Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-06
EXPLOSIONS Of
SHELLS CREATE
PANIC IN N. I.
Lighter Loaded With Ammu-
milton Catches Fire; Naval
Tug Commander Displays
Unusual HeroiSm.

New York, Dec. Hundreds of
homes in the Fort Hamilton sec
ton of Brooklyn virtually We're UNI
der heavy artillery hombardment
this afternoon, resulting from in
termittent explosions of siN-lnch
and ten-inch shells on steam
lighter, which caught fire Whlie
moored to the army reservation
wharf.
Gathering together their belong
ings in a belief that the naval ar
senal at Fort Lafayette, small is
land near Fort Hamilton was
.ablaze, terrified scores fled their
homes for safer zones, driven 10
frenzied haste by the series oil
detonations which were heard Tor
miles around.
An official statement from Fort
Hamilton tonight said no lives had
been lost and that only four per
sons had been slightly injured.
One of the terrifying incidents
of the barrsge was the 4OO-yard
flight of aSten-inch shell clear over
the reservation and into house IN
Fort Hamilton parkway. The pro.
iectile tore a huge hole in the ROOF
of the dwelling, passed through two
floors and buried itself in the Gel
lar. The house, occupied by the
family of August Galtern, all OF
whom escaped injury, was shaken
with the violence of an earthquake
The lighter, which was laden
with 900 shells for shipment 10
Roston. was torn from its moor
ings nv the violence of the FIRST eN-
nlosion. Two men were on BOARD
but they escaped.
A naval tug soon reached INC
scene and in a desperate ettofl TO
prevent the flames spreading TO
the wharf. the commanding OIL
cor deliberately headed his cratt
for the blazing lighter and Its e&-
nloding cargo. He stuck her nose
against the side of the lighter anu
p1Ished her away to samoan III
imminent peril of his own craft pe-
ing blown from the water 80
The naval tug had scarceiy WIN
drawn when heavy explosion oS
Cured which tore the hshIei
apart. ,,o,
ting samoset, commanded by En-
sign BENJAMIN Sucker, u D ~,
was the craft that pushed the
Amickissan, blazing lighter on the
sand bar, $50, ;,i,,raa
wore a man and a woman VINO hstu
miraculous escape from death:
They were motoring past the Whit WHAT
onposite the lighter when the llrs'
explosion occurred.
FRAGMENTS of shell peppereu
their automobile. but the occupants
suffered only slight WOUNDS anu
aftar receiving medical aid were
able to go home.
clare Attracts Thousands.
THE glare from the eXplodlhS
ornnounition and the flames from
the burning wharf illuminateu .ie
lower harbor and attracted tilou
sands to the Brooklyn ana oVa'eh
island water fronts .,a,o,
AS explosion followed explosion
and the danger to craft passlhe .ite
Narrows between Fort Hailll'oi
and Fort Wadsworth grew men
acing "blinker light" signals were
FLASHED from the fortitlcatlohS
warning mariners to give the
threatened area a wide berth.
Soldiers from Fort Hamilton
were dispatched into the residehtlal
section to allay panic,
The proximity of the naval ar
senal at Fort Lafayette with lts
stores of high explosives and IN
flammable material. was source
~ intense worry to fire fighters.
Feared Catastrophe.
As the blazing lighter and lts
exploding shells broke away from
the wharf and began to dritt IN
the direction of the arsenal the
crews of navy tugs and municlpal
fire boats redoubled their energies
Fear of a frightful catastrophe,
should a shell strike the arsenal
and ignite tons of gasoline stored
there, was allayed when the lighter
grounded on the sand bar.
The army wharf, about Z0o
wards long, was destroyed. The
loss was estimated by army otfl-
GERS at approximately 100000.
The meteorological station on the
wharf also was destroyed.
Windows in numerous residences
in the Fort Hamilton section were
shattered and houses were shaken
within radius of three miles.
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