T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion
Encyclopedia
The T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion, sometimes called the Morgan Depot Explosion, occurred at 7:30 p.m. on October 4, 1918 at an ammunition plant operated by the T.A. Gillespie Company and located in the Morgan area of Sayreville
Sayreville, New Jersey
Sayreville is a borough located on the Raritan River, near Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 42,704....

 in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...

. The initial explosion triggered a fire and subsequent series of explosions which continued for three days. The facility, said to be one of the largest in the world at the time, was destroyed along with more than 300 buildings forcing reconstruction of South Amboy
South Amboy, New Jersey
South Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, on the Raritan Bay. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 7,913.South Amboy, and Perth Amboy across the Raritan River, are collectively referred to as The Amboys...

 and Sayreville.

Damages

Damage to the area was estimated to be US$18 million and the US Government paid US$300,000 in insurance to area residents, equal to over US$3.2 million in 1998 dollars. According to a 1919 government report, the explosion destroyed enough ammunition to supply the western front for six months.

Casualties

Martial law was declared following the accident forcing the evacuation of Sayreville, South Amboy and Perth Amboy, which contained around 62,000 at the time. The death toll for the accident is unclear since employment records were destroyed by the explosion, but it is assumed to be over 100 persons with hundreds more injured. The unidentified remains of 14 to 18 workers were buried in a mass grave on Ernston Road in Old Bridge. Evacuated and homeless persons were said to be more susceptible to the 1918 influenza epidemic
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...

 the following winter resulting in a high death toll in the area due to the epidemic.

Coast guardsmen involved

Among many others involved in rescue operations, a number of United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

smen stationed in Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...

 were involved in rescue operations. 12 received Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...

es for their heroic actions in the aftermath of the explosion and two Coast Guardsmen died in the effort. The award citations indicate that during the conflagration they risked death when they relocated a train loaded with TNT that was threatened by the fire. One Navy Cross recipient later became Vice Admiral Joseph Stika
Joseph Stika
Joseph Stika was a Vice Admiral in the United States Coast Guard. He graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1911 and would hold various commands until he retired in 1951, including the USCGC Bibb . In 1934 while commanding the U.S.S...

.

Pieces of ordnance still being found

One side effect of the explosion was that debris was scattered around the area by the large explosions. Even in 2007, unexploded ordnance or other material from the facility is being found in the surrounding area. On June 7, 2007 ordnance was found at Samsel Upper Elementary School while grading an area for a playground. Explosive Ordnance Disposal crews were called in to remove the material. During cleanup operations in 1994 and 1997 the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

collected and disposed of 5,080 pieces of ordnance. The cleanup was sparked by the discovery of shells near Sayreville's Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School in both years.

External links

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