The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-05-19
Standard Oil lIonopoly's Werks at
Jersey City Burned.

Jersey City Burned.
New York, May 10.-The Stand
ard Oil Works at Jersey CitSwere
struck by lightning at half-past 3
this morning. Up to 0 o'clock :
tanks of oil had exploded. The
fire is still raging with terrible
force. The works are abandoned
and more disaster is feared. The
estimated loss is half a million.
10A. M.-The fire is still raging.
The fire is now near the tanks of
the Jersey Central track where
10000 barrels are stored. Thus
far 100000 barrels have been de-
stroyedt including 100000 barrels
of refined, stored in the store.
house. The loss will reach $780,.
900.
LATER.
Jersey City, May 10-11:3O A. NJ.
The oil fire is still raging. The
Eagle refinery is in danger. If the
wind continues southeast the re-
naming buildings may be saved.
The railroad is on fire; aud the oil
tanks are saved by shoveling dirt
ou them six lives are lost. None
Of the bodies have yet been found.
EVENING. The fire is under
control, but il will burn for some
time before all the material is con
sumed. 1t is thought that the loss
will exceed sl,50O,000. Twelve
large tanks, eighteen cars, six bar.
ges, a dredger, three dock and five
brick buildings were destroyed.
The quantity of oil consumed is
not known. Among the losers,
besides the Stan dard Oil Compa-
ny, are several other oil firms, who
each lose from 400 to 200 barrels
of cylinder oil, which was stored
in one of the warehouses.
The flash of lightning that start
ed the fire was witnessed by the
fireman on watch in an engine
house in Jersey City, mile away
II was of binding brilliancy. I'M
mediately a huge sheet of flame
shot up in the air, with deafening
roar, that shook the neighborhood
aud was heard for miles around.
A canopy of smoke rose above
the oil works and spread itsel
over the city like the fall OF q vol
cano at the commencement of al
eruption. Then followed the ex
plosion. After the explosion cam'
rivalling crashes of thunder ant
the extensive oil works were sool
a.roaring mass Of flames.
Before o o'clock seven immens,
tanks were blazing. Ariver of fir
swept around the bottoms of th'
other tanks, while the ilapes BON
barded them from above. 1t wa
soon discovered to be useless
work to play npon the flames, AM
all efforts were directed to pre-
vent them from spreading. Thi
was partially successful until near
/ ly 5 o'clock, when tank No. Z ex
ploded with terrific report and tn,
blazing oil spread with Lightning
rapidity. Fire Chief Farrier and
number of men were within tel
yards of this tank when ii explo
ded, and were saved almost by
miracle. Dropping the hose, whicl
was soon burned to ashes, the.
fed for their lives. When the,
mustered together at % safe dis
tance, six of their numbers wer,
found to be missing. The smok
was 80 dense that il was impossi
BILE to tell which way one was &c
ing, and it is thought that the I'm
fortunate men ran towards tn,
water of the bay and were lost
The bay was q sheet Of flaming oil
and the long trestle bridge of tn
railway, about quarter of mil
long, running from the works t
Black Toms Island, was burne'
down to the waters edge. Frae
ments of the iron tanks were hurl
ed a half mile by the force Of th
explosion. Many people in tn
Aeighborhood vacated their hous
es. The space burned over cover
an area of about three.quarters 0
a mile on the bay, and quarter o
q mile inland. The wind blew fron
southeast. A slight change t.
nOrtherly would have caused tn
destruction of the Eagle refininI
works and an indefinite amount o
valuable property besides.
Our Building Association Boemeth.