The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-05-01
THE EAST RIVER ABLAZE.
Singular Result of the Bursting of pipe
of Oil Beneath the Water.

Singular Result of the Bursting of n Pipe
of Oil Beneath the Water.
A considerable portion of the East
River was literally on fire for several
hours yesterday. The startling phenom.
enon was witnessed by thousands of
people in this city and Brooklyn. At
first attention was attracted to a dense
volume of smoke over Blackwell's Island.
This led to the supposition that either
the Charity Hospital or the Lunatic Asy-
lum was on fire. Information to that
effect was telegraphed to Fireman's Hall
and thence to Police Headquarters. The
news caused almost panic OF excite
ment among the officials, and measures
were at once taken to render assistance.
The Commissioners of Charities and Cor
rection were apprised of the confagra-
tion and made haste to the scene. The
foot of East Seventy.sixth street was
packed with sightseers. There Commits
sioner Brennan was joined by Warden
Allaire, and the two officials, while wait
ing for boat to cross to the Island, be-
came convinced that their alarm for the
safety of the institutions was groundless.
By this time the compact clouds of
smokey vapor had partially cleared
away and left a wider range of vision.
1t then appeared that the flames came
from the Long Island shore or some
point between the Island and Ravenswood.
At last launch was procured, in which
the Warden and Commissioner were
transported to the supposed scene of the
conaagration. In the meantime the
fireboat Havemeyer steamed up the river
and, after reconnoitering the southern ex-
tremity of the Island, put for shore and
was moored to the Seventy-sixth street
dock. It was then definitely settled that
the flames were outside the boundary of
the Island.
A MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY.
During these hours of suspense the
scene from the Long Island shore was
truly gorgeous spectacle. From point
in the channel between Ravenswood and
Blackwell's Island, extending southerly
for about mile, the surface of the water
was livid sheet of flame. 1t was a
scene that held thousands of people
spellbound. It appeared as if subterra-
mean fires had burst through the mass of
water and conquered the opposing ele-
ment. The glowing flames jumped and
roared along the liquid surface: some
times the centre of the flames would be
extinguished, leaving darkened space
surrounded by an aureole of fire. Then,
like flash of lightning, the entire area
would be again lighted up, leaving an
unbroken sheet of flame resting on the
surface or the water.
The Harlem and Morrisania boats and
other river craft witnessed from a safe
distance this singular display. The pas
sengers crowded on deck to get better
view of the distant flames. The officials
on the Ravenswood shore were not,
however, particularly intimidated. They
knew that 80 long as the docks and ship
ping were not endangered, the ample
volume of water would finally bar the
progress of the flames. Still, strenuous
efforts were made for their immediate ex-
tinction, and to this end three engines
were brought into requisition. The fire,
however, seemed to be fed from an mex.
haustible source. Occasionally it would
die away, the smoke blew of, and it was
thought that the threatened danger was
averted. But this hope was Elusive, and
again the broad expanse of water was
metamorphosed into sheet of fame. As
these conditions continued for over three
hours, with little signs of abatement, sew
eral propellers were launched to fight
the fire by distributing the water on the
outskirts of the confagration, and grad
ually narrowing the circle, until in this
way the flames were extinguished. This
action was not taken moment too soon.
The old Harlem Railroad dock at Ra-
venswood and the piers and fences on the
river front were considerably damaged.
The trees in the vicinity were also
scorched.
THE CAUSE.
All this commotion was due to the
bursting of pipe which conveyed crude
oil from the Hunters Point refinery be.
meath the water to the Hudson River
Railroad, at the foot of West Thirtieth
street. The escaped oil found its way in
large quantities to the surface of the riv-
er. The leakage began at about eleven
n. m, when one of the keepers on the Is
land noticed sudden displacement of
the water in the middle of the channel.
This was followed by volume of spray
being projected to a considerable height.
The escaping oil was carried consider
able: distance with the tide. Sub
sequently boys were seen on the
Rayenswood shore at the place where
the fire originated. 1t is supposed that,
seeing the black scum of oil covering the
face Of the water, they ignited it with a
match. Others maintain that the oil
was set ablaze by sparks from passing
canalboat.-N Y Herald.