Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-03-19
WAR SECRETARY
PROMISES AID
To GOVERNOR
War Department Experts viii
Be Assigned to Nixon
Explosion Investigation
sILzER GETS LETTER
Conference of Nixon and But
terWorth- -Judscn Officials
with Solicitor Today

TRENTON, March 19-Secretary
of War John w. Weeks today assur-
ed Governor Silzer in a letter that
experts of the war department will
be assigned to assist the state de-
partment of labor in the investiga-
ton of the explosion at Nixon, Mid
dlesex county, March 1.
Commissioner of Labor Andrew f.
Mcbride is working on report for
the governor. The secretary of war
said the federal government viii CO.
operate to the fullest possible extent
in all measures deemed necessary
and proper to safeguard life and
property in New Jersey.
Government ammunition and ex-
plosives," said Secretary Weeks,
now maintained in storage at the
Raritan Arsenal are at all times
kept under very careful surveillance
by specialists. and frequent inspee-
tions are made by ordinance ammu-
milton experts to insure that condi-
tions at war department ammuni-
ton depots are entirely satisfac-
tory"
IA careful inspection of the Rari-
tan Arsenal and other ammunition
depots in the eastern part of the
United States has just been complet-
ed and storage conditions are report
ed by War Department experts as
being eminently satisfactory.
1.-THE explosion on the properly OF
the Nixon Nitration Company ad-
Joining the Raritan Arsenal caused
considerable damage to warehouses
and magazines at the Raritan Arse
nal, but the excellent condition of
government ammunition and explo-
sives in storage at that War Depart
ment establishment was evidenced by
| the fact that no explosions of this
material resulted"
The secretary of war said since the
| establishment of the Raritan Arsenal
not single resident of the vicinity
| other than employees of the arsenal
have suffered any bodily injury from
explosion or accident occurring with
| in the reservation, nor has any prop
erty damage occurred to citizens of
! the vicinity which could be attribut-
able to maintenance of the arsenal
as a federal storage establishment.
NEW BRUNSWICK, March 49,
The removal of the picric acid and
gun cotton from the property of the
Nixon Nitration Company along the
| Raritan river at Bonhamtown will
| be discussed this afternoon at con-
| ference between County Solicitor
| Frederick F. Richardson and repre-
sentatives of the Butterworth-Judso
Company, owners of the ricric acid,
and of the Nixon company, owners
of the meadows on which the explo-
sives are stored. There seems to be
- xu1,
gun cotton but as it is stored on the
Nixon meadows it is considered the
property of that concern.
The meeting is called for o'clock.
1t will be informal and private, the
purpose being to arrange, If possible,
some way whereby the owners of the
explosives will consent to voluntarily
remove the picric acid and gun cot
| ton. Failure on the part of the own
| ers to cooperate with the solicitor,
| representing the freeholders. in this
move to free the county of explo-
sives. will result in legal means be-
| ing resorted to by the county.
A session of the grand jury will be
| held Friday but no intimation has
been given by the prosecutors office
as to whether or not the Ammonite
| Company explosion case will be
brought before that body for con-
sideration. 1t is understood that a
great deal depends upon the result
of the analysis being made of sam
pies taken from cars and containers
at the scene of the explosion by
county and state investigators. Re-
ports of these chemical tests by ex-
perts should be available any day
and they will determine the amount
of TINT contained in the finished
product, sold as fertilizer, and alst
the amount of this explosive in the
ammonium nitrate solution which
was received at the plant from the
Columbia Salvage Company.