The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-31

the names until taAy at last sunk into the dre as
though they had Eelted. There were rumors also
that woman and child on one OF the burned boats
RIG ss pm sss I nS Ss w
man and child referred to had very narrow es-
cape, but they were not injured i+y t'l -th
Late In the afternoon Mr.. Macy telegraphed to
New York for steam fire engine Fire Commits
soner Blair and Chief Engineer Perley at once re-
CINE No. 16 and spare engine nom the repair shops
Dt as soon as they arrived the Hunters Point vol
PROTESTED AGAINST THEIR PRESENCE,
On tne ground that they were opposed to any inter-
The affair created considerable unfavorable com.
ment toward the volunteers. 4l
1t wasa subject of much discussion that there
appeared great remissness the part Of the great
on rennng companies In neglecting to provide
themselves with steam fire engines to be kept on
their own premises and worked by their own en-
ployes when emergency required 1t.
At one O'Clock number of canal boat Captains
the morning returned to look for their vessels,
ana IL was really painful to witness the
whom no doubt had their entire entire worldly pos
sessions invested In their barges. Some
al tnem actually cried and sobbed IKE children.
children whom he had left on board the boat, and
threw up his hands with Joy when he saw that his
BOAT mad been safely towed out INTO the stream
Shortly before twelve O'Clock the river police boat
Seneca, Captain speight, arrived at the scene Of
btlity assumed this course Hunters Point is not
a sne metropolitan district proper but his action
sent despatch to the Captain to proceed with ali
naste " tne nFe. When this message reached the
police boat it had already been two hours on the
Whek Captain speight arrived he had an onerous
and terrible task before him. The spectacle was at
smoke assembled high into the heavens, while thick
| masses OF DANES mingllng with the murky dark
ness made the panorama rss..a 'tNN
PICTURESQUE IN THE EXTREME
AS the police boat could be OF assistance to the
flames on the dock it Immediately turned its atten.
four powerful streams OF water were operating
upon the brig Eddy Helena: At this time there
Elpia the Eddie and the Roslyn-three canal boats,
ana wo the o Sa ar Se
vessels were loaded to the waters edge with bar
res Of refined oil; two Of the canaboats were
and, with the other vessels had more or less OF
- THE rFLAMMABLE MATERIAL
| on board. So little time elapsed between the time
that each Of them became enveloped in the devour.
ing element that they may be said to have caught
sSs4 the @ w
injured, me Are apparatus Of the police boat
formerly belonged to the old Metropolitan boat OF
the same service, but they have been lately re-
paired and renovated, and yesterday was the first
They could not have had better baptism OF
fire; for rarely has it fallen to the lot OF any
danger The brig Eddie, which it was first
attempted to save had almost received its
MI complement OF on ana was to nave eit ner
boat from which Lr,.t f.
She was the first to catch. She lay right In the
canal opening to the north Of the oil yard, and
| twenty minutes after the connagrati0n broke out
! could not be distinguished except as sheet Of
flame. Nothing daunted by spectacle which was
SUFFICIENT to appal the most stout hearted, the po-
lice boat went right for the burning vessel and in
q moment a terrific war Of the elements was
entered upon.
FIRE AND WATER N
\ struggling madly for the mastery. Tho.immenSe
quantity Of oil which the vessel carried momena-
rily fed the flames as it caught, and the efforts Of
tive; but when the water had been playing for
about half an hour slight reduction OF the fame
And this moment singular and thrilling Incl
dent occurred. One Of the canal boats, which was
rapidly broke loose rom its astenngs
| and In moment was carried out into the middle or
the river. The action stll further stimulated the
die Of the river 1t might be literally said to be
cataract Of fire. The thousands Of people on the
ton in the river, which were
| FILLED WITH EXCITED SPECTATORS,
watched the scene with intense interest. For o
moment the canal boat lay first in the centre Of the
stream, but breeze freshening mp she suddenly
smoke and fire, dashed swiftly up the stream. The
oil becoming scattered over the water, 1t also be-
me Sa clearing away little the burning
boat was seen to round Randall's Island with
cyns n t and 70 e
enced fireman on the police boat said he had never
been the witness or such exciting spectacle. He
could compare IL to nothing, he said, but q
-. FLOATING FIELD OF FLAME
On the Of e 1S
Oil blazed with irresistible power. The boat
passed through He'll Gate, and was lost to sight,
a sudden stop, as Its smoke could be dis
tinguished for miles on both sides Of the river
idle. The ndefatigabe efforts of the fremen, deck
hands and policemen had been partially successful
when a new disaster which took place precluded
any probability Of such result. Like the canal
Clearing passage for itself through ,si the oans oil
casks and burning debris, commenced to drift along
the banks OF the river towards Astoria. The police
streams OF water upon the burning wreck all the
time, and the scene became fearfuy exciting to the
Seneca got in mont, and ton Of water
brought it to standstil, about 200 yards IRON the
place where IT originally stood: The Senaca got
its work, and a good range being got the flames in
the stern end OF the boat We're in fair way OF
being extingushed. At this time an nnookcd-for
occurred The United States steam tug Cat Cat.
alpa, which had been despatched from The
mower, steamed rapidly and came alongside Of the
Eddy The Captain said TO the commander Of the
fire in the Eddy, aud that Captain speeht might
proceed to the assistance OF the other vessels which
WE'RE IN MORE IMMINENT DANGER.
Captain Speight reluctantly consented to do tfs,
and the police boat steamed away and made fast
to the Roslyn, large brig Of GOO tons which was
on fire in every part, the masts topping over and
the rigging totally destroyed.
The Catalpa In the meantim struggled manfully
to complete the unfinished work which the Seneca
had left In the eddy, but In few minutes 1t found
that I nad alen heir to taxi far beyond What j
purs.::ng forth with tenfod ard?r when On. aaS S
posed to the single stream Of water, ~'.,.ch was all
that the Catalpa was able 10 pour upon them. The
| fire crashed .71fr nInn.I IA
THROUGH THE SIDES
of the vessel, In which immense holes were soon
visible, the tall masts rocked TO and rO, threaten
ing at every moment to topple over upon the tug.
| The blazing oil poured into the water In regular
streams, N.N.u
~ BARREL AFTER BARREL BURSTING