New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-12
BLAZING AND EXPLODING OIL
VESSELS AND BUILDINGS DESTROYED.

LOSS OF NEARLY $500 900 AT THE STANDARD
OIL CoMPANY's pIERs-FoUR MEN HURT
Fire broke out early yesterday morning in the
iron steamer Hafis, lying at the foot of North
Tenth-st., Brooklyn alongside Of one Of the piers
of the Standard Oil Company's storage and ship
ping Yards The steamer was loaded with $4,000
gallons of refined oil in tanks. The flames spread
rapidly and burned fiercely all day. Two I'M
mtnse storehouses were totally destroyed, two
vessels were rendered useless; four fremen are
lying in hospital, burned in a horrible manner;
and nearly half million dollars have been lost.
How the fire originated is mystery. The tanks
on board tie Hafs were fully loaded and the
matches had been closed down, ready for sailing
orders The theory is advanced that lighted
match from the careless hands of drunken sailor
was the probable cause of the conflagration
Almost instantly after the bursting out of the
flames in the Ha1s light wooden shed on the
dock near by caught fire, and the flames com
municated with two immense brick storehouses'
in which many thousand barrels of oil were
stored Loud explosions were constantly
heard within the burning buildings, and it was
at the imminent risk of their lives that the brave
fremcn approached the scething mass. Joseph
Mccormack and Fireman II. G.. HELEN and James
McElroy, foreman OF Engine No. 49, and Michael
O'Keefe fireman, worked a hose to within thirty
feet of blazing storehouse and had throWn
stream through break IN the wall, wheh
sudden explosion and upheaval OF brlck ana lroh'
accompanied by a deluge of burning oil, threw the
fremen to the ground. They struggled desperately
to get to their feet. and, with tic aid OF their
com panions, who rushed at once to the scene sue
ceeded in getting away.
All four were burned in a horrible manner ABOUT
the head and hands. and their sufferlnGs were
M m
Hospital 1t was supposed at first that McCor-
mack who was burned about the body, would
not survive more than few hours, Out thouYh
I'm a critical state, it was thought later that he
might pull through. The skin OF his lace WAS
com pletely burned oil.
From the store-houses and dock the flames
snread TO the bark Ella Vose. loaded with 4''Vo
barrels of ma phtha 500 cases OF oil ana oo paIe
of hcnziue Numerous explosions and VIDE sheetS Oh
fire soon wrecked the entire interior OF the Ncsscl
Twelve fire engines, three trucks, under the conl-
mand of Chief Nevns, and SIX freb0atS pom new,
York and Rrooklyn worked industrl0usly 10 qucli
the blaze, but water only added TO It's lerceness
and il was not until the storehouseS ana thel con
Gre o., shore was o.ercomc The fremen how
ever succeeded in preventing the flames from
comm uncating TO two immense on tankS III ,hc aI
land and Leopodshel, were towed into MD
stream and sustained little or no damage inc
Hafs was taken out from the piers and streams n,
of water thrown over her Late last hIsho ,ho oii
in her tanks was still burning. III
The loss may be stated to be about half a mill,
ion dollars, as follows: The steamer HANS San" ana
S5n 0'oo Pratt's warehouses and oil, 100000;
Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron COMPANY
s25 600 the docks and machinery, 5000 dam,
age to the vessels that were towed out IN the
riyer Inv wafer thrown into them, about $4,000.
SUPERINTENDENT Platt, of the barrel-flling depart
ment saws however that the company VIII lose
nothing as it has system of insurance OF its own
The principal loss will fall on the owners OF the
vessels No statement of the amount OF OIL IN IN
ha 1ira1
Comranv's office and the loss can only be con-
iecturcd. ...ou,
The company, it is stated, will begin the work
of clearing away the debris at once, and prob
ably bv the first of next month work Will be re-
surled as usual Great crowds hung about the
scene of the confa grafton throughout the day.