New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-11
HALF A MILLION GONE.
STANDARD OIL WORKS AT CONSTABLE HOOK
IN FLAMES.
WAREHOUSE DESTROYED AND on PUMPED
OUT OF TANKS TO SAVE TnEm-vEssEIs

WAREHOUSE DESTROYED AND OH PUMPED
OUT OF TANKS TO SAVE THEm-vEssEIs
TowED TO SAFE DISTANCE.
streak of flame shot across the sky at about
10 o'clock last night on the western side OF cha
Bay and few moments later the heavens were
brilliantly lighted up. An explosion of one Of
the hfty or more oil stills Of the Standard Oil
works at Constable Hook, N j., had occurred.
These stills are ell close together and many million
gallons Of oil are stored here. The scene was
picturesque and attracted attention along the New
Jersey and Staten Island shores. The ruddy
hue which tinged the lower part Of the sky
spread upward and outward until the whole arc
OF the heavens reflected the brighS red II
was evident even in New-York that the fire was
burning fercely, for the flames seemed, after
having shot high upward to lose none of their
vfgor for hours
Around Constable Hook there was great en-
element and more or less confusion Tho
alarms were Immediately sounded by the watch
men who were present when the shock of the
explosion frightened them and startled everyone
for some distance thereabouts. The engines of
the Constable Hook and Bayonne Volunteer
Fire Department promptly responded to the call,
but the puny streams they spurted into the glow
ing mass Of flames seemed to have not
the slightest effect upon their fierce
ness. Something like panic took
possession of those who were fighting the flames.
for the huge tanks on al sides filed with oil
were in danger Of exploding at any moment, and
tearing the earth asunder there A force of men,
seeing the peril which threatened the works and
all the houses near by set to work to pump out the
oil from these magazines, and soon they were
relieved from the fear Of further explosions.
Then they set TO work 10 remove the vessels
and scows moored at the piers to place of
safety, for 1t had become plain that
there was no hope of staying the flames,
until they had burned themselves out The
hawsers Of the craft were cut in twain in
twinking, and the vessels were dragged away
from the fleece heat, which could be felt at
long distance from the FIRE itself.
While the tank had been feeding the Aercs
fire and the iremen and worlmen were striving to
save the other reservoirs and the vessels. the
big warehouse, in which were stored thousands
Of barrels Of Gil, was also burning. 1t was
useless to attempt TO save this, and soon the
immense building went in with crash At this
fresh mass Of flames shot higher into the air,
while ten Thousand dartng cinders few up and
dotted the blackness around the pyramid Of fire.
In o short while nothing remained of the ware
house but pile OF ruins, at first la flames, then
smouldering embers.
The reports regarding the source of the fire
tank had exploded first, the flames spreading to
the warehouse. ,Afterward it was said that a
watchman had dropped lamp in
the warehouse and that the flames
had almost instantly spread 70 the tank. causing
the explosion. It Is not unlikely that the two
fires were almost simultaneous as the warehouse
would 20 up like tinder.
Had not the other tank been pumped out the
result Of the fire must have been terrible. As it
was. the one tank and warehouse burned for over
two hours and a half before the damcs were ex-
tinguishsd or under, control larger explosion
would have hnrIed great sheets of burn
ing oil far and wide. The fremen
would not have dared to try to over
power their fierce foe for death woald have stared
every man in the face who was within 200 feet
of the tanks.
The fire cost the company, according to esti-
mates made last night while the flames were
still at work, not far from 100000. At I2
o'clock dull red athwart the sky could still
be seen from the city Half an hour later
the glow had died away. but the Pickering flames
licking at the last vestige of any woodwork
or material soaked with oil, lived for some time
afterward. When they had died low, thick
cloud of smoke rose into the air. The mass was
black and the odor was sickening and penetrating
extending for a mile or more away.