Viewing page 55 of 103

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

104
and thought it was either a slight earthquake or an explosion near by.
Oct. 5. The sway last night was [[red underline] caused by a terrific explosion at Morgan N.J. near Perth Amboy at the largest shell-filling plant. [[/red underline]
During our meeting of the [[red underline]] Naval Consulting Board [[/red underline]] [[strikethrough]] Thay [[/strikethrough]] B. B. [[red underline]] Thayer [[/red underline]] of the [[red underline]] Anaconda [[/red underline]] Company tells me that he has just received a telegram on a telephone that a [[red underline] second explosion [[/red underline] took place today at 12:50 P.M which lifted the roof of their plant of the [[red underline] Raritan Copper works [[/red underline] and blew down their wall etc  Men and women are leaving South Amboy and [[red underline]] Perth Amboy [[/red underline]] and town is [[red underline] under martial law. [[/red underline] I wonder how [[red underline] our factory [[/red underline] will stand
[[end page]]
[[start page]]
105
it? I believe however that its relative distance and its solid construction will prevent much damage.
On returning on train I met chief [[red underline] Admiral Benson [[/red underline] who is going to New York to [[strikethrough]] me [[/strikethrough]] meet [[red underline] Sir Eric Geddes [[/red underline] the chief of the British Navy.  He tells me that our [[red underline] Naval Reserve [[/red underline]] men who were all [[red underline] green boys [[/red underline]] a year ago [[red underline]] are doing splendid work everywhere. Daniels and all the higher naval officers are opposed in following the bad [[/red underline]] example of giving [[red underline]] out commissions to civilians whose duties are [[red !! in left margin]] exclusively desk or office work [[/red underline] and who have given to Washington the [[red underline] spectacle of endless booted and spurred captains, majors and colonels [[/red underline] who are doing all their work in [[red underline] swivel chairs. Daniels [[/red underline] says he does not