 Residents evacuating after the explosions | |
| Date | October 4, 1918 to October 6, 1918 |
|---|---|
| Time | 7:36 pm EDT (start) |
| Location | Sayreville, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°27′42″N 74°17′23″W / 40.46167°N 74.28972°W |
| Also known as | Morgan Munitions Depot explosion |
| Cause | Worker error or (speculative) German sabotage |
| Participants | US Coast Guard, US Army |
| Outcome | Plant abandoned following Armistice |
| Deaths | ~40 estimated |
| Non-fatal injuries | 100+ |
| Missing | ~18 |
| Property damage | Complete 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. |
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]