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T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion

The T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion, sometimes called the Morgan Munitions Depot explosion or similar titles, began at 7:36 pm EDT on Friday, October 4, 1918, at a World War I ammunition plant in the Morgan area of Sayreville in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The initial explosion, generally believed to be accidental, triggered a fire and subsequent series of explosions that continued for three days, totaling approximately six kilotons, killing about 100 people and injuring hundreds more. The facility, one of the largest in the world at the time, was destroyed along with more than 300 surrounding buildings, forcing the evacuation and reconstruction of Sayreville, South Amboy, and Laurence Harbor (Old Bridge). Over a century later, explosive debris continues to surface regularly across a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) radius.[1][2]

T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion
Residents evacuating after the explosions
DateOctober 4, 1918 (1918-10-04) to October 6, 1918 (1918-10-06)
Time7:36 pm EDT (start)
LocationSayreville, New Jersey
Coordinates40°27′42″N 74°17′23″W / 40.46167°N 74.28972°W / 40.46167; -74.28972Coordinates: 40°27′42″N 74°17′23″W / 40.46167°N 74.28972°W / 40.46167; -74.28972
Also known asMorgan Munitions Depot explosion
CauseWorker error or (speculative) German sabotage
ParticipantsUS Coast Guard, US Army
OutcomePlant abandoned following Armistice
Deaths~100
Non-fatal injuries100+
Missing~18
Property damageComplete destruction of plant ($18 million in 1918); major damage to 300+ buildings in Sayreville, South Amboy, and Perth Amboy, NJ; broken windows for 20 miles (32 km) around.
Explosion site
class=notpageimage|
Location in Middlesex County, NJ

T. A. Gillespie

T. A. Gillespie Company, founded by Thomas Andrew Gillespie (1852–1926),[3] was operating a subsidiary named the American Shell Company, loading artillery shells for overseas military action during World War I. After the war, the company was renamed Gillespie Motor Company in 1919, merged to form Gillespie-Eden Corporation in 1920, and disappeared sometime after 1923.[4] The initial Morgan explosion, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers, was in Building 6-1-1, at the present-day residential block bounded by Dusko, Gillen and Rota Drives.[5] The full plant employed more than 6,000 workers in round-the-clock production.[6]

Damages

Damage to the plant was estimated to be $18 million[7] and the US government paid $300,000 in insurance to area residents ($300 million and $5 million in 2018 dollars, respectively). According to a 1919 government report, the explosion destroyed enough ammunition to supply the Western Front for six months, estimated at 12 million pounds (6 kilotons) of high explosives.[1] The plant had started production three months earlier, and the war ended one month after the explosion. While hundreds of detonations were spread over three days, the totality of the event ranked as one of the largest man-made non-nuclear explosions in history. Some of the strongest individual blasts, from exploding storehouses or railcars of ammunition, broke windows as far away as Manhattan and Asbury Park, more than 20 miles (32 km) distant.[8]

 
Man standing in a large crater from the explosion of 1 million pounds (0.5 kiloton) of stored ammonium nitrate[9]

Casualties

The death toll for the accident is unclear, as employment records were destroyed by the explosion and ammunition workers were individually uninsurable. The total is believed to be approximately 100 people, with hundreds more injured.[1][7][8] Many victims disintegrated in the explosions and fires, and the unidentified remains of 14 to 18 workers were buried in a mass grave off Ernston Road in what is now Old Bridge Township.[5] The inscription reads: "In memory of the unidentified dead who gave their lives while in the service of the United States of America, at the Morgan Shell Loading Plant in the explosion of October 4–5, 1918."[5]

Government authorities declared martial law following the accident and ordered the evacuation of Sayreville, South Amboy and Perth Amboy, whose combined populations totaled approximately 62,000. Evacuated and homeless persons were more susceptible to the severe influenza pandemic that struck a few weeks later, and the area's death toll from the outbreak was high.[1][10][6]

Coast Guard involvement

Among many others involved in rescue operations were US Coast Guardsmen stationed across the Raritan River in Perth Amboy. Twelve received Navy Crosses for their heroic actions in the aftermath of the explosion, and two died in the effort. The award citations indicate that during the conflagration, they risked death when they moved a train loaded with TNT that was threatened by the fire. One Navy Cross recipient was Joseph Stika, who later became a vice admiral.[11][12]

Legacy

The explosions scattered thousands of shells and components over a wide area, more than 1.2 miles (1.9 km) in radius. Nearly a century later, unexploded ordnance from the facility was still being found in the surrounding area. On June 7, 2007, ordnance was discovered at Samsel Upper Elementary School while workers were grading an area for a playground. Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists from the US Army were called in to remove the material.[2] Previously, in 1994 and again in 1997, the discovery of shells near Sayreville's Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School spurred cleanup operations by the US Army Corps of Engineers, which collected and disposed of a combined total of 5,080 pieces of ordnance.[1][13]

Local historians Frank Yusko and Randall Gabrielan compiled detailed histories about the explosions for a 1994 television documentary and a 2012 book, respectively.[9][14]

The sports teams of Sayreville War Memorial High School are named the Sayreville Bombers, recalling the town's World War I ammunition plants and many World War II veterans.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "For 3 days, the ground shook in South Amboy". The Star-Ledger. October 4, 1998.
  2. ^ a b . The Suburban. July 6, 2007. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. We find these things a couple of times a year in town.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "The Ancestors of Christie MacDonald Gillespie". Baker Family Tree. August 25, 2013.
  4. ^ "Gillespie Motor Co. – History". VintageMachinery.org.
  5. ^ a b c James, Verne (October 4, 2009). "Grave Site of the Morgan Plant Unidentified Dead". Morgan, New Jersey.
  6. ^ a b . The Suburban. October 16, 2008. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ a b "Great Munition Plant Blown Up; 100 May Be Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. October 5, 1918.
  8. ^ a b "Day of Explosions and Fire Finishes Shell Plant Ruin" (PDF). The New York Times. October 6, 1918.
  9. ^ a b Gabrielan, Randall (2012). Explosion at Morgan: The World War I Middlesex Munitions Disaster. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN 978-1-60949-517-6.
  10. ^ "Morgan Munitions Blast Remembered 80 Years Later". Home News Tribune. October 4, 1998. from the original on October 12, 1999.
  11. ^ "Recipients Of The Navy Cross – The Gillespie Plant Explosion". HomeOfHeroes.com. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  12. ^ Stringer, Harry R., ed. (1921). The Navy Book of Distinguished Service. Washington, DC: Fassett Publishing Company.
  13. ^ "75-year-old ordnance cleared from schoolyard". American City and Country. March 1, 1995.
  14. ^ Yusko, Frank (1994). The Morgan Explosion of 1918. Milltown, NJ: Visionary Video Studios.
  15. ^ "Sayreville High School Arrests Divide a Town That Lived for Football". The New York Times. October 13, 2014..

External links

  • Library of Congress collections:
    • "Chronicling America: Morgan Ammunition Depot Explosion" (1918) – historic newspaper coverage
    • "Rotogravure Picture Section" (1918) – eight photos from the immediate aftermath
  • "HD Stock Video Footage – Homeless people and scenes of destruction" (1918)
  • "Damages to private property at Gillespie plant" (1919) – from US Army Ordnance Department
  • (2014) – including photos from then and now

gillespie, company, shell, loading, plant, explosion, sometimes, called, morgan, munitions, depot, explosion, similar, titles, began, friday, october, 1918, world, ammunition, plant, morgan, area, sayreville, middlesex, county, jersey, united, states, initial,. The T A Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion sometimes called the Morgan Munitions Depot explosion or similar titles began at 7 36 pm EDT on Friday October 4 1918 at a World War I ammunition plant in the Morgan area of Sayreville in Middlesex County New Jersey United States The initial explosion generally believed to be accidental triggered a fire and subsequent series of explosions that continued for three days totaling approximately six kilotons killing about 100 people and injuring hundreds more The facility one of the largest in the world at the time was destroyed along with more than 300 surrounding buildings forcing the evacuation and reconstruction of Sayreville South Amboy and Laurence Harbor Old Bridge Over a century later explosive debris continues to surface regularly across a 1 2 mile 1 9 km radius 1 2 T A Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosionResidents evacuating after the explosionsDateOctober 4 1918 1918 10 04 to October 6 1918 1918 10 06 Time7 36 pm EDT start LocationSayreville New JerseyCoordinates40 27 42 N 74 17 23 W 40 46167 N 74 28972 W 40 46167 74 28972 Coordinates 40 27 42 N 74 17 23 W 40 46167 N 74 28972 W 40 46167 74 28972Also known asMorgan Munitions Depot explosionCauseWorker error or speculative German sabotageParticipantsUS Coast Guard US ArmyOutcomePlant abandoned following ArmisticeDeaths 100Non fatal injuries100 Missing 18Property damageComplete destruction of plant 18 million in 1918 major damage to 300 buildings in Sayreville South Amboy and Perth Amboy NJ broken windows for 20 miles 32 km around Explosion siteclass notpageimage Location in Middlesex County NJ Contents 1 T A Gillespie 2 Damages 3 Casualties 4 Coast Guard involvement 5 Legacy 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksT A Gillespie EditT A Gillespie Company founded by Thomas Andrew Gillespie 1852 1926 3 was operating a subsidiary named the American Shell Company loading artillery shells for overseas military action during World War I After the war the company was renamed Gillespie Motor Company in 1919 merged to form Gillespie Eden Corporation in 1920 and disappeared sometime after 1923 4 The initial Morgan explosion according to the US Army Corps of Engineers was in Building 6 1 1 at the present day residential block bounded by Dusko Gillen and Rota Drives 5 The full plant employed more than 6 000 workers in round the clock production 6 Damages EditDamage to the plant was estimated to be 18 million 7 and the US government paid 300 000 in insurance to area residents 300 million and 5 million in 2018 dollars respectively According to a 1919 government report the explosion destroyed enough ammunition to supply the Western Front for six months estimated at 12 million pounds 6 kilotons of high explosives 1 The plant had started production three months earlier and the war ended one month after the explosion While hundreds of detonations were spread over three days the totality of the event ranked as one of the largest man made non nuclear explosions in history Some of the strongest individual blasts from exploding storehouses or railcars of ammunition broke windows as far away as Manhattan and Asbury Park more than 20 miles 32 km distant 8 Man standing in a large crater from the explosion of 1 million pounds 0 5 kiloton of stored ammonium nitrate 9 Casualties EditThe death toll for the accident is unclear as employment records were destroyed by the explosion and ammunition workers were individually uninsurable The total is believed to be approximately 100 people with hundreds more injured 1 7 8 Many victims disintegrated in the explosions and fires and the unidentified remains of 14 to 18 workers were buried in a mass grave off Ernston Road in what is now Old Bridge Township 5 The inscription reads In memory of the unidentified dead who gave their lives while in the service of the United States of America at the Morgan Shell Loading Plant in the explosion of October 4 5 1918 5 Government authorities declared martial law following the accident and ordered the evacuation of Sayreville South Amboy and Perth Amboy whose combined populations totaled approximately 62 000 Evacuated and homeless persons were more susceptible to the severe influenza pandemic that struck a few weeks later and the area s death toll from the outbreak was high 1 10 6 Coast Guard involvement EditAmong many others involved in rescue operations were US Coast Guardsmen stationed across the Raritan River in Perth Amboy Twelve received Navy Crosses for their heroic actions in the aftermath of the explosion and two died in the effort The award citations indicate that during the conflagration they risked death when they moved a train loaded with TNT that was threatened by the fire One Navy Cross recipient was Joseph Stika who later became a vice admiral 11 12 Legacy EditThe explosions scattered thousands of shells and components over a wide area more than 1 2 miles 1 9 km in radius Nearly a century later unexploded ordnance from the facility was still being found in the surrounding area On June 7 2007 ordnance was discovered at Samsel Upper Elementary School while workers were grading an area for a playground Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists from the US Army were called in to remove the material 2 Previously in 1994 and again in 1997 the discovery of shells near Sayreville s Dwight D Eisenhower Elementary School spurred cleanup operations by the US Army Corps of Engineers which collected and disposed of a combined total of 5 080 pieces of ordnance 1 13 Local historians Frank Yusko and Randall Gabrielan compiled detailed histories about the explosions for a 1994 television documentary and a 2012 book respectively 9 14 The sports teams of Sayreville War Memorial High School are named the Sayreville Bombers recalling the town s World War I ammunition plants and many World War II veterans 15 See also EditBlack Tom explosion 1916 Kingsland explosion 1917 Picatinny Arsenal explosion 1926 South Amboy powder pier explosion 1950 List of accidents and incidents involving transport or storage of ammunition Halifax explosionReferences Edit a b c d e For 3 days the ground shook in South Amboy The Star Ledger October 4 1998 a b Old military explosive unearthed in schoolyard The Suburban July 6 2007 Archived from the original on March 4 2016 We find these things a couple of times a year in town a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint unfit URL link The Ancestors of Christie MacDonald Gillespie Baker Family Tree August 25 2013 Gillespie Motor Co History VintageMachinery org a b c James Verne October 4 2009 Grave Site of the Morgan Plant Unidentified Dead Morgan New Jersey a b Explosions devastated Morgan 90 years ago The Suburban October 16 2008 Archived from the original on March 4 2016 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint unfit URL link a b Great Munition Plant Blown Up 100 May Be Dead PDF The New York Times October 5 1918 a b Day of Explosions and Fire Finishes Shell Plant Ruin PDF The New York Times October 6 1918 a b Gabrielan Randall 2012 Explosion at Morgan The World War I Middlesex Munitions Disaster Charleston SC The History Press ISBN 978 1 60949 517 6 Morgan Munitions Blast Remembered 80 Years Later Home News Tribune October 4 1998 Archived from the original on October 12 1999 Recipients Of The Navy Cross The Gillespie Plant Explosion HomeOfHeroes com Retrieved December 13 2014 Stringer Harry R ed 1921 The Navy Book of Distinguished Service Washington DC Fassett Publishing Company 75 year old ordnance cleared from schoolyard American City and Country March 1 1995 Yusko Frank 1994 The Morgan Explosion of 1918 Milltown NJ Visionary Video Studios Sayreville High School Arrests Divide a Town That Lived for Football The New York Times October 13 2014 External links EditLibrary of Congress collections Chronicling America Morgan Ammunition Depot Explosion 1918 historic newspaper coverage Rotogravure Picture Section 1918 eight photos from the immediate aftermath HD Stock Video Footage Homeless people and scenes of destruction 1918 Damages to private property at Gillespie plant 1919 from US Army Ordnance Department Rediscovering the Ruins of a Catastrophic WWI Explosion Everyone Forgot 2014 including photos from then and now Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title T A Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion amp oldid 1123422591, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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