The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-08-20
EXPLOSION.
The Oil Dock at PavOnia
Ferry Consumed.
~-~~~~>->->~~~~~~<~-~~~
FIRE ON LAND AND WATER.
>-~,~~-~>~~.-~~~y~~~~c1~
TIL RTEnV LIVES LOST.
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED.
Less OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
-~e~~~~~~~~~o~-~<-,s~
SEVERAL VESSELS CONSUMED.
--e~->-o<>.~~~--~~~->>,,>
EXCITING SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Less OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
SEVERAL VESSELS CONSUMED
EXCITING SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
&c. &c. &c.

Shortiy peiore eight O'Clock yesterday morning tho
inhabitants OF Jersey City and Hoboken were alarmed
by a loud rumbng like thunder that shook the
earth and conjnrcd up 70 tmid hearts premonitory
symptoms Of an earthquake Immediately after volumes
OF black smoke rolled into the air. und perceived
to proceed from spot adjacent the Pavona ferry
Fire bells rang furously the hurry and busiie oh
servabc In the police and fire departments bctokencd
something unusual Ths that when .hesc bodies
reached the sccne they found sheets OF flame waving
over land and water, which had envelopcd in their
embrace everything pershabe. The oil dock
leased by C. H. Valentine 4 Co the tobacco and cotton
dock held by Jarvis Co, and the Eric Railway dock
all on fire. The latter escaped pretty we'll through
the extraordinary cxertions of the iremen but the
whirng surge elsewhere had struck with such terrific
effect that il mocked the puny efforts OF mnn to cop,
with IT, Storehouses land and vessels in the water
succumbed TO the fiery element and the general ruin
thirteen human beings perishod. One lies agoniz.
ing at the Of tho grave several Others under
going less suffering and considering the sudden
and deyouring sweep Of the irc II is miraculous how
the others escaped Neither life property was
pted and the is not 10 be forgotten
TnE ORIGIN
At ten minutes TO eight O'Clock yesterday morning
Henry Kcurai mate Of the schooner Alfred Barrett OF
Boston, brought breakfast to Captain Kelly, who was
lying III In the cabin. Another In the vessel
miarly known "Arthurn besides the mate and
Kelly When tho ma,o was returning no heard some
Thing crack under Is foot like match. and instantly
he surrounded by a sheet OF name. He ran on
deck aud having reached the deck sank down from
stcrnation and the prostrating effect Of the heat
through which no had passed He was quickly
aroused by the crash and rumblipg OF tho bar
rels which falling after the explosion, and he
reached the clear air With diicuny His hair and beard
M 10th nj han
he reached the hospital was found tha, his faceyas
badly burned and his fingers almost Crisp
There was scarcely par Of his body that escaped the
fire. 1t Is thought that he cannot possibly recover
rhE cAsrAi.rSs
Captain Kelly and his brother, the mate, with Arthur,
above alluded TO- pcrished Two women and child, on
canal boat, rushing on detk - sameA and
uticrng fearful shrieks sank back o the Acry pool
Tho child otsred overheard Three other children who
were in this boat were also los. Tho captain and two
Of lighter lying outside the Barrett fell victims TO
the haIncs On tho lighter Smith man rushed wildly
along tho deck In flames and seeing hope OF succor
plunged into the water and disappeared. Tho mate
Kelly OF tho Barrett hanging over the stern
Of the vessel, while his clothes hrc and his
body remained this position for nearly three quarters
OF an hour sailor of the brig Mairon had
his vest burned of his back, sun no perse-
yercd IN efforts to save his vessel capita n
Of a lighter ran away while hls clothes were nrc
badly burned about tho face He was 50 tsrrorsrcken
that persons who pursued him wcro LEFT far behind
in the chase Few II any escaped unlniured. In tho
explosion of the lighter lying noft the Barrett men
toned above man blown up sixty feet In tho air,
aud fell the river Those who witnessed the frantic
ching and fro a the almost paray zed
With one OF them, who appeared TO be the
chd,s mother dashed forward beside the little one
Tfatr raanl.
ion was horror In all il phases Reason must have
departed FOR they rushed the deck In places
whore they could have found no footing, and they
soecd 10 tread on air marmuro - terror and grief
burst from the bystsnrs the Inflated beings sank
into the water. The tenscy With which they chung 10
life must been strengthened by the assurance that
help would monentariy arrive. The little fellow IN.
nc,ivcIy resisted the decree OF ncrorabs fatality
but 10 few moments he had passed With his mother
beyond the portals Of this life Into the region o. eternity
scgxEs IscIp1xrs.
40 sooner Lad the schooner blown up than scene OF
terrible submity presented tsef Barrel after barrel Of
oil caught hrc with great mpidty, until space q
over two acres there sheet Of fame cap
ped as IL were by black OF rolling smoke, which
mounted up like pyramid until lost in the sky- Tbr'c
pers nearly twenty thonsand barrels % oil and the sail
inz cra montoncd elsewhere blazing defyng the
Efforts or the nrcmeB sabdue the aery element The
o floating the water also caugbt until here aud there
could ~ secn ny e,s Of rame which seemed 10
| from The depths y the
$3.50 rHK
Tho lighters we're spon consumed not, being hsav ly
laden but the schooner Alfred Barrett continued burn
ns throughout The entire day II vas remarked that
although float ng "a seveueen foe, q water she DID
sink, sitter her s.en Va burned 70 the waters
edge. SO fearully intense the heat that appeared
10 proven, the ~nter fon rushaS into he hold About
dusk a-brsk breeze -prang ap whs famed The smoke
away and revealed the nanes eash barrel ia the
hold caught long and round column Of hr. large a.
the aud ispering into slender. Hghnln9 like
streak shot out from amid the general hax. aud swayed
To and fgU until the OIL c0nEumad Column aftey
coamn Of this Gre burat forth rapid sncrs sslsr
laden with tobarco the Ore burned siosy witbgai
any considerable extent 0f fame Neverhsie~s ths
efforts 20 subdue failed IN Consequence u ts bong
low down in the hold late TIE evening ayersi lc,s
The exposed The nbs c the vessels snd showed The
burning tobaeco
g0on after the hamss broks "t nan -. -.se
,tshtng Wildly from the burning per hrongh tbe
apalv cxpOd ng tanks u OIL into the ogen street nna
sie 81 hs face dreaffay burned beiIg completely
COS srsf with b'isiev While bis bsif and besfd wefe
burnt close 60 the KkB Efefy enorf " s'ny him
vnsuecc~sful hat merely uiterng fsw tncohcfsDt
xo,ds In reply 70 qussi0nF be rushed and spou
lost 10 sight lie reported " ~ the captain %
n the lighters, and u vas beloved ~ severely u
Iured Parties ~ho met hin stated thai be eniefes
house pAyonia avenue
As was natural In a are of such ilrsn&nng the mi
dents numerous, some bs.ng ~ grusesque ana
ciSs occurred 90 board u The trs Mssrou which vAn
scutcd and Ia their alarm On the ayss sstlosou
taxing place the ospian and mate ~ the sbyvc named