Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-10-12

the scene. There were several men on board
 the Hafis, and they soon succeeded ill reach
 ing the pier in safety, from whence they
 were rescued by a tugboat, while others
 swan to the pier at The foot of South Twelfth street.
 A moment later a roar as if volcano was heard, and the roof of the big store house
 was on fire. AS soon this was discovered third alarm was sent out, and all the avail able forces of Brooklyn came hurrying to the scene. Before their arrival the first explosion was heard and it was enough to terrify even the firemen. From that moment the fire was beyond control, and nothing was left save to allow the oil and naphtha to burn itself out. Explosion followed explosion in quick sue cession, until it seemed as if the place was being bombarded.
 Company 15, in charge of Capt. J. McCor- mick, was one of the first to arrive on the scene. He is most careful man, and has been connected with the department since 1862 Foremen Helen and McElroy, of the same company, and Michael O'Keefe of truck G. worked with necessary energy While doing so there was a loud report, a \ fierce sheet of flame shot outward and for a moment the four brave men were swallowed up ill it.
 Both the police and fire.nen rushed to their | rescue. Capt. Mccormick WAS found lying ! on the ground, with his hands and feet dread ! fully burned. His hat had been blown of \ and his clothes were scorched in many places. ! It is believed that he will die O'Keefe was \ in a similar condition. McEiroy also | dangerously hurt. his hands having been ! burned to the bone. Helen was the least in \ ured, but even his wounds were severe In the meantime the flames had spread | with lightning like rapiditv along the river. ! The store house was vast sheet of flame, | and burning oil was flowing in every di- ! rection. Efforts were made to draw the oil { off ill pipes, but without success Next to the ' burning building is the works of the Williams ' burg Gas company, and it was feared that \ these too would be caught by the flames
 The river was for many yards a lake of seeth- \ ing fire, the oil floating along the surface and burning all the time.
 \ Within one hour after the fire first started the Williamsburg side of the river presented ' such a picture as was never before seen there \ There was one solid sheet of fire covering \ several hundred yards that reared aloft \ mountains high. Half dozen ships anC
 lighters, three piers and the Reading com ! pany's coal chute on the Eighth street piel \ were completely in the grasp of the f1rs
 demon. Thousands of people had gathered tt
 witness the sight, and they stood appalled, a
 the spectacle. Three entire blocks on tn, river front were in flames.
 \ While the fremen and the crews of tn, fire tugs were fighting to save neighborinf
 buildings, the flames crept around southwark
 and fastened upon the pier at the foot O North Ninth street and the coal elevator be tween that pier and South Tenth street
 This pier and the elevator were owned by tn
 Philadelphia and Reading Railroad com ! pany The elevator had just been fitted Ill
 with new machinery. It was burned to tn
 ground, with its contents, and the pier wa
 burned to the waters edge. The loss of tn Philadelphia and Reading company was esti mated by the superintendent on the groun' , at $2O, 900, The total loss is estimated as follows ' Storage building, S50,000; oil in barrels $5O, 900; docks and bulkheads and pipes, $76 GOO; steamship Hafis with cargo, $11O,O bark Ella Vose and cargo, s40D00; coal yards S2OO O0O; other vessels and lighters, S2o, ,0O( Total, s365, 900.