Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-03-03


The investigation by the prosecEi
tors Office into the cause Of the
catastrophe was officially started
this morning when Louis Nixoa
former Public Service Comlnss-
sioner in New York and president
of the Nixon .Nitration COMPANY 4
appeared at the prosecutors offiee
to answer questions put tQsh5uo ~
Assistant Prosecutor roolafi. Il II
Nixon was accompanied by Hfis<6fi
E. Watson. of New Brunswick. his
attorney.
r. Norris Shreve, of East Orange,
president of the Ammonite COM
pany, accompanied by ]. II. Thayer
Martin, OF Woodbridge, his att0r
ney, also was questioned this morn
ing by the assistant prosecutor. Rec
ords and company books, not de-
stroyed by the fire, We're brought K
the prosecutors Office and results q
laboratory tests made at the Am
monte plant were turned over 70
Assistant Prosecutor Toolan.
The inquiry into the cause Of the
explosion will be conducted alons
lines similar to any criminal investi
cation and it is not likely that anA
public hearing will be held in con.
nection with the investigation.
The regular session of the Middle
sex county grand jury will be III
ue.4t friday and it is not known A.
yet whether Assistant Prosecutor
Toolan will have secured sufficient
data to place the case before the
grand jury at that time. President
/ ShreVe, of the ANN onite Compansa
gave to the assistant prosecutor this.
morning list of the dead, nlissIte
and injured employees of his con-
/ pany. The Nixon plant records are
said to have been destroyed by tllt
| fire, making It difficult to check Us
/ on the dead. missing and injured as
1t is not definitely known what EN-
/ ployes were at the plant SATURDAY.
morning when the explosion oe-
Cured.
Testimony Of army officers at Far
! itan Arsenal, of survivors and at
early rescue workers will also be
taken by the prosecutors Office The
/ inquiry was called to determine the.
cause of the disaster and fix respofI-
I sibility.
Owing to the investigation being
/ conducted by the prosecutors Office
! the Board of Freeholders has an
nounced that it viii not conduct a
/ probe into the catastrophe, believing
that the inquiry now under way will
produce the desired results.
Mayor William c. Wilson, of this
city. who sent two local fire COM
panies to Nixon Saturday morning
and was himself at the demolished
plant shortly after noon, this morn-
I ing said he had decided to communi
cate with the mayors OF the
various municipalities in this vfcin-
ity with a view towards again object
I ing TO the storage and use Of explo-
sives in such a thickly populated.
area as this. The mayor declared
ne felt other municipalities in this
county would Joined with him ia this
move which would not in any way
interfere or conflict with the prese-
cutor's investigation. Mayor Wilson
also got in touch with Senator Lar
son and congratulated him on his
action in drawing up the joint resp-
luton bearing upon explosions. The
mf~or informed the senator that anx
| ind stigation by the late would be
! " coined by the people in this vi
q tv who live in terror. not know
! + when another explosion is 10
Ir
fajor A. S. Casad, in command Of
Raritan Arsenal. said yesterday
at he believed the explosion was
I due to conditions In the Ammopits
plant rather than to any possible
failure to separate INT at the 9rsk-
nal from the ammonium nitrate
which was eventually sent in TANKS
to the fertilizer factory of the AM
monte Company.
More than 10000 sightseers view
| ed the devastated premises yesteEz
day. The heat of the debris aH1
fContinued on Page p