On this day in Labor History the year was 1918.
That was the evening that a series of explosions began at the T.A. Gillespie Company near Morgan, New Jersey.
The explosions would destroy the plant and 300 buildings and kill an estimated 100 people.
The world was embroiled in war.
The Unites States had entered the global conflict the year before.
The nation’s factories were churning out munitions and other supplies for the war effort.
On that fateful evening at Gillespie, workers were loading shells at the sprawling complex of 700 buildings that covered more than 2,000 acres.
The initial explosion was likely an accident.
Regardless the explosion was so severe that it cut the water lines to that part of the plant.
Without water pressure, fire fighters struggled to douse the flames.
A chain reaction of explosions touched off as the fire spread in the plant.
Houses in the nearby town shook from the massive explosions.
Windows exploded and residents fled.
Residents from three towns were evacuated due to the disaster.
The New York Sun described the exodus as “streams of human misery—mothers and fathers, frightened children clutching still more frightened dogs; old, old people tottering along, all with the same dazed expressions on their faces, as if they scarcely realized what had happened.”
When the fire was finally put out, nearly half of the plants buildings were destroyed.
It was impossible to say exactly how many workers were killed, so bad was the carnage.
Two members of the US Coast Guard died responding to the disaster.
The disaster was then compounded, when a flu epidemic swept through the residents evacuated from nearby towns.
The death toll and misery from these tragic events mounted even higher.
May 28 - The 54th Massachusetts
May 27 - Rubber Workers Push Back Against War Profiteering
May 26 - SWOC Strikes Little Steel
May 25 - Striking Teamsters Triumph
May 24 - Operation Humanity Marching for Dignity
May 23 - The Battle of Toledo
May 22 - The Battle of Deputies’ Run
May 21 - Striking to Save Their Union
May 20 - Relief Workers Sit Down in Vancouver
May 19 - Explosion on the Jersey Docks
May 18 - The TVA Transforms the South
May 17 - Striking for Dignity and Respect
May 16 - Minneapolis Teamsters Lead the Way
May 15 - The Winnipeg General Strike Begins
May 14 - Wobblies On the Waterfront
May 13 - Women Strike Tolteca Foods
May 12 - Of ICE Raids & Union Busting
May 11 - Organizing in the Fields
May 10 - Bankruptcy Bonanza for Big Bankers
May 9 - The Historic ‘34 West Coast Maritime Strike Begins
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Resilient Mind
Positive Thinking Mind
In the Great Khan’s Tent
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast