Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-03-06
SURVEY TODAY BY INVESTIGATORS
AT NIxON'S; MOVE TO FIND OTHER
VICTIMS IN RUINS OF EXPLOSION
TOOIdn Wants Search
For More Blast Victims
County Probe of Explosion at
Nixon Plant Is Being
Pushed

NEW BRUNSWICK, March CO.
Assistant Prosecutor John Z. Toolan
Is expected to insist today that the
Ammonite Company and Nixon Nj
tration Company employ additional
men to clear away the ruins as the
result of the explosion last Saturday.
in order that clearer inspection can
be made to ascertain IL other bodies
are still in the ruins. The companies
now have men at work clearing the
ruins away, but the county authori-
ties are not satisfied with the pro-
gress being made and desire for this
reason that additional men be en-
ployed.
Samples of the contents of four
remaining cars of ammonia nitrate
which were not damaged in the blast
and also samples of the stuff found
about the plant, where it has been
thrown by the force of the explosion,
will also be taken to ascertain II
there was an excess of INT in the
stuff.
AS yet the Nixon Company has
failed to furnish any list of the men
who were employed at the plant
when the explosion occurred. A
number of men who are supposed TO
have been working at the plant on
Saturday can not be located at their
home addresses and it will not be
known whether or not they were
working until the list is obtained
from the company.
I'VE hope to clean things up in
this state as to the handling and
storage of explosives" said Governor
Silzer in Trenton yesterday. "A great
deal of concern is felt throughout
the state, but particularly in Middle
sex county, as to the storage of high
explosives. They create a situation
that is difficult. An inspection of the
Nixon plant was made short time
ago by the Department of Labor and
the freeholders of Middlesex county,
and evidently everything looked all
right. However, the people of Mid
dlesex have had doubts about the
Nixon plant for some time. Govern
ment officers at the Raritan Arsenal
have assured US that the explosives
! there are perfectly safe"
The demand by Raritan Township
and Metuchen for removal of the
| Nixon plant was declared unwar-
|
tion Company. Two statements were
| issued yesterday on the general sub
| ject of the explosion and the alleged
menace by the Nixon concern and
| one by the Ammonite Company.
! In another statement issued in
| behalf of the Nixon Company and re-
| plying TO a charge that explosives
were stored on the property, it was
cvNIainod f,fpri, oo5I oxx-r7 ad f,x
the French government and stored
by the Nixon Company had been
sold by France to the Butterworth-
Judson Company. Complaint by
Stanhope Nixon of the condition OF
the barrels led to an investigation
and ehancery suit concerning which
the Nixon statement said: Upon
the hearing of the chancery action il
appeared not only that Mr.. Nixon
W. not responsible for the condi-
ton OF the picric acid. but that he
! had been instrumental in bringing
the condition to the notice of the
Commissioner of Labor"
President Shreve of the Ammonite
Company, said in a statement:
I'VE welcome Investigations by
both the state and the, MiddleseS
county government. We will coop
crate in every way. We have con-
suited with county officials already
Our ten experts have been on the
ground.
''The INT that came into our
plant in connection with our am
monium nitrate fertilizer operations
was always wet, was filtered out and
washed away wet. The material we
had was exempt as an explosive un-
der the New Jersey. laws. have
seen the government burn up tons
of INT. The only danger from il
is when booster Or explosive car
Is used"