The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-24

The Parahne Wax Department OF the
Tide Water Oil Company Burned-A
Loss of About 8 5,0oo-Bayonne
The parafine wax department OF the
Tide Water Oil Company, at Constable
Hook, Bayonne, was burned yesterday
afternoon. A dense cloud OF smoke rising
from this section of the city at Q
quarter past three O'Clock was the first
intimation that fire had broken out. This
was followed by a series of explosions
that shook the ground for two miles dis
tant Then tongues of flame shot up fifty
feet into the air. That a big fire was in
progress there was no reasonable doubt.
Hurried calls brought out every fire en-
CINE and hose carriage. In the city except
which was retained for possible emergen
cies. They We're all needed. :.
'"The fall of Rome was nothing to this, "
exclaimed a fireman as he reached the
roof of the burning structure and looked
into the seething caldron OF 1ame. Very
soon the wax factory had to be left to
itself and every neck strained 10 save the
surrounding buildings.
The burned building was-a n and a
half story and basement, 40 feet wide by
100 feet deep,of Is and 2+inch brick walls,
with an extension 20 feet wide by 40 feet
deep. In the basement were eighteen
watts or bleachers and each contained
about sixty barrels of oil. Valuable wax
pressing machinery occupied one-half of
the first floor and the freezer and 100000
pounds of a with a dynamo and steam
pumps, the extension.
Three tanks containing about sixty bar
rels of oil each and a car load of vitumin-
-- - --&Aol n Cow faat f,.of., tha
south wall, were also destroyed. About
thirty feet further up a refrigerator was
rendered useless.
At an early stage of the fire grave fears
were entertained for the safety of Martin
Kalbfleisch's chemical works, as a stiff
breeze was then blowing in their diree-
ton. Half a dozen or more streams of
water were kept on these buildings as
well as upon q group of oil stills.
The wind veered round to the north
east and then the fear Of sparks setting
fire to the Standard Oil Company's works
was the next danger to be avoided.
Without loss of time the company's hose
were fixed and ready for action, and the
po~werful.fire tugs, Standard and Impera-
tor, lay ready in case OF the vessels catch
ing fire which lay at the docks. ~
Meantime first one wall, then another
of the burning building fell in with a
| crash. Only one wall remained intact,
n TO prevent ltS IalllnS against announcer
brick building of similar dimensions to
that burned it was propped up. The in
tervening space was only about three feet.
This building contained ove one thou
sane barrels of oil kept at freezing point.
Between the large force of company EN-
ployees under the direction of Superin-
tendent Edwards, assisted by other Off
Gals and the firemen, the building and
contents were saved.
The oil consumed is valued at about SIC
per barrel or SIC, 600 for the entire guam
tity. At ten cents per pound the wax is
| worth $50, 600. The machinery is said to
be worth about $50, eco and the buildings
and tanks about SIS, 600 more. So that the
total loss is easily $4,000. The company
carries its own insurance.
The property destroyed belonged form
| erly to Lombard, Ayres e. Company
previous to its consolidation with the Tide
Water Oil Company. Notice had been
given that next week this branch of in
dustry would be removed to the Polar Oil
Yard.
Various coniectures are hazarded about
the cause Of the fire, but the general be
lief is that the dynamo was b u Of
it. Anyway, the fire was seen to begin il
that part Of the building where it was
located, and shortly after streams of burn
ing refuse began to run down toward the
KilLVon-Kul.
| BY, one o'clock this morning the hrt