Show II I Cause of Navy Arsenal Disaster I Y By CHARLES P. P STEWART NEA Service Writer WASHINGTON July Too much ammunition in too small a aI aspot aspot I spot on the map is in general the verdict t of army men on the recent explosions which wrecked the navys navy's Lake Denmark N N. J J. munitions munitions munitions mu mu- depot and threatened the army's neighboring arsenal arse arse- nal Naval officers since it was their departments' departments disaster are not so ready to concede this but unquestionably unquestionably unquestionably It Is the consensus of opinion at the Weir war department All the precautions in the world army experts assert do not guarantee guarantee guarantee guar guar- antee absolutely against an explosion explosion explosion sion where TNT high power shells and ash cans are stored bat but its proportions can be limited by limiting limiting lim lim- the amount of oC the explosives Enough of them to end endanger nger a whole countryside these authorities add should not be concentrated on ona ona ona a comparatively small reservation at any rate not in peace time The magazines should be widely scattered V Structurally the Lake Denmark magazines are described by military military mili mili- tary men men who have nave seen them as having been the last word in design for their purpose The walls were tremendously thick and strong strong- and and the roofs were ere simply laid on not fastened The theory was that an explosion should one occur would not exert its force laterally but in In the di direction dl- dl of least resistance upward I hurling the Unattached roof high In air and shooting straight up after it as a charge of shot Is fired from a gun barrel the debris rainIng rainIng raining rain- rain Ing back upon the spot it started from This theory works out pretty wellIn well wellin in practice when a single magazine y f blows up the army experts say and the Lake Denmark method of oC construction may have tended to to minimize the extent of oC the damage even there but the shattering ef effect effect of- of of a prolonged series of such explosions it is pointed out is enough to upset almost any theory In support of or their argument army officers cite the fact that the estimated damage on the war var departments department's reservation reservation reservation reser reser- was due to no explosion there but to the collapse of oC the army's very substantial buildings from the force torce of oC succeeding concussions con con- Even the walls wails of a magazine for high explosives explosives' as one army man remarked are not proof against many such shocks and after the first blast the probabilities are that every bit of oC masonry In the was readY leady to crumble and let projectiles fly in any direction tion V VV V 5 A Of course every man who handies handles handles han han- dies high explosives es either as a soldier or commercIally daily this officer officer officer continued has a healthy re respect respect re- re sport for lightning Magazines always are fully V equipped with lightning rods and the tho metal roofs are provided with group connections It Is not once In times that a building so protected is damaged But this bolt which struck at Lake Denmark happened happened happened hap hap- to be the unlucky one Human foresight I am convinced convinced con con- vinced d not have guarded against that initial explosion It might by scattering the stores of or explosives on the reservation have I provided against some of or the subsequent subsequent subsequent sub sub- sequent ones V Enough gh ammunition went up In smoke at Lake Denmark artillerymen artillery artillery- men say to have done for a moderately moderately moderately mod mod- respectable wartime engagement engagement en en- VS V'S |