Homeless people and scenes of destruction after T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion

Displaced homeless people and refugees gather in grassy area near a railroad station, following explosion of the World War I shell loading facility. The T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion, sometimes called the Morgan Depot Explosion, occurred in October 4, 1918. The plant was one of the largest munitions facilities in the world at the time. Damage was extensive in the South Amboy and Sayreville area. Clip shows a refugee family posing together, sitting in the grass. Many billboard signs are on nearby fences and a grass and sidewalk area beside railroad tracks. The Perth Amboy Railroad Depot (train station) building on Smith Street is seen behind them (this building has since been moved to Lewis Street). With Martial Law imposed, the next scene shows a Coast Guard or Navy sailor on patrol to keep law and order and prevent looting in front of destroyed shopping area stores on Smith Street in Perth Amboy, including the Reynolds Brothers store (Reynolds Bros), at 134 Smith Street (also 136 Smith Street and 138 Smith Street), where the windows are blown out and debris are seen inside the store. The explosion of the Gillespie plant was one of three similar events in the New York-New Jersey area during World War 1: The Black Tom Explosion in 1916, the Kingsland Explosion in 1917, and then the Morgan Depot Explosion in 1918.

This historic stock footage available in HD video. View pricing below video player.