The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-31
NEW YORK HERALD WEDNESDAY, JULY 81 s72-rRlPLE


including what Is r1own as the ..aqtators.n These
Ing, but sepayated nom the storage room by prck
wall. Al ~, MACHINERY WAS DESTROYED
by the fire. and yet, singularly enough, the names
failed to penetrate the storehouse and the 70 600
barrels Of oil remained unnarmed Astne rear a sna
pr this %ers the engines boilers and FUR
the entire oil works. and this building was riddled
by the devourng tempest nothing but the fonr
walls and the stack being left undestroyed Still
further south from the engine room was another
storage shed, with brick walls Of one story in
height, but this was not seriously injured, owing to
the fact that considerable open space interviewed
between it and the body OF the fire. and the burn
ing oil noating along the yards had been almost
these and other less important structures
contiguous to them, was from The long sheets OF
flame which swept aoft and lowered In the air
This last mentioned building formed one OF
the stores belonging to Goes Super-Phosphate and
Fertilizer mandatory, and was the principal
storehouse of that concern. There were two other
smaller buildings connected with the same estab-
llshment, and these were destroyed. Fortunately
natural embankment or ridge OF earth and rock,
ran across the yards from about east to west, and
the probabilities are that II the burning Oil had
noated down so far as this
ITS COURSE WOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED
by this natural impeachment so as to throw the tor
rent W. Of are over the bank into Y, the river
Astoria, Greenpoint and Hunters Point are situ-
have remained in their engine houses The
fire apparatus OF the force comprises five
Of the old style engines and
trnccss all these are drawn, AZ In the odep time,
by hand ropes and as the engine houses are located
at remote distances, there was considerable delay
operated under the old volunteer system, and are
IKE the G 9%e'ys ar which
IA ina hQ6 IN ho oil n
great caldron being heated to a red heat gave
Sh oil passe oSs IKE
naming and calcined surface OF the ground and
and nd Te 70 h
the towering columns Of smoke and seemed to die
Of very sunocation as they struggled through the
flame shot up clear through the interstices Of the
smoke where the volume was not SO heavy, and
would beich itself out in mid-air and collapse
instantly ike an exploded balloon The only
like Like the Ae eruption Of volcano it lowered
upwards for hundreds Of feet, and then, meeting a
stronger current Of air above, It streamed lazily
throwing long, dark, thunder cloud shadows over
the surface Of the river. In The course Of the
horizon and assumed the appearance OF a stratum
Of rain cloud. Shortly after the bursting Of the
tank the fire, swept. by the wind to the east,
capacity and this in turn thrust out its burning
tongue and licked up the contents OF the naphth8
cistern only dozen feet distant. 7r s,.l,-s a. 4.
BY TWO O'CLOCK THE FIRE RACED
with intensest fury. The burning canal boat which
had originated the disaster had swung itself ont
into the stream, and was making an internal dis
play to the terror Of all passing craft. An ocean Of
lame swept over ten acres OF ground below
water s wtS @ a ssns
face. The great domes OF smoke were projected
upward pell NELL az though some Titan below were
hurting black mountains into the air; the masts
and spars Of the vessels came down with sharp
crashing reports; the fire crept over ste bulwarks
out through ports and scupper holes. Looking ut
THE SCENE WAS AwFuILY GRAND, 4a
and IL was easy to c0nure mp an Old-time naval
battle, with blazing hulls and ships grappled and
coliding in deadly conflicts Hundreds of small
thieves marking ont punder to be stolen at night
fall-hovered around the blazing docks, ran close
under the sterns OF the burning ships ana aided IN
afoat. At halfpast two O'Clock the police boat
seneca looked ike
as she dashed in among the smoke and threw tor
rents OF water from four MOBILES on to the decks
and into the holds Of the ships and the conduct o.
commended. For six hours this vessel grappled
herself close up to blazing hulls, and swamped
flames, and having got them out of harms way,
bntted her PROV against their charred and smould.
erng sides 50 as to drive them ashore, where they
The housetops Of Astoria and Hunters Point, az
well the river banks on both Sides were seized
tors and the high ground on the river 'front.' il New
York was covered with serried lines Of people, who
to watch tn the st STRIFE Of fire and water
Within the Enclosure In which the oil company's
property stands SAL, all was sc either lnN,rs,ov
There were about three hundred men employed
BY the Standard Company, and these were running
oss M sen Mr. n Beaes n pesss %
other gentlemen identified with the leading inter-
ests OF the corporation were here there and every
where, rushing through thickets OF smoke and risk
ing their in their in tSe way that
moments. 1t was useless for the members
OF the press to ask any one for information. No one
knew anything except that there was fire. and that
1t was terrible as a whirlwind. The managers Of
the concern said they could not give even rough
way OF details, only everything seemed ablaze.
ONE MAN ALONE
of Ireland man, with face biackened by the smoke
and striped with white channels where the sweat
streamed down his tired looking face. This man
was Michael Kendrick, an employe Of the Standard
Company and member OF Engine co. NO. b, Of
Long Island City.
on being questioned by HERALD reporter he
made statement as fOlIows:--About halfpast
ten O'Clock was engaged In filling up the tanks
9 wosg gr He
coming from the direction of the canal, and asked
him what he was running forS He said 'there
passed on. / ran over to the canal dock to see
what was the matter, and when got
the boat do not know the name OF the boat, but
she loaded with oil and was lying outside OF
another vcssel-an empty lIghter-which was close
alongside the dock. A number of our men, belong
ing to the yards. had turned out by this time and
the dock with long pike poles. We got her
out short distance, but she came back
again with the wind in half minute.
The fire was too hot now, and we
were obliged to leave here and the fire struck the
,r.cr ana set Inc on IRE. IN minute, Ir
seemed, the fire jumped over everything, and I
know nothing further except that everything il
ablaze as You see II now. do not know anything
about the losses but they will be very heavy. The
canal boat which took fire had probably fifteen or
sixteen hundred barrels OF oil on board and be-
lieve she is the vessel that has gone up the river
with the tide.n Hf 30 rfI
THE RUINED REFINERY. fD.u g.f
The works are now known as the Standard Oil