New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-30
TIE FIRE RECORD.

TIE OIL EXPLOSION IN JERSEY CITY
A LIGHTER AND 500 BARRELS or OIL BURNED
DAMAGE To 4 SCHOONER AND oTHtR PROPERTY
A RIVER THIEF BURNED TO DEAru-rwo
OTHER MEN SERIOUSLY INJURED.
About D. m. on Wednesday the oil lighter
Competitor. Capt Burke, owned by George somers OF
jersey City moored at the city dock, ct the foot OF
Morgan-st, Jersey City Capt Burke and bis men Ga
not sleep On the lighter It having cabin. but made
everything before leaving for the night The YES
sel had deck load of 1i7 barrels OF Kerosene OIL ana
built expressly for the oil business having tanks ID
the hold for crude oil. The slOOp lighter Flora arrived
at the dock after. and was assigned
berth outside " the Competitor until morning The crow
Of the Flora slept board but did not maintain watch
on deck There schooners mOored at the DOCK
one on the sde further ont than the lighters and
one on the south side abreast OF them. beside number
OF North River lumber baros and canal boats In this
mass Of shipping fire broke ont at LOO D. m yesterday
The lighter Competitor with its cargo, was destroyed
and sunk. The rigging OF the Flora was completely
burned Off and the chirred hull foated near the dock
The Flora commanded by Capt. A. p. Long, and be-
onged in Eiiz..bethport She owned b. schoheld
Co Of Elizabeth had Of 25 tons Of old rail-
road IRON consigned to Amcs Co. OF Jersey City The
other vessels not injured.
Can't James " Smith OF the schooner T. H. Miller OF
London Conn. made the following statement In
reference 20 the origin of tho fire. Ny schooner was
lighters AMI was on deck watching at a. m. had
laid down in some oanvas on top OF the cabin. under
shelter Of the BOOM startled by the sound OF row
Ing and heard small boat CRATE against the docR
kept M eye on the dock where heard the noise and
Jaw mans head rise the string piece After look
ing around and seeing one umDcd up the dock,
clu-ly followed by another man. Ihey came across 70
NV side ~ the dock Ny came up and we watched
them. They saw us moving and steered away toward
pine wood schooner ihe other sdc OF the dock There
was watch deck there TOO and they came back to
..fa. fltg AL Eag
them went on board the o lighter ana the other re-
manned on the dock. keeping watch About Two minutes
after the ran boarded the lighter, explosion occurred
The .nc shook TIE schooner. and sent shower OF fire
and burnn, wood the air. The man who was on the
rnrIi e Ia1in@ Wood fell Town Oh the dock and
other vessels setting fire to the dock and 60 the Flora
tn blazing ligater. aud others jumped into
The wcf ana Swan 10 'S TSnt oy U.s Jsmgs
Lyner and Abraham Long two OF the crew. were pain
Tie Nrw-York H.rbor Policc-bo,t early on the
scene rendering good seryc" hy towing out the dnurr
yr.-ois and putfln. out the T. which constantly
starting the barrels c20dod Several tow-Doa' were
at work. and also rendered efficient aL Inc Com
nllcd and sank. The Flora was tOwed away from her
AMI thu fire put out but she - a complete wreck Inc
piles aud top pankng bei'Se IL will be- safe IL belongs
10 TIE city. and is the only public doc on the Jersey
t ..yera Tue Years ar "a" AGO at cost OF 100000
The lumber Int was piled on the dock was owned by
Vandeeck Il Go. and Pritchard. Meyers Co. The loss
+ lcrhecl Is estimated $1,000 and To Ptchard
Movers ~ Co. at 500. with insurance TIE Com
petitor WA valued at 5000 aud the cargo at $500, ali
own I'D b1 George -OTIcrs and uninsured Tie damage
IN Flora will probably exceed $1,000 The cargo IL
not injured At 1880 yesterday the body of the man
who board the lighter honied up rom the wreck
aud was secured He burned To q crisp. Coroner
Lynch removed the body to Dun * h'elans Morgue.
and the police are trying 10 identify him AMI dis
cover who the was who escaped. While search
ing for evidence yesterday tne cnarIed remains
Of the in which they came 10 the dock dis
GOV red II mad burned ~ te waters edge and sunk 1t
could be identified. Capt Burke OF tie Competitor
identified brass paddock found in it as the lock that had
been on the locker which be kept the hosting
tackle and ropes The hammer which had been u3'd ~
break II off was also found In the boat Tbs. II was
thought established the fact that the men were river
thieves.
general alarm given by order OF Chief-Engineer
Farer for the time since the organization OF the
Department. and the entire force including the hand en-
gues from portions or tie city which nave no water
ma l, were hand. TIE locality IL the most dan
g-rolIs. in ctsc lire, in tie city. On account
Of the large frame freight houses Bn passenger dcpOt5
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company which adiOln the
city dock on the way the fire Engine No. ran into
heap OF pawn stOnc' ~ Md.hngtVu-st ana was over
turned, Albert -hellwOrtn tine driver, beng strapped 10
seat, thrown with gtett violence. but escaped
without breaking any bones. Edward suffolk the enEi-
nee Culcs Carroll the stOker. were bOtH severely
injured. r. engine rendered useless. Truck No
struck az inst door IN coming out Of the engine
house and w;I- Disabled. The ca micai Engine from
Crronvllr wa. also disabled. Examinations in pIO
Coroner Lynch and Fire Marshal Esrrer.