The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-07-16
Great Fire in WeehawkenI

New YORK, July IL. There was a large
fire at Weehawken, n. J., opposite West
9Oth street, New York, last night in the
Eric oil works 1t was caused by light
ming striking an oil tank, about seven
o'clock, which contained ID 900 barrels,
and the flames immediately shot upward
to the height. as bystanders say, Of 800
feet. Firemen came to the rescue from
the surrounding towns, as speedily as pos
sibe, but the flames had gained such head
wav in the combustible material that one
tanl, after another had to be abandoned
bv the tiremen, who We're utterly power
less to arrest the progress of the fire Al
midnight five of the large tanks, contain
ING Is 900 barrels each, had been DESTROY
ed. and another containing 20, 900 barrels
was on fire. There was little hope at the
latest accounts OF saving any of the oil on
storage. One account states that a tank
exploded while the tiremen We're on it,
throwing seven of them into the air, some
of whom are thought to have been killed,
but this report lacks confirmation These
same works were struck by lightning a
wear ago, but the fire was extinguished
without much damage. One hundred and
TWENTY-FIVE men are thrown ont of employ
ment by the fire.
The great oil tanks are stlll burning
The burning Of the first tank heated one
near it to such an extent that the gases
generated blew the cap off of it. A num-
Der of men were on it al the time and were
severely injured 1t is reported that two
men were killed, but other reports state
that they are alive and removed to q place
of safety An instant later the tank was
oIo1,t O % f,ic
tank containing 100000 gallons Of re-
fined oil exploded with terrific report
The cap was blown over four hundred feet
in the air and tower after tower of flames
filed the air to upwards Of two hundred
feet, The oil ran down on the river
and soon it was ablaze with burning oil
The trestle work caught fire at several
points but was extinguished and it is
thought will be saved Firemen are in
the vicinity but are unable to do anything.
Several spectators were slightly burned
A large number of cars near the fire
were safely taken away last night The
fire-ship and two lighters were towed into
the river safely, but wood-laden canal
boat was burned early this morning. A
ing all over the yard, and all attempts to
Save NV 'SiAi"lIiiL5 telilho Wclt tuuo Itll-
dered hopeless. Three piers, one four
hundred feet long and the other two each
TWO hundred feet long, We're burned; also
a warehouse two hundred and fifty feet
long, containing two thousand barrels of
refined oil The cooper shops-two build
inps. each 10Ox50 feet-Were burned and
ali the sheds, pumps, machinery, etc, also
large piles of lumber. Twenty houses oc-
cupied by workmen are not yet burned.
The Erie Railway Co. suffers loss by
the destruction Of buildings, tanks, ma
chinery, railroad ties, trestle work and
several equipments OF the yard The in
surance OF the company on the property I
burned is $4,000 and the loss will not |
exceed $4,000.
3:15 P. NJ. The fire still RACES but is
now confined to tho oil tanks The coal
wharf of the Erie railroad, for distance
of five hundred feet, has been burned, and
with great difficulty the vessels in the
neighborhood were saved. All the tanks,
seventeen in number, have been burned
and it is thought the loss is over 100000,
which is stated to be entirely covered by
insurance.
ANova Scotia vessel is "manned" BY afither,
his son and two daughter.