The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-08
TIE GREAT OEg.-FTRE.

TIE GREAT oxs.-FIRE.
,,>r, AGKArIoN ON LONG ISLAND
m,,r,crLARs OF THE DlsAsrER-THE
ryp, csloNS AND LOSS OF LIFE--h TER.
n,r,r SCENE ON SHORE AND WATER, &C.
r,, Now York World gives the following
',i, account OF the great coMfiaSration
rHI :, orchouscs and tank-boats at Hunters
Woint Long Island. on TUESDAY:
" ,,,,Sdsy afternoon shortly before O'Clock
;nhsb;tants of Long Island city were
' ,,r.,nd nv terrific explosion, which
IA he heard for miles around. 1t oc-
'" ,,rrr8 ON board barge in charge OF Cap.
., William Movers. which was unloading
'''' ,,ort;,y Of refined oil at the wharf OF the
.,gsm,}grd oil Comw,ny'S works. The fire
,,'', Cau,cd Nv Captain Meyers lighting his
r,,., and carcleSSly throwing the match
ia,,,y which ctmc in contact with the gas of
b., iank-boat. The explosion blew three
,,,, INTO the air, two of whom swan
~ l1r opposite side of the dock; the
,r.,r man j. missing. and Captain Meyers
a., N}nwn into pieces. The boat was imam in.
.,,n, one mass Of flame. The barge adjoiu-
49,, and two tank-boatS filled with crude oil
.,,-,.o,ly caught tire. The wind blowing
,~,a the north spread the flames from the
',,r,;u.- vessels TO the dock, and in few
...',,,,nI> the warehouses OF the Standard
,.,np,u, were on fire. The men engaged
=. me works fed. fearing another explosion.
rn, volunteer tire brigade of Long Island
go, were Srrn on The spot with seven en-.
.r..> hi, ~ they were only worked by the
,,,It fh.,et, =
,.. h. 'pr>Snc>> 10 stay the progress of the
,.r l.arin. high in the air, with heat
,tt. rpuld he felt hundreds OF yards away,
iii,
FLAMES HNClRCLED EVERYTHING
rn their gr..sp. and the sight was grand and
.,.rr,AIr when the second block of stored bar.
ri. Of oil caught fire. 4 dense, compact
mass of >rcthins flame shot up in the air
with = roar like thunder. The crowds which
,,jI,rt,d in The vicinity fed in dismay, an
i,N.,i Z, the imposing spectacle. The tire
l.,.t, -r,lng their efforts worse than useless,
lied 10 remove their apparatus to safer
distance, lut ~ close 10 the flames had the
i..a Nrnlurrd in their energy that it re-
JARED the necessity Of couple OF streams
a. Ng,,r - be directed on those who VOlun-
r.r,d - drag the engines away. At this
;,,,, To, square bounded by Ninth, Tenth,
Eleventh.. and Front streets, the creek on one
>'ir anI the river, WAS one roaring mass oi
naugr, the smoke from which in rolling
nl>>c> formed a pillar that darkened the
Whole locality. In the creek another tank
are filled with oil also caught fire. as did
go, the blig Oscar, which had crude oil on
aolrG. Mr. Beach, general superintendent,
directed his attention to this point. seeing
fla, there was no chance for the safety OF
ID. f'r,t OF brigS, Schooners. and scows that
Vas VIM alongside except through the as
->lauyr OF The Harlem steamers. The steam.
hy1t Jewell passing by was hailed, and the
hri- Oscar. which had just caught fire, was
lowed nN 10 Hell Gate, and the other yes
81, which had so far escaped were toWeC
iWc the river. During this time
SPECTATORS IL THOUSANDS
p-,rn,h'rl near the works. and the police
Wtrr unable to keep them back; several citi
lpn- were sworn in and batOnS given them
.Ni they succeeded in keeping space clean
tor The tircmen. who, under the direction o.
tiicf Engineer Sneidcr, kept three stream:
ii water on the huge tanks which stooC
within few Yards of the flames. These
rrutliucd several thousand barrels Of crude
ol. But the Fire Department soon PROVED
Totally inadequate to the task. and the tender
OF tnr steamers Of the eastern division was
@iadl! accepted, and two engines from Brook
hU. under the direction of Chief Engineer
>nNth. were soon on the ground. After -four
hours of steady work the Fire Department
Succeeded in preventing the flames spread
M 10 the iron tanks. Several tug-boatS were
hill e. ~
steamers Kept pouring streams on barges
Nos. ! and ). the two which ut first caught
ire The tugs MisSequoiand Uncle Abe dit
r'lcctual service, and succeeded in eXtin
,u>ning the flames in the stern of the barge
No. !. when the charred remains of Captain
Nleyrr> We're taken off and removed under
direction of the coroner. Just, however
n another search was about TO be made OF
the boat
AN EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE
which caused every one to beat hasty re
treat, and in an instant the barge was agail
Il roaring mass OF flame from stem to stern
All hope of saving any of.the sheds or store
(" the >tardard Works was abandoned, ant
III" wind Gresbened, causing the burnin!
lnr%"s To float higher up in the creek towari
pIatt'> Astral Oil-Works. A cry'soon tillet
The air that Pmtt'S factory was on fire, ant
The crowd fled, even the tiremcn and police
II tcln@ well known that the StorchOuSe
were iliIcd with oil ready for the market
and also with large quantity of ben
/nc and naphtha. 1t was fearet
that the explosion would cause tn,
destruction OF every building within halt
mile. The railroad der0t. it was believed
would share the inevitable fate of the sur
rounding buildings. The stores and dwell
ms were covered with wet blankets ant
carpets. The wind freShencd and the tlame
were famed into renewed fury. On came
the harscs closer 10 Pmtt's works until With!
It Few feet Of the stores. The flames cracked
The glass in the windows. The tugs. which
Kept up dozen OF streams on the barges
we're III imminent danger, and they got NJ
steam and stecred out of the danger, thos
"n board fleeing to the cabins. All hope q
saving Pratt's works was given up, and
THE CROWD FLED
10 Front street and to the felt-works t
c>rnpe the effects of the expected explosion
Four volunteers offered to cast an ancho
and chain aboard the barge No. from tb'
tug-hoat Abe il she steamed into the creek
\ short consultation was had and the ottel
accepted. The tug backed into the ship, ant
The men, upon whom three streams Of wate
were pouring, succeeded. after several at
tempts, in heaving the anchor and chair
aboard the burning barge. This could no
have been carried out If the wind had no
blown the flames towards the works, which
by This time were completely enveloped, ant
the crowds waiting to hear the crash OF TIKI
explosion The tug steamed out and TIT
burning barge followed, and probably ont
of the greatest conf tgrations that ever VISITED
Long island was avertcd.
At s O'Clock NO apprehension was felt fol
tie safety of the other works in the vicinity
The Standard Works having been totally con