Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-03-08

NOfhS last Wtth.
The War Department previously
had disclaimed all responsibility for
the Nixon explosion, because the
plant, although adjoining the arsenal
property, was a private concern, and
was engaged in unloading high ex-
plosive shells purchased from the
government. Any investigation as to
negligence of the Nixon company,
and any claims for damages done ny
the explosion are solely within the
jurisdiction of the State of New Jer-
sey, and the federal government is
not concerned, is the position of the
War Department.
ThickIy Populated Section
The presence Of Raritan Arsenal
in the thickly populated section OF
New Jersey has been a subject ei
much controversy. Vast quantities
of explosives were stored throughout
the state during the war. and after
the armistiee the War Department
found 1t difficult to dispose of this
material. A number of explosions OF
war material have occurred in vari-
Gus parts of the state which have
alarmed large sections of the popu-
lation living near munition storage
depots, Snd on each occasion the
War Department has been asked to
abandon Raritan Arsenal.
Most disastrous of these was the
series of explosions at Morgan Arse
nal on October 4, and 6, 1918,
when a single explosion burst the
main high pressure water pipeline,
permitting the fire started by the
blast to spread unchecked through
out the arsenal, setting off the high
explosives in each of the isolated
storage buildings as it reached them.
War Department officials have given
assurance that a recurrence of this
disaster at Raritan Arsenal is impos-
sible due to a better distribution of
water mains.
Another attack on Raritan Arsenal
was oceasioned by the explosion last
September OF a number of freight
cars of munition material at South
Amboy. Ordnance officials have
pointed out that this explosion was
in no way connected with the arse
nal and that this emphasizes the
danger Of transporting to some other
base the material now stored at the
Raritan arsenal.
Raritan Arsenal is now the only
large storage depot for munitions
now maintained in the state, officials
declare. as Morgan and other former
storage bases have been evacuated
The only other large storage arsenals
are in Illinois and Utah. and the
Utah depot is the only one with suffi-
cient room for the supplies now a;
Raritan Arsenal.
1t would cost approximately $4,-
100000 to transport the Raritan Ar
senal supplies to Ogden Arsenal,
General Williams has written Con-
gresham Ackerman. The explosives
would be shipped by water to San
Francisco under contract. and then
taken to Ogden, Utah. in special
trains.
1t ID considered much more dan
gerous to transport large quantities
of munitions than to leave them in
storage under safe conditions. Stor-
age conditions at Raritan Arsenal
are asserted to conform with New
Jersey laws, and all possible precau-
tions are taken. The various kinds
of powder and other material are
kept in a partially wet condition, and
tests are constantly made to dett :
mine the explosive nature of the ma
terial.
The high explosives are stored in
small quantities in buildings isolated
from each other. The buildings are
of light construction, so that in the
case of an explosion the building
collapses and no damage is done to
neighboring buildings. Formerly
munitions were stored in masonry
buildings, but when an explosion oc-
Cured the broken piece of stone
work had the same effect as a
bursting shrapnel shell.
Raritan Arsenal serves as the sup
ply base for the first and second
army corps areas. which includes
New England and the Middle At
lantic states, and also supplies the
Panama Canal Zone and the In
sular possessions. Not only shells
and explosives, but all sorts of quar-
termaster supplies are stored and
issued at Raritan arsenal. The war
department has expended a large
amount of money in creating the
Raritan depot, and has built large
permanent storehouses, so that it is
in the interests of economy that the
Arsenal not be moved,
In addition to the economical rea-
sons for retaining the Raritan Ar
senal there is the strategic value of
the site. The war department in
sists that it have a supply base in
the vicinity Of New York City, not