Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11

IL rated as the largest In the country
In the absence OF official records
1t was believed that a. large amount
Of TINT was stored in the various
buildings which constituted the depot
Much Of this high explosive was be
heved to be incorporated in depth
bombs Familiarity known In the Navy
as lash cans.
When struck by lightning this
would naturally explode with great
violence, not only rising into the air,
but setting IRE to property.
Entire Depot AbIaze.
Intermittent reports continued to
trickie tn during the evening that
explosions We're still going on and al
midnight It was believed that prac
ticaliy the entire depot was still
ablaze. Navy officers thought that
from the nature of the depot and the
kind Of explosive there the disaster
there must have presented spectacu
lar show. The Navy depot, it was
explained, Is adjacent to the Army
arsenal, but details as to the Army
arsenal being destroyed, possibly
through slxyrocketing projectiles and
the spreading Of fire. was not clear
from the reports received.
Further. word came from Admira'
Plunkett about 1890, indicating thai
he had dispatched three medical offi
GERS and IL Hospital Corps men. two
marine officers, 46 marines and medi
cal supplies. He added that the com
mandant OF the 4th Naval District hat
sent an ambulance with two medica
officers, six special Hospital Corp:
men and medical supplies. Up to thai
hour the admiral indicated there had
been no definite word concerning cas-
ualties.
Town Partially Demolished.
The telephone message from Can't
Bowling, in command OF the tienot
who had earlier been reported seri
ously injured, came through short,
before midnight and proved a greai
relief to thoBe who had been watch
ing and waiting for the casualty list
Capt. Bowling reported the entire
Navy depot on FIRE from end to end
and substantially demolished by 3
series Of explosions. Pickatinny wa.
said 70 be partly demolished. OWNS
to the large area under IRE and en-,
dangered by the gigantic fireworks
exploding from time to time and
spreading IRE to further explosives
II was learned from Capt. Dowline
that 1t had been impossible to check
the personnel. The size Of the area
itself was said by the ofticer to be
q deterrent In this check.
Capt. Downing reported that Lieut.
Comdr Brown, Lieut.. Herman c.
Shrader and Capt. Burwell Hadeu
Clarke, the commandment Of the ma,
rine Barracks. were still missing, bu,
he thought they might be ell right.
Among the reports which Uttered
through during the evening while the
fate OF Comdr. Brown hung In the
balance was that Mrs. Brown had
been seen escaping from the disaster
In an automobile, which also carried
six men to safety.
Along with continued messages oil
more explosions came one that the
fire departments were unable on this
account to get close enough to fighi
the Are. " q:
Another message carried the cheer
ful news that one marine sergeant
and one Hospital Corps man had sue
ceeded In getting away.
In addition to the service persOnne
on the station numbering somewhere
around 10, according to ofiicial re
ports, some Navy officers estimated
ItlGk6 WOulu UC - sG4N4Mhu pGLSOuMG
on the post numbering sornewher,
between 20 and 80 persons. It wa.
altogether likely, however, they be
lieved, that there may have been 1
half holiday on Saturday at the depot
and therefore many Of these peopl,
might have been out OF range OF th,
bonabardment, One report had i
that there were IL families living OF
the station In their various home
and that six OF these were the families
OF officers. ss s