The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-01

The HuxTER's POINT FIRE-THE RIVER
bS FIRE-FlGHTING THE fLAMEs--A SINGC-
LAR ExPEDIEHT-Thc great fire 1T the DeVoe
Works continued to burn all through tues
day night, the oil tanks continuing TO blaZc
with unabated fury, some 1O,ooo gallons Oh
oil bein. consumed. One incident connected
with the burning of the oil i'll these tanks l.
well worthy of note. 1t appears that at the
lower end of the dock, fronting the East
river. a tank containing several thousand
gallons of benZine was cnvelopcd III 1llne
all night, vet, strange to say, tank ullcd
with Kerosene oil, which immediately au-
ioined it, remained untouched. The num-
herlcss tons of coal belonging 10 j: =. ITO,
yost continued to shoulder all night, and
were only eXtinguishcd after the utmost ci-
forts of the iiremen yesterday morning. En-
uine Company No. > remained at the scene
of the conflagration for some SIX hours after
all the other companies had retired, and rem
dered invaluable assistance throughout.
At about O'Clock yesterday morning the
brig Advance, which had been burning all
nicht. capsiZcd prccipitatin@ 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
Immediately sounded, bringing all the en-
zines of tho Eastern District back to the
scene of disaster. The tide was flowing
strongly into the creek from the East river
nj the time. and the SCcthing mass OF burn
inr oil spread rapidly up the creek ana III
the direction OF the new Hunters Point
bridge. The scene at this point was terri
blv grand. The entire creek from shore to
shore, and from the point OF It's influx INTO
the East river nearly up to the bridge, was
one living. lurid sheet OF flame, which would
ut intervals shoot up to an amazing hclSht,
the whole covered with dense masses oil
black smoke. The banks were lined by
H., Of tal at
ing the calamtous results OF this most cX-
traordinary disaster, but all powcrless TO
check the progress of the dcvourlng cle-
mcnt The 1ircmcn were in despair; their
apparatus were all constructed to draw from
hvdrants, and there being no plugs in the
vicinity. the only available water was that OF
the creek, which had now been rem
dered inaccessible. The greatest dam
ger apprehendcd was that the flames,
which were rapidly approaching the new
bridge, would be communicated 10 th;!i
structure, in which case ii would, III all
probability, have been totally destroyed
The means finally employed to arrest the
progress of the flames were only discovered
Ivy Il fortuitous accident. An lndlVldtia
standing upon the bridge watching Tho
flames, almost ut his feet, picked up i large
stone and hurled it quite thoughtieS>ly into
the stream. Instantly it was noticed that
the sea of fire was broken by the splashns
OF water caused by the falling stone, ana IL
the circle of waves gradually increased IL
size the flames rcceded until clear space
of two or three yards in diameter had bccl
made. The idea thus suggested was rapidly
acted upon; the crowds of bystanders
rushed to the brick-yard of j. c. Provost
and returned loaded with bricks, which the!
commenced hurting into the stream. Line:
were speedily formed for rapidly passing
The missiles from the brick-yrd to those or
the docks; the men worked with Il Will
and in IN incredibly short time upward o
two thousand bricks had been hurled int
the stream. The violent agitation of TIT
water thus caused had the effect of check
ing the progress of the flames, and, will
the very material aid rendered by the tug
boat Fuller, the conilagration was soon en-
tirely stayed.-Ncso York Tribune, 9th