Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-20
GETTING FACTS
ON EXPLOSIVES
Senator FreIinghuysen and Con-
gressman ScuIIy on Hand
MEET IN new BRUNSWICK
This Afternoon Trip Taken
Through ArsenaI---High
Explosives Removed
By STAFF Correspondent.

By STAFF Correspondent.
NEW BRUNSWICK, Aug. 20-The
investigation to determine the
amount and kind of explosives stored
at Raritan Arsenal was opened short
ly after 10 o'clock tnis morning in the
freeholders room of the County Rec
ords building, with United States
Senator Joseph E. Frelinghuysen,
Congressman Thomas j. Scully, free
holders, two army officers and three
in attendance.
The Board of Freeholders were
represented by Freeholders Haight,
Belloff, Bennett and Gebhardt. The
mayors present were Russell e. Wat
son of Highland Park; John Morri-
son, of New Brunswick, and WASH
ington Wilson, of Metuchen. Col.
A. j. Stewart and Col. c. X. Harris,
both of the Ordnance Department,
were the Raritan Arsenal officials in
conference.
Senator Frelinghuysen opened the
meeting by telling some facts about
Raritan Arsenal which he thought
might interest the Middlesex county
freeholders and mayors who had ask
ed that action be taken to alleviate
any danger of a disaster at that camp
similar to the one which occurred at
Morgan last fall. Senator Fsreling-
huysen declared that there are at
present no high explosives stored in
bulk in this vicinity although. he said,
there are shells stored containing
high explosives, but the danger of de-,
tonation is very remote. There fs
much black powder, which is highly
infiammable, he continued, but this is
not considered dangerous to life and
property in the surrounding commun-'
ity. The danger in this case,- the
senator said, Is only to the persons
employed in the arsenal.
Ever since the Morgan explosion.
Senator Frelinghuysen declared, he
had been receiving reports from the
war department as to what steps were
being taken to remove the high ex-
plosives from this vicinity.
The Raritan Arsenal is to be .
permanent storehouse for the ord
nance department, Senator Freling-
huysen stated, $14,000.000 having
been expended in the construction or
this depot which will employ about
1000 men, most of whom viii be dis
charged soldiers.
Col. Harris and Col Stewart were
then questioned as to the presence Of
most of the high explosives in New
Jersey. During the discussion which
followed it developed that at HAM
montown. in South Jersey, there are
100000 pounds of amatol, at the
Picatinny arsenal there are $1,000
pounds of INT, while at Sandy Hook
there are 10000 pounds of INT.
When the armistice was signed last
November, it was stated, there were
0,000, 900 pounds of TINT in this Sec
ton. Since then S0,000.000 pounds
have been removed from all parts OF
the state to Fort Wingate. Sparta,
Wisconsin and Tobyhanna, Pa.
In reply to questions by Senator
Frelinghuysen, Col Stewart made a
statement of the findings resulting
from an investigation of the explosion
which occurred at the arsenal on Aug
ust which resulted in several lives
being lost The official report of the
investigation had not been made by
the board selected by the Chief OF
Ordnance which carried on the
probe, Col. Stewart declared but he
made an explanation of the affair as
he understood it.
At the time of the explosion, Col.
Stewart said. there were fifteen men
in the magazine E-s1 engaged in load.
ing douchens and fuse assemblies
which are detonators for hand gren-s
ades Between 1890 and 12:40
o'clock on the afternoon of August
the explosion occurred which crumbs
parently killing seven or eight who
were sitting outside in the shade after
finishing their lunch. These men
were crushed by the falling walls. Ac-
cording to the testimony of one OF Inc
survivors. Col. Stewart said there were
two or three men handling hand gren-
ades when the explosion occurred.
Just what caused the detonaticn ne
did not know.
grams of illuminate of mercury, Col.
Stewart said, and the magazine had
about three million of these in when
the explosion occurred. Some OF the
boxes were detonated in mass while
a majority exploded individually, ne
continued Col. Stewart emphasized
the fact that there were no heavy
shells in the magazine.
Following the conference in tne
Court House the investigation was TO
be continued at the Arsenal where an
inspection trip was scheduled to pc
made.
Shortly after noon the conference
ended the general concensus OF opln-
ion of those present being that any
grave danger of menace which nalSnt
have existed at the arsenal had been
removed and that surrounding terri
tory is not in any danger II detona-
ton should occur.
In reply to certain statements made
bv county officials that the officials at
Washington had not given suificleht
attention to the matter OF renewing
existing conditions at Camp Morgan
and Raritan Arsenal, Senator Fre-
tlinghuysen presented letters, tables
and statistics showing that he had
been keeping in constant touch with
the situation and doing everythihs
possible to remove any danger to sur
rounding country by a large expio-
sion. -
If your coal or gas range :. does not