New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-23
places in the Department appeared nervous ies1
thew might be ordered before the Board Tor exami-
THE EMPIRE OIL WORKS ON FIRE.
FLAMES SOON GOT UNDER CONTROL.
No PERSON SERIOUSLY INJURED-THE LOSS HsTI-
MATED AT 100000.

FLAMES SOON GOT UNDER CONTROL.
NO PERSON SERIOUSLY INJURED-THE LOSS ksii-
MATED AT 100000.
There was trouble in the great oil district OF hong
Island City yesterday morning and at one t'me =
conf agration was threatened when woui9 i nav
brought tho losses up to over million Oh o 10
Thick impenctrable clouds OF smoke ht9S Worts
snot WHARF the Empire OF old Daylight Oii w orks
now part of the Standard Oil Works are situateo
The smoke from tugboats pipes maoe "hi'0
mark against Its black front. -, 400 o,o,oct
The fire broke out between 10 and lO:3O ociock,
but accounts vary as to its origin. Alexander Ken
nenvan who had an arm badly burned AZ thG s,lae
stated that he, Patrick Coopey. william ana here
the can. of oil are filed when suddenly filler at
which they were working exploited. ne anu peh a.
tb. others were hurt. 4 workman stated that the
fire was caused by Gamer dropping MOI MOI
soldering iron Cd tb can org %nef1 the Oh room
which was on the ground floor, was soon
filed with fame. which caught the bo3ngrooin on
the second, top floor Next the sneas ior soSips
Joined the other building were caught by tne last
spreading flames and the men in the several pulld-
ings had barely time to escape WIN tn nn Isisnd
CITY were on hand as promptly as possible; BOOK
I'm sent engine No. 10, ami Dutch klis ana ASVoria
sent an engine and truck, or hose-cart eacn.
Nv noon The entire dock-frontage was one mass
of flame from which rolled up dense volumes or
thick black smoke. which the southeastern wind
swept right across the river, ehveiopins s cue
broke out kilograms had been sent to
various points summonIne the tugs attached 10 Tue
different oil works to the spot. and during the Gay
No less than ten boats were present working on the
flames including the hre-boat Havemeyer anu 10 VI
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's tugs
merona hoses played blndly into an indist,nguish-
able bank of flame and smoke. Gradually, now,
ever the fire was driven inch by inch norl inward
up the pier Leaving the sT"on wa" nnjninrrd and
by $50 the fame had been fairly driven out OF the
southern and western faces OF he dock Later on
into the afternoon, however, Jels OF naho htP -
bursting through the gaping cracks between tne
tmbers as the men were walking on them, ana q
hose had to be kept continually at work upon
them. ~ ,ho
wall of the packing house could be seen huge piles
of f;ye-e alon cans of oil, each wrapped IN rlmes
standing ont from wreck OF charred timber anu
fragmcnts of machinery. From different points
m the walls streams Of water were pouring into
the flames with continual roaring ana CRACKING
sound while the further slde 81 ne of ae
smoke On the eastern side, facing inlann, the can
factory stood almost unframed. and above that tne
apitators emitted angry pufs OF smoke from time
to time. Away to the northeastern corner wnere
a hard fight was fought earlier In the DAY 10 save
the coop-Ts shop. was seen an Neutrality-suspicious.
region of charred and smouldering ruins: Between
balf-pa and o'clock four small tanks for iced
ing the filler exploded with loud reports at short
intervals causing good deal oil alarm ana disturb
ance, but fortunately no loss OF hle or damage 10
imb.
1t was stated that the company was dong good
business. There were seven ships LOADING at the
dock and there were over 40, 600 cans of water
white oil of so proof and so cases OF crude OIL IN
the burned buildings There was also quantity OF
patented machinery there, on which no proper estl-
mate could he obtained The loss was estimated by
people in the city as high 81 ,OOO but Gener-
al Superintendent Pouch said the figure WAS absurd
and that 800, 900 would fully covert. Inc WORKS
are not Insured. the rsk being conS,aersd oy .ne
insurance companies as too great. We insure our
selves" SAID Mr.. Pouch
The prompt work of the tug-boats IN towing a
number of vessels from the docks TO the stream
considerably reduced tho list OF losses but no salts
factory estimate of the entire damage can be
reached for some days. as the fire has still suhclent
hold upon the ruins to make return 10 the proper
order of business impossible.