▁Black ▁Tom ▁explos ion ▁occurred ▁when ▁German ▁agents ▁set ▁fire ▁to ▁a ▁complex ▁of ▁w are h ouses ▁and ▁ships ▁in ▁Jersey ▁City , ▁New ▁Jersey ▁that ▁held ▁m un itions , ▁fuel , ▁and ▁explos ives ▁bound ▁to ▁aid ▁the ▁Al lies ▁in ▁their ▁fight . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁F iod ore ▁W oz nia k , ▁using ▁a ▁rag ▁s atur ated ▁with ▁ph osph orus ▁or ▁an ▁inc endi ary ▁p enc il ▁supplied ▁by ▁German ▁sab ot age ▁agents , ▁set ▁fire ▁to ▁his ▁work ben ch ▁at ▁an ▁am mun ition ▁assembly ▁plant ▁near ▁Ly nd h urst , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁causing ▁a ▁four - hour ▁fire ▁that ▁destroyed ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁ 3 - inch ▁explos ive ▁shell s ▁and ▁destroyed ▁the ▁plant ▁for ▁an ▁estimated ▁at ▁$ 1 7 ▁million ▁in ▁dam ages . ▁W oz nia k ' s ▁invol vement ▁was ▁not ▁discovered ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁Bed ou ins ▁al lied ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁destroyed ▁a ▁Turkish ▁rail road ▁near ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁W aj h , ▁der ail ing ▁a ▁Turkish ▁locomot ive . ▁The ▁Bed ou ins ▁tra ve led ▁by ▁cam el ▁and ▁used ▁explos ives ▁to ▁demol ish ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁track . ▁ ▁Post ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁▁ ▁In ▁Ireland , ▁the ▁Irish ▁Republican ▁Army ▁( I RA ) ▁used ▁sab ot age