ipped ▁to ▁Russia . ▁Jersey ▁City ' s ▁Commission er ▁of ▁Public ▁Saf ety , ▁Frank ▁H ague , ▁later ▁said ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁told ▁the ▁bar ge ▁was ▁" t ied ▁up ▁at ▁Black ▁Tom ▁to ▁avoid ▁a ▁twenty - five ▁doll ar ▁charge ." ▁ ▁Ex pl os ion ▁▁ ▁After ▁mid night ▁on ▁July ▁ 3 0 , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁small ▁fires ▁were ▁discovered ▁on ▁the ▁pier . ▁Some ▁gu ards ▁fled , ▁fear ing ▁an ▁explos ion . ▁O thers ▁attempted ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁fires ▁and ▁eventually ▁called ▁the ▁Jersey ▁City ▁Fire ▁Department . ▁At ▁ 2 : 0 8 ▁am , ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁largest ▁of ▁the ▁explos ions ▁took ▁place , ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁smaller ▁explos ion ▁occurr ing ▁around ▁ 2 : 4 0 ▁am . ▁A ▁notable ▁location ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁explos ions ▁was ▁around ▁the ▁Johnson ▁Bar ge ▁No . ▁ 1 7 , ▁which ▁contained ▁ 5 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁T NT ▁and ▁ 4 1 7 ▁cases ▁of ▁det on ating ▁f uses . ▁The ▁explos ion ▁created ▁a ▁det on ation ▁wave ▁that ▁tra ve led ▁at ▁ 2 4 , 0 0 0 ▁feet ▁per ▁second ▁with ▁enough ▁force ▁to ▁lift ▁fire fig h ters ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁bo ots ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁air . ▁F rag ments ▁from ▁the ▁explos ion ▁tra ve led ▁long ▁distances , ▁some ▁lod ging ▁in ▁the ▁Stat ue ▁of ▁Liber ty ▁and ▁some ▁in ▁the ▁clock ▁tower ▁of ▁The