One million pounds were
shipped last week. One million
pounds are to be shipped next week at
the rate of five cars per day. Orders
are TO go on shipping until all explo-
sives are removed. The movement is
subject TO the ability OF the railroad
administration 10 take care of the
shipments"
u A Hardware for Window Glass