The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-26


the following disasters:-
Terrible COnhngratiOn ut Hunters Point An
Oil Refinery, Vessels, and Dwellings Burned.
About o'clock yesterday morning fire broke
out in the extensive oil canning establishment of
DeVoe d Co., situated on Newtown creek, at
Hunters Point The works consisted of two
yards, each 200 feet long, and gave employment
TO more than 200 men and boys. The business
of the firm, that of canning refined petroleum
Tor export and domestic use, is said to have been
the largest in the world The upper yard, near
the bridge, contained the tin-shOps and nine
large iron tanks, capable of holding "a 900 gal
lyne of oil. Beside these there were about 1000
barrels of oil and 1900 cases of oil, each
tine in tank, and 200 cases turpen-
tine packed. Also, a steam pump capa-
BILE of pumping 1900 barrels in ten
hours. The lower yard was used for canning
refined naphtha, and contained one of DeVOe's
patent filling machines, supplied from two large
ron tanks, of q capacity of 2200 barrels. One
OF the tanks was nearly filled with refined naph
tha. This exploded soon after it caught fire,
tearing away the top and doing considerable
damage to the glass in the houses in the vicinity.
Adjoining this tank a similar one about one
quarter full of refined petroleum. In addition,
there were 1000 cases of refined naphtha of ten
gallons each, packed ready for shipment also
1900 cans, five gallons each, of naphtha, filed
and ready to be packed. There were, moreover,
between 200 and 300 tons of coal used by the
company's towboat, the greater part of which
The brig Advance which had finished loading
the evening previous lay at the upper yard with
600 barrels of refined petroleum and 1000 cases
of refined oil on board, each case containing ten
gallons. The vessel took fire, was towed to the
end of the pier and scuttled. She will probably
prove a total loss, together with her cargo. The
brig Susan Bergen, lying at the same dock,
waiting to secure her cargo, was with great
difficulty saved At the same dock were five
lighters and a tank boat, all of which were
totally destroyed One of the lighters, the Caro-
line, had on BOARD 1900 cases. A tenement house
on Flushing street, opposite the yard, was also
burned. The dwelling was owned by Mr. Reed,
keeper on Blackwell's Island and was occupied
by several families, who lost pretty much all
their household properties
Between the yards of Messrs. Devoe was the
refinery of the Messrs. Day & Co. This was also
totally destroyed. The varnish factory of the
Messrs. Mayer d Lowenstine was but slightly in
jured. j. G. Provost II Co., dealers in coal,
lime, and bricks, lose abont $5000 principally
on coal. The fire, when first discovered was
burning at both ends of the yard, and is thought
to have been the work of an incendiary. The
total loss will not fall short of 81, 100000. The
GreenpOint Fire Department were early at the
scene of the conhagraton, and remained on duty
until late hour yesterday. So rapidly did the
flames progress, that nearly two acres of build
ings, barrels, coal-yards etc, were enveloped in
sheet of flame within twenty minutes OF the
first alarm; and when the Williamsburg fremen
reached the Newtown Creek Bridge the scene
was truly appalling. For miles around the
flames illumined the armament; thousands of
men, women, and children from Greenpoint and
adjacent localities tocked TO the south side of
the creek many of them in their night clothes,
while the Inhabitants of Hunters Point, Dutch
Kills, and Rayenswood assembled 9 on ,,,the the
danced and skipped like meteOrs above and
around them. Sudden explosions, frequent
and terrible, evoked loud cries of alarm. All
this continued for hours, the multitude con
stantly increasing, as well as the fire. Mean
while the firemen under Chief Engineer John
W. Smith, were working with great determine
tion. By 10 o'clock yesterday they achieved
mastery The multitude gradually dispersed.
Butwhile the fire was confined to certain limits,
il was not subdued Rivulets of oil in flame ran
from Newtown Creek Bridge to the East River,
tanks containing thousands of gallons of oil
burned defantly until late in the evening.
When the orig Advance took fire Chief Engi-
neer Smith and five OF his men took position
on pile of bricks and directed a stream of
water upon her. They had not been so engaged
over five minutes when an explosion occurred
on board, and q large iron tank was propelled
from the brig and fell in the midst of the party,
knocking down the pile and burying the firemen
in its ruins. None of them, however, were seri-
Ously injured. ~ .
preyious to the sad disaster which overlook her
SO suddenly had entered the slip between piers
Nos Is and 16 to wait for tow, and lay with
her bow made fast to a spile on the latter pier,
and her stern swung across the slip towards pier
No 15 At the time of the explosion the pilot,
steward. and deck hand above alluded to were
on the deck near the bow of the vessel and in
close proximity to the rear end OF the boiler,
which particular end was the cause OF the
tronble. II was the lower portion OF the rear
end of the boiler that was blown out, ana as
these men were but three or four feet IN front
and almost Immediately over 1t at the time, they
unfortunately received the full force OF the
shock. The steward was busily engaged IN pre-
naring the breakfast, and the pilot ana deck
hand were also busily employed IN some Wollt l.
near him, when they WERE Wlthout tne siiSnte3.
warning, suddenly sent WIFI 'A
and into the water. -, ,4, .,,o
THE pilot. Thomas Rainey was blown lhIo Ine
water. and as he was pretty badly stunned ouu @
sooIded by the explosion, would douDIess hlNe
soniI 10 the bottom had not Mr. James coventry
q Ionoshoreman, who witnessed tne acclu1nv
heroically, and at the risk OF his own me me
Jumped into the water after him, ana alegr % soluS
difficulty succeeded in reseulng nm ron otho, :
,,otary crave. Captain Rainey, VINO Is ratnel
,,".oHv escaided about the upper portion OF th'
hoSv was taken to his home IN TINS Guy. - ~ a
noS3 ,bot he had been in command OF Ihe oo''
but n few days. -, bona uos thrown
sona the hoat on TO Pier 10, distance oI !o a1ou
t,.antv feet. and is badly scalded ana ii prui'1
ohont the chest and arms. ne was SaAon Ino :
1ouavre Hospital, where his injuries mo, eeo,
belloS, belt,y attended to- He was evidently suiL9l !i
PPaye nain-so much so, indeed, thaC e VI
s,"r hs Who attended to him was 9naple w. rn, -,
uo. other or not he had received any iuto s H
ous Tlhicb. II he has not, Will pernhV nm
Aaygnyer i'm A very short time oor,od wit
Iomes Johnson, the steward, 1scaPoSS PoS oho,
onaratiyey slight injury. ne 10 w DS re tbe bod,
tbe arms and the upper PoItiom I,,os " aiso take
put no. n u"n SHosnital where he received lh lheulo
10 benoNuo The wounded men were convey