New Britain herald., 1926-07-12

be taken. One story, told by a marine who made his escape by crawling along the shaking ground after bcinng hurled forty feet into the air, was that following the flash of lightning the fire siren was sounded. While the enlisted men on duty ran toward the INT magazine, there was d flash which sent flames 400 feet into the air, he said. and the concussion crushed the brick and stone houses like egg shells.
 Shower Of Shells
 There followed showers of i and 15 inch shells. They were staked, officials said, on the base, thus caus- ing them to shoot straight into the air. Had it not been thus the sur rounding towns would have been cut to pieces by direct shell fire.
 Its like a scene on the western front" General Hugh A. Drum eX- plained after an inspection of the reservation from Picatinny Peak, nearby.
 Secretary of War Davis arrived at the Picatinny Arsenal, a smaller army arsenal adjoining that of the navy for an inspection but was forced to remain just within the en- trance. Upon leaving he reported there had been no explosion at the army reservation. A change in the wind was thought to have saved the Picatinny Arsenal, as the flames were headed in its direction Satur- day night.
 Flag Was Unchanged
 Mir. Davis complimented Major General Summerall and Brig. Gen. Drum for the way they had unanswered troops to reach the scene of the disaster in the shortest possible time.
 Brig. Gen. Drum late yesterday permitted one newspaper man and q photographer to make a trip into the area with an inspection party. They soon had 10 abandon their automobile because of debris which blocked the road and the shell fire made it necessary to crawl to vantage points on higher ground surrounding the naval reservation.
 The only normal thing noted about the entire reservation was the flag, which continued to fly from it's pole before the com mandant's quarters. The headquar- ters was in ruins, but the flag was | undamagcd.
 Damage is Widespread
 The naval depot which was de- stroyed was situated near Lake Den mark, N. J., and the army arsenal is near Mount Hope, a short distance away, a ravine separating the two establishments. The village of Mount Hope was practically destroy ed and the town of Rockaway, ten miles away, was ordered evacuated. The region was shaken severely by | the concussions for fifteen miles and i the shock was felt for twice that | distance The village of Hibcrnia, about 600 population, also is de- serted with marines patrolling the streets.
 Ten towns in Bergen, Morris and i Passaic counties report damage ranging from shattered homes tc ! broken windows. No full estimate can yet be made of the loss inflicted on the civilian praperty in the coun- . tryside but army observers said il would easily be more than $1000,- i GOO.
 Debris Blown 32 Miles
 On GlenWild lake, near Blooming ! dale, x. J.. sixteen miles from Lake ! Denmark, bathcrs report that the ! first explosion came on Saturday 1 afternoon the waters of the lake rost four feet and there was d rain oi black powder. Sunday morning . sixteen inch shell fell in Blooming dale. it is reported and at Butler. 2. miles away, pieces of debris were found, spliuters Of wood eighteen inches long were found in Oakland g miles from Lake Denmark.
 Near Vacation Ccntcrs
 The whole region which Wal shaken by the explosion at Lak' Denmark is a fayortte vacation anC weekend territory for New Yorl folk
 Objection is being voiced in Ncv Jersey against the storage of eX plosiycs in the towns of the state Senator Walter F. Edge, declared in Atlantic City last night that sucl storage of explosives near ccntcrs O population was an "outrageous an' criminal practice" On the othe hand Governor A. Harry Moore saic at Seagirt that he had no desire t' criticize the federal government. H. added that New Jersey would d' everything possible 10 assist th victims of the disaster He judge' the explosion was an accident tha could happen anywhere.
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