Evening star., 1946-05-01
Probe Begun in Blast.
Which Sank Ship With
5 Missing, $50 Hurt |
By fhs A,socioted Press

EARLE, N. j., May 1.-The de-
stroyer escort Solar, its bow ripped
of and twisted grotesquely over the
306-foot warship by the force of
three explosions, lay blackened and
a total loss today alongside the
Nays huge Earle ammunition de-
pot pier in lower New York Bay.
Five crew members were reported
missing and $50 injured. five crit
ically, in the explosions yesterday.
which detonated an ammunition
laden railroad car on the pier, de-
stroyed pier-based warehouse, set
fire to the pier itself and left gap
ing hole in the concrete structure.
which juts 2l2 miles into the bay.
The next of kin of those missing
and badly injured were notified
during the night.
Many Under Treatment.
Thirty-fve persons were in civil
Ian hopitals in the area and lO9
Navy men and 25 civilians were
under observation and treatment at
the Navy Dispensary here.
A Navy investigating board, head
ed by Admiral Paul F. Foster, Navy
inspector general, began an imme-
diate investigation and was to meet
again today. The Sd Naval District
Public Relations Office said cause of
the blasts was unknown.
The explosions occurred in rapid
fire order shortly before noon yes
terday while the Solar was unload
ing ammunition at the pier-longest
of its kind in the world. The Earle
Navy Ammunition Depot, built in
1943 on Sandy Hook Bay, is the
largest naval munitions storehouse
in the East.
Washington Officer Safe.
1t. q. g. Herman Craven, %, of
108 Ninth street Sc, Washington,
D. c., chief engineer of the Solar,
said Il was asleep in my bunk
when the first explosion went off.
ran up on the deck and heard the
skipper holler to everyone to aban-
don ship. Then I got off"
Craven pointed to the bridge,
jack-knifed into the air after the
last explosion, and said, that's
where I was sleeping
The Solar, which had been as
signed month ago to the oper-
ational development force, which
tests new equipment, had been based
at Solomons Island, Md.
One version of the blast was given
by Jack Horne. fireman &c, Char
lotte, N. c. Horne, who said he
talked to Joseph Stuchinski, sea-
man of Baltimore, after they visited
the first aid station, told this story:
ski was carrying a hedgehog
from the forward magazine. While
he was holding it in his hand, it
just went off. He must have bumped
1t against something because those
things go off when anything touches
them.
Receives Only Scratch.
"He wasn't hurt a bit, except he
can't hear out of one ear, the blast
killed or badly wounded the fellow
ahead of him but it only ripped
Skis dungarees down the front.
He got little scratch On his
chest from shrapnel."
"a hedgehog is depth charge
used against submarines. 1t is
metal cased, weighs so pounds
and is a cylinder about 80 inches
long and As inches in diameter.D
Other ammunition-loaded vessels
in the aiea were hauled to safety
as were all but one of a string of
railroad cars filed with munitions
on the pier. ....
Blast Felt for Miles.
Force of the blast could be felt for
miles and vibrations broke a plate
glass window in Long Branch, Is
miles away.
The Solar displaced 1900 tons, had
10000 horsepower and a speed of 20
knots. 1t was built at a cost of
S3,500,000 and launched at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard. 1t was
named for RoatSuaio's Motto 1Ic