ion ▁was ▁heard ▁as ▁far ▁away ▁as ▁Maryland ▁and ▁Connecticut . ▁On ▁Ell is ▁Island , ▁ter r ified ▁imm igr ants ▁were ▁ev acu ated ▁by ▁fer ry ▁to ▁the ▁B atter y . ▁Sh rap nel ▁pier ced ▁the ▁Stat ue ▁of ▁Liber ty ▁( the ▁arm ▁of ▁the ▁Stat ue ▁was ▁closed ▁to ▁visitors ▁after ▁this ). ▁Property ▁damage ▁was ▁estimated ▁at ▁$ 2 0 ▁million . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁how ▁many ▁died . ▁ ▁Why ▁the ▁explos ion ? ▁Was ▁it ▁an ▁accident ▁or ▁planned ? ▁According ▁to ▁histor ians , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁sab ot aged ▁the ▁Le high ▁Valley ▁m un itions ▁dep ot ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁stop ▁deliver ies ▁being ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁who ▁had ▁block aded ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁in ▁Europe . ▁ ▁You ▁are ▁walking ▁on ▁a ▁site ▁which ▁saw ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁worse ▁acts ▁of ▁terror ism ▁in ▁American ▁history . ▁ ▁A ▁st ained - glass ▁window ▁at ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁Cz est och owa ▁Catholic ▁church ▁mem orial ized ▁the ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁attack . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ ▁Anton ▁D il ger ▁ ▁L arg est ▁artificial ▁non - n uc lear ▁explos ions ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁acc idents ▁and ▁inc idents ▁involving ▁transport ▁or ▁storage ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ ▁Z imm ermann ▁Tele gram ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Ron ▁Sem ple , ▁Black ▁Tom : ▁T error ▁on ▁the ▁Hudson ▁( Oct ober ▁ 3 0