The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-06-10
A RIVER ON FIRE. FIGHTING THE FLAMES.

The great fire at the Devoe Works (Hunter's
PoinD continued to burn all through Tuesday
night, the oil tanks continuing to blaze with
undated fury. some $4,000 gallons of oil be-
ing consumed One incident connected with
the burning Of the oil in these tanks is well
worth of note 1t appears that at the lower
end OF the dock, fronting the East River, a
tank containing several thousand gallons of
bcnzine was envclopcd in flames all night, yet
strange to say. a talk filled with kerosene OIL
which Immediately adjoincd it. remained I'M
touched
Al about 9 o'clock yesterday morning, the
brig Advance, which had been burning all
night capsized, precipitating hundreds of
gallons of burning oil into Newtown Creek.
The flames spread rapidly over the surface of
the water, and another alarm Of fire was inn
mediatcly sounded, bringing all the engines OF
the Eastern District back to the scene of the
disaster. The tide was flowing strongly into
the creek from the East River at the time,
and the seethlng mass of burning oil spread
rapidly up the creek, and in the direction of
The new Hunters Point bridge.
The scene at this point was terribly grand
The entire creek from shore to shore, and from
the points Of lis influx into the East River
nearly up to the bridge, was one living, lurid
sheet OF fame which ould at intervals shoot
ul to an amazing height, the whole covered
with dense masses of black smoke. The banks
were lined by thousands Of excited spectators
all drcading the calamitous results of this
most extraordinary disaster, but all powerless
I'd check the progress Of the dcvouring ele-
lncnt. The tiremen We're in despair; their
apparatus were, all constructed to draw wa
1tr from hydrants, and there being no plugs
il the vicinity, the only available water was
Jhat oi the creek, which had not been render
al inaccessible. The greatest danger apDre-
A3nded was that the flames, which were rap
Idly approaching the new bridge, would be
communicated 10 that structure in which case
i'll AL probabilities, il would have been total
J. destroyed. The means finally employed to
arrest the progress of the flames We're only
discovered by a fortuitous accident
In individual standing upon the bridge,
watching the flames almost at his feet, picked
up large stone, and hurled it quite thought
icssly into the stream. Instantly it was noticed
ll,4 the sea Of fire was broken by the splash
ing of water, caused by the falling stone, and
and as the circle Of waves gradually increased
iii size the flames receded until clear space
Of two or three yards in diameter had been
made The idea thus suggested was rapidly
acted upon the crowd of bystanders rushed
to the brich-y yard of j. c. Provost and re-
Turned loaded with bricks, which they com
menced hurting into the stream. Lines were
speedily formed for rapidly passing the mis-
sizes from the brick-yard TO those on the dock
the men worked with will, and in an incred-
IDLY short time, upward Of two thousand
bricks had been hurled into the stream The
Violent agitation Of the water thus caused,
had the effect OF checking the progress OF the
flames and with the very material aid render
cd ny the tu9-b0at Fuller, the tlagration
was soon entirely stayed