AMERICA

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1918, Page 3

AMERICA

A NEW JERSEY CATASTROPHE. EXPLOSIVE FACTORY BLOWN UP. 'showers of exploding SHELLS. SEVEN HUNDRED CASUALTIES. (Atuwalian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Rec. October 6. 5.5. p.m.; JSIiW iUKiv, Uctober 5 A catastrophe in the State of New Jersey has caused great loss of life. It occurred in the town of Pershamboy. First there were two explosions in a trinitrotoluol magazine, and these dest.royed tho whole Gillespie factory plant. Immediately alter fires began spreading rapidly. The shock was felt in New I'ork City. After the , explosions there was a scattering of shells, which exploded everywhere. lo is esciinated that a hundred lives have been lost, and that hundreds have been injured. iiie plant was levelled, to the ground. iuore tiiiin two thousand men were wojitmg wneu the first explosion occurred, ie was followed by a succession of greater explosions. Buildings were blown up on all sides. Many of the workers were trapped by high bz Ibed wire fences around the plant. It is est.mated, at the latest, that the casualties total more than spven hundred. ' It is believed that twenty-five firemen lost their lives. Out of one lot of a thousand who were employed, only a hundred have been accounted • for. Two thousand people left the villages neighbouring the scene of the explosion, during the night for fear af further explosions.