The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-05-17
THE FLAME FIEND.
Shakes Off His Letbargy and Scatters
His Blanching Brands.
The Standard OIL Company Contributes
$1,O00,00O to his Exchequer,,
And Six of their Employees Pay Fear.
full Forfeit.
Graphic and Complete Description Of n
Terribly Beautiful Scene.
Baltimore Was the Scene Of a Triple
Holocaust.
A Vermont Costly House of Worship
In Ashes.
Baltimore Was the Scene Of Triple
Holocaust.
A Vermont Costly House of Worship
In Ashes.
Sprays of Sparks From Several Sources
Struck by Lightning

Struck by Lightning.
New York, May 10.-The Standard Oi
Works, of Jersey City, were struck by
lightning early this morning. Seven on
tanks have already exploded and the fire
is still raging with horrible force. More
disasters are feared. The estimated loss is
$500, 900.
STILL RAGING.
10 a, m.-The fire at the Standard On
Works, Jersey City, is still raging and Is
now near the tanks of the Jersey Central
Thus far 500, 900 barrels OF oil have been de
stroyed, including 250, 900 barrels of refined
stored in the store-house. 1t is now
thought the loss will reach $75O,OOO.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
JERSEY CITY, May 10. Q1 am. THE
works of the Standard Oil company at
Communipaw. the most extensive IN this
country, are on fire and about one.half o
the property is now destroyed. The mr.
One of the large tanks near the shore was
struck, and exploded, by lightning. The
burning oil poured out like angry rows OF
enormous tanks toward the river: In a
short time the flames communicated with
three large tanks, and thev exploded stimuli
taneously with terrific force. Frag-
ments of iron were hurled the DIS
tance of a half mile, and the burning
oil was scattered in all directions. The en-
tire fire department have been summoned,
but their services are almost useless, as the
burning streams of oil poured through the
ward, firing tank after tank on the east side
and licking up buildings and storehouses.
A solid structure, where barreled oil was
kept, was attacked by the flames, and sue,
cumbed. The engine-house went next ana
the oil and water-pump houses, the sunken
tanks aud machine-shop quickly followed,
and now the whole easterly side OF the WORKS
tremendous heat and binding smoke, fire
men are working valiantly in the
hope of checking the progress OF
the flames, but it appears at
this hour that the vast works Will be de.
stroyed, and it is feared that the flames Will
reach out and consume property IN the
neighborhood. People are deserting their
homes and moving out what is valuable OF
their effects. 1t is estimated that there
were s. 600. COO gallons of oil in the tanks,
and the loss of property already laid in
ashes will reach $1,0O0,0OO The shaft OF
liphtnipg, of unequaled brilliancy and
brightness, that struck the first tank, was
seen by the fireman of engine No. 10 in
Holiday street, Jersey City, q mile away,
and the engine at once started Tor the scene.
It was soon discovered to be useless
work to play into The flames, and all efforts
were directed to prevent them from spread,
ing. This was partially successful, until
nearly s O'Clock, when tank No. exploded
with a terrific report, and the blazing oil
spread with lightning rapidity. Chief Fer
rier and NUM- ber of men were within Ten
wards of this tank when it exploded, and
were saved almost by miracle. Dropping
the hose, which was burned to ashes, they
fled for their lives. When they. mustered
together at a safe distance, SIX oitheir NUM-
ber were found to be missing. The smoke
was so dense that it was impossible to tell
which way one was going, and 1t IS thought
that the unfortunate men ran down to the
iI:30 a. m.-The oil fire is still raging.
The Eagle refinery is in danger, II the winds
CONTINUE southeast. The remaining build
ings may be saved. Six lives nave been
lost. H.
The names of the missing are J ohm Her
bert. superintendent; James jenkins, lore
man cooper; George Davis, engineer; Hen
nv Kigler, laborer; Dick Conkling, laoorer;
William Curry, boiler-maker.
The waves pf flaming oil had rolled in
upon the en9ine-house, carpenter snop
machinery, boiler and pump rooms, TWO
warehouses, cooper shop and blacgsmlth
shops, and they were heap, OF ruins IN an
hour. Tank after tank W IU1Rght oy the
uameS, until SEVEN uub W uWeby -
the ground were blazing. Tier
of the Pennsylvania railroad
caught fire, and several railings, tanks, or
rails were only saved by having earth
niled ON top of them. The bay was q
Sheet OF flaming oils and the long trestle
bridge OF the railroad, about quarter OF
mile long, running from the WORKS 10 the
block of Sans Island, was also burned 70
the waters edge. The house Of the Eagle
refinery, close by the scene, was painful IN
The extreme, The newly made widows
coneregated in one Of the rooms, hope ana
despair alternating in their distracted
minds.
lamenting the terrible fate Of loved ones,
rom whom they had parted but lew hours
bef)re. No bodies baye been found, Tor the
heat renders close approach to the runs
impossible. The burning works extend,
with those Of the Eagle refinery, ABOUT
hree-ouarters OF q mile inland. The build
ings that have been destroyed were situ,
ated in the midst # the tanks. The VINO
Is southeast, blowing of TO south SOUTH
east. and therefore there Is no danger OF
other tanks exploding. Had the vino oeen
portherIy, the bosrding.bouse and hagle
works would certainly have perisbed also
LhrER-The fire Is now under, control
IA Is thought the loss will exceed ~ ,OOO,-
600. insured for $3.50 900. Twelve large
tanks, eighteen cars, six berges ana
dredees. three docks and i've BRICK Ouho-
inSs we're DESTROYED. The quantity OF oil
c-,nsurned il not known. Among the loss
es' besides the Standard OIL company, are
ssveral other oil firms, eacn Of whom lose
! rom 1OC 10 700 barrels Of cylinder oil, which
was stored in one ofthe warehouse