Picatinny Arsenal Navy Hill Gate

USA / New Jersey / Lake Telemark / Main Road
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Navy used to have depot here until 1961.

In 1891 the Navy acquired 317 acres on the Army's Picatinny Arsenal to establish their Lake Denmark Powder Depot. On July 10, 1926, lightning struck and started a fire. As a result, several million pounds of explosives detonated over a period of 2-3 days. This left not only structural devastation, but military and civilian casualties as well. As a result of a full-scale Congressional investigation, Congress directed the establishment of the Armed Forces Explosives Safety Board to provide oversight on every aspect of explosives under the control of the US Armed Forces.
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Coordinates:   40°57'1"N   74°32'12"W
This article was last modified 16 years ago