The New York herald., 1877-09-03
BLAZING OIL.
A Large Tank OF Oil Burned
at Hunters Point.
=
Over Fifteen Thousand Dollars Loss
No Insurance.

About haf-past nine O'Clock yesterday morning,
while some workmen employed IN the yard Of the
Standard OIL Company at hunters Point were
gagea in hng number OF barrels with oil they
suddenly heard low, rumbins noise, like tie
sulen boom of a cannon, and in an instant
thereafter beheld an immense column OF fame
shooting upward from large iron tank beneath
them which contained 10000 barrels OF refined oil,
and at the same instant dark heavy cloud o: smoke
rolling over their heads. An alarm was Ut once
sounded and brought to the scene Of the fire Frank
lin engine aud Live Oak hook and ladder companies
both o Hunters Point At the same instant tho
worKmcn the yard, who, II appears, have been
ganzed regular fire brigade, manned the pumps
which close ut hand and played streams OF water
upon the blazing tank. Their efforts. however, with
those of tho eng and ladder companies unequal
to the task OF suodung the flames, which lad gained
q terrible hsadway In an incredibly short space OF
time.
GENERAL ALARM.
general alarm was therefore sent 10 the neishbor
ing villages Of Biissneld and Astoria and tho only two
engines in those places responded to the call Fresh
then directed against the Are; but, In
stead of quenchng they only served to add fresh fuel
10 It's fury. Seeing, therefore, that IL was impossible
to extinguish the ire the about preventing its
spread TO the adjoining property. while
effort was also made to draw OF some
the side Of the tank the ground. about Ave
hundred barrels of tho oil wero drawn of, when the
holo became plugged up with molten lead with which,
II appears the tank was coated the inside, and
which melted by the intense heat OF the fire.
COMBINING THE TANK
tank some of the OIL flowed over. and !, was i.arcd
that the nery liquid would communicate Itself to the
adjoining property. The nrenen were, therefore,
directed condne their Efforts solely 10 keeping tho
hre within the tank, as II was impossible TO extngush
IL The streams OF water were then divided,
tAif
others were directed against the tank, which had
become red hot. Tho heat from the blazing tauk was
dred ieet Of H. while tho paint on the adjoining tanks
and buildings peeled on liko so much paper The mon
were relieved at intervals Of every dfteen minutes
they found impossible 10 stay even hat length Of mo
within proper range with the hose.
EXCITEMENT IN HUNTERS POINT.
Among the people IN Huntor's Point the creates,
exciiement prevailed. Crowd after crowd Hooked to
the gatow ay leading to the yard in which the tank
burning aud blocked all Tho adjoining avenues and
streets So large was tho crowd in fact that special
police force had to DO organized to keep them at safe
oil In tho tank would overflow and devastate tho
neghborhood. Their oners were not received, as tho
remen felt confident that they would be ablo to pro-
tect the adjoining property themselves
TnB BLAZING ALL NIGHT.
All yesterday and last night the fre still blazed
intensely as in tho beginning At times the tank be-
came like much molten iron under the intense heat
10 which u was subjected, ana II was ~ one time
calamity taken place the loss OF property would havo
been terrible, as the place would have been Instantly
flooded with blazing oil The steady streams OF water
which were directed against tho tank had the elect,
however, OF somewhat cooling r. and this practice
kept up all last night and VIII be until the oil has
been completely burncdlou.
the LOSS.
Tho loss occasOned by the re Is estimated to be be.
tweon SIS 700 aud $1,000, and as far as could he
ascertained yesterday, there ia not cent OF III.
surancc upon II. This may not be tho case, how
evcr but yesterday no one could be found about the
yard who WAS well enough informed In the matter TO
make aay definite statement concerning tho Insurance
insurance upon It, while some OF ihe employees were
pretty positive that II was partially insured
| PANIC AMONG THE PEOPLE
| During yesterday afternoon while the fire was al,
| its height rumor was circulated among the low
people living in the neghborhood that the tank in
danger oi exploding rms rumor created the widest
confusion, and tho borrhcd people began to move
their household goods 10 places OF safety In The very
midst Of their moving, however, their fcars wcro
quoted by Mr. W. w. Beach, the superintendent OF tho
yard, who assured them that an explosion simply
out OF the question said he lire in the tank was moi at
oil confined within H. but was allowed to spread itself
upon tho air. Reassured by the superintendent Is
words the people brought their goods back to their
gained ground with them during tho rest OF the day.
! CAUSE Op THE YIRE
| The tank In which the fire occurred Is what is
known among tho tho yard tho .'agitator -
IL is immense IRON structure about forty feet in
height and twenty in diameter, open at the top. The
inside coated with lead, In order TO prevent tho
acid which Is mixed with the oil from attacking the
iron and catng holes through IT. OF all the tanks in
the yard 1t wss considered the very last
in which a fro was likely TO occur and the
result is that the officials At the yard yesterday
were utterly at a loss give nythng like convnc OK
aud clear reason Tor tho IRE. Mr. W. W. Beach, the
superintendent, however gave 1t as hs opinion that
1t caused by spontaneous combustion. From
what he said yesterday II would appear that tho ''agi.
tator" was filed Saturday with refined oil which
was drawn fresh from the "stills," but which
had 20 10 through certain processes In the
"agitator" before It would bc III for use.
When the ''agitaor is thus nied with
refined oil; the next treatment 10 which the oil Is
subjected Is called tho "treating' process This
done by pouring sulphurc acid the oil and then
cjecting large quantity OF steam into the tank
TO tho acid 10 mingc with tho OIL, process
which. relieves 1t OF whatever impurities may
| have remained IN II alter leaving the
'stilLn Tho acid 10 then drawn off, and
streams OF water next allowed to play
upon the oil This process is known as the 'washine
down" oil the OIL and It was while this was being done
Yesterday morning that the hrc broke out 1t Is sup
| posed that In somo nexpicablc manner quantity o
nHammable gas was generated in the "agitator' and
| that tho violent commotion 10 which the oil was
tubjecied together with tho heat Of the stea caused
| sto explode and ignite the oil
|