Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-03-01
CITY F|REMEN
CALLED TOF|RE
At NIXON PLANT
This City Shaken by Tremen-
dous Explosion at 1890
This Morning
AMBULANCE is SENT
Camp Raritan Makes Request
Red Cross Offers Aid
Buildings Rattle Here

Due to the fact that local resi-
dents were killed, missing or in
jured, there is a shadow of sorrow
over this city tonight somewhat like
that after the great Morgan Ord
nance Depot explosion in October
of 1918.
Today's explosion at Nixon's plant
at Bonhamtown, occurred shortly
before noon and the fact that 1t oc-
Cured in the daytime and not at
night as was the case in the Morgan
fiareup, aided somewhat in keeping
terror from the district.
Immediately following the explo-
sion this morning mnthers, fathers,
sisters and brothers of persons who
were employed in the vicinity of
Bonhamtown started making inquir-
les about their loved ones, for fear
that they would suffer the same fate
as the employees at Morgan in 1918.
There are many worried ones to-
night waiting for members of their
family to return, dead or alive.
Following receipt of word regard
ing the explosion in this city Mayor
William c, Wilson made an investi-
cation and Immediately arranged for
the sending of batch of local fire
fighters to the scene.
Lieutenant Andrew Jensen receiv-
ed a call from the plant for am
balances, nurses, doctors and any
help available. He notified the Rari-
tan Copper works, City hospital,
American Smelling e. Refining COM
pany and ambulances were sent from
these places. Nurses and doctors
also were notified.
Chauffeur William Buchan on his
way back from the workhouse called
local headquarters from Highland
Park and was Immediately sent to
the scene to assist in carrying the
injured persons from the plant.
Immediately after the initial re-
port was received from the scene of
the trouble, Lieutenant Jensen was
assisted at headquarters by other
department members in notifying
nurses doctors and any place where
an ambulance or help of any kind
could be obtained.
Mayor Wilson had calls sent in
for the Garfield and Eagle compan-
les of the local department when
MT 1890 o'clock a call was received
from the Raritan Arsenal, express
ing fear that the fire would spread
to the arsenal property.
An official of Camp Raritan who
got in touch with Mayor Wilson by
telephone asking him to send out
Perth Amboy firemen to help fight
the fire at Nixon's, Informed the
mayor that he felt sure more than
one man had been killed.
The full force of the blast at
the Nixon plant this morning was felt
throughout the city and surround
Ing sections. Buildings in the heart
of the city rocked and many ran
from the.- places of business, while
others stood aghast in the streets as
waiting for another shock from the
heavy detonation coming from the
direction of the Raritan Arsenal.
Many were OF the opinion at first
that a heavy charge had been set
off in the vicinity of Elm street,
where the blasting for the new
sewer outlet is being built for the
change to be made for the new
bridge approach over the Raritan to
South Amboy.
The conclusion of the blast caused
one OF the heavy show windows OF
the tailor shop of M. Osete at AIS
State street to break. The window,
Mr.. Csete told Officer A. Peterson,
had been slightly split some five
months ago by a boy. The tailor
said he was at work, when the
plate glass was shattered, as the
noise OF the blast reached him. No
one was injured.
Windows were broken and walls
were cracked throughout Keasbey,
according to information coming
from that section of the county. The
Klein building at Keasbey, one of
the largest brick structures in that
place, suffered and people ran from
their homes and places of business
as the loud rumble died away and
a heavy cloud of smoke was seen
to rise from the direction of the
arsenal