Amatol on earth

Sue Gremlin

Sue Gremlin

Piney
Sep 13, 2005
1,291
248
61
Vicksburg, Michigan
My husband had a question, did they PLAN for Amatol to last only two years?
We always assumed so, but looking at those photos, it doesn't seem that way. It looks like the town was meant to stay for a while, for one, they planted trees along the streets. I guess they didn't have any clue as to when the war would end in, when, 1918?

I still find that fascinating that it was there, and poof, it was gone.
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,624
565
Galloway
We always assumed so, but looking at those photos, it doesn't seem that way. It looks like the town was meant to stay for a while, for one, they planted trees along the streets. I guess they didn't have any clue as to when the war would end in, when, 1918?
Click to expand...

Ditto. :confused:
 
Jerseyman

Jerseyman

Piney
Sep 10, 2003
1,379
432
West New Jersey
www.jerseyman-historynowandthen.blogspot.com
Sue Gremlin said:
Have a walk in the area. You can see some of the best ruins on the WMA. :)

Unfortunately, there is a huge amount of garbage there, (why the heck do people use that for such a dumping ground, I do not know), but it's worth the trip anyway. There are still buildings and foundations there from both the town and later the speedway.
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Sue:

Back in the 1980s, Atlantic County entertained the idea of establishing a landfill at Amatol, but the local residents beat the officials into submission and the county withdrew the plan. Stupid idea #785. :mad:

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 
Jerseyman

Jerseyman

Piney
Sep 10, 2003
1,379
432
West New Jersey
www.jerseyman-historynowandthen.blogspot.com
Sue Gremlin said:
From what I have read, EVERYTHING was salvaged. Telephone poles, lumber, rails and rr ties, everything. Actually, the foundations and cooling buildings all look pretty much intact, if not a bit weather-worn. I was shocked at how many platforms and buildings that are left standing. the wooden structures were removed leaving the concrete. The pouring and cooling buildings were made of very very thick cast concrete to divert explosions up rather than out (must have been GREAT working there), and many are still there. Concrete wasn't what it is today, but they have actually held up pretty well.
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Sue:

Yes, the federal government brought in an auction house who sold everything that wasn't tied down and some that was!! Regarding concrete, however, I think the inverse is correct--that the commercial concrete available for projects in the early twentieth century far eclipses the stuff they pass off today as concrete! I have seen concrete poured in 1915 that exhibits no evidence of spalling, cracking, or disintigration. On the other hand, concrete I had poured less than two years ago has already developed several cracks. And believe me, I did all of the right things following the initial pour!

The craftsmanship of yesterday is celebrated today, but, in reality, it was just commonplace pride of work. You won't find many concrete firms and masons stamping or inserting a brass plaque into their work today!!

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 
Jerseyman

Jerseyman

Piney
Sep 10, 2003
1,379
432
West New Jersey
www.jerseyman-historynowandthen.blogspot.com
Sue Gremlin said:
My husband had a question, did they PLAN for Amatol to last only two years?
We always assumed so, but looking at those photos, it doesn't seem that way. It looks like the town was meant to stay for a while, for one, they planted trees along the streets. I guess they didn't have any clue as to when the war would end in, when, 1918?

I still find that fascinating that it was there, and poof, it was gone.
Click to expand...

Sue and pinelandpaddler:

The United States geared up for producing war materiél after the hostilities in Europe had ensued for three years. When America did enter the war, it threw all of its industrial might into supporting the troops abroad. Examples of preparation for this production include Amatol; Belcoville; the Woodbury Bagloading Plant in Westville (now the site of the Sunoco refinery); Hog Island Shipyard, with its 50 ship construction ways, etc. Government bean counters made dire predictions on how long the war could last and the federal agencies responded in kind. The war ended rather quickly after constructing all of these facilities and some of them hardly produced any munitions, ships, etc., before the government yanked the contracts. In an effort to salvage some of funding expended to construct these facilities, the government auctioned or sold off the equipment and construction materials for pennies on the dollar. Developers made plans to reuse the housing at Amatol for a new community, but nothing really became of the plans. Today, many World War I production facilities exists as ghostly ruins in the woods or piling and concrete sheeting along the riverbank that can only be seen at low tide.

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Excellent, Jerseyman. Thanks for posting the cards, as well as the background.

In looking at aerials of the portions of Southern New Jersey from Amatol south I've noticed a number of areas where you can see the grids of old roads in a dense formation, and in one or two of these spots some of the roads still bear names and have a dwelling or two. I can post placemarks for some of these, but I am sure you have all seen them. I wondered if these were the remnants of some of the failed real estate ventures described in McPhee's book, or possibly the sites of other industrial towns.
 
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