The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-23
BLAZING KEROSENE.
Refining Rooms of the
Eagle Company at Ca
ven Point, Destroyed.
LACK OF WATER HINDERs FIREMEN
Supposed to Have Been Started by
the Electric Light Wires.

About half-past ten O'Clock last night
the refining rooms of the Eagle Refining
Company at Cavan Point were discovered
to be on fire. An alarm brought Engines
Nos. s, 8 and 10 together with No Hook
and Ladder. By the time the engines
had reached the scenes, the main refining
tank had blown up. The refining rooms
are located in four story brick building.
two of the stories being under ground.
The crude oil Is brought into the build
ing in pipes and is refined under ground.
There is also a plant for refining wax,
the machines for doing SO being located
in the air-tight compartments.
The engines arrived at the works
about eleven O'Clock and lines of hose
were stretched from the engines to the
building, which was on the top OF a hill:
They were connected with the pumps of
the Eagle Refining Company, but it was
impossible to get water from them, as
the water pipes ran through the burning
building and the terrific heat had burst
them and left them useless.
Chief Farrier was on the ground early
and took entire charge. Word was sent
to the National Storage Company, on
Black Tom Island, asking them to start
up their pumps They aid so, but it was
an hour and half before the first drop
of water came through the pipes Mean
while the firenen were compelled to
stand bv, unable to do anything. When
the fremen finally got the water the
building was entirely in flames. making
iJ impossible for any one to approach
within 200 yards of it.
FEARS FOR THE NAPTHA TANKS
Fears were entertained that the fire
would communicate to the naptha tanks
ing the fire TO the one building and the
firemen were successful. In the mean
time the company'S locomotives had
pulled every oil car from the yard to a
safe distance. bitches were dug around
the burning building so that in case the
oil should run it would be held i'll the
bitches. The wax tanks became red hot
and the firemen were unable to work on
account of the intense heat Meantime
| tine fire had turned on the two steam
whistles in the engine room and they
kept up continuous screeching until the
walls fell.
1t was a magnificent sight as the
| flames from the burning oil rose higher
| and higher, sending out thousands OF
| sparks At one time mass of fire shot
| out from naptha tank near where the
| firemen were playing and the men were
ordered to drop the hose and run. which
they did, showing wonderful burst OF
| speed.
The tank was found to be empty,
| however, and the men resumed work. Al
six O'Clock this morning the walls fell in
| with crash. and an hour later every bit
| of fire was put out.
DISCOVERED BY THE ENGINEER.
| The fire was discovered by the night en-
gineer, James Kelly. Kelly was in the
| engine room when he smelled smoke
| He looked all over the building for the
cause, but did not find it until he came to
the air tight compartment of the wax re-
| finery. Lifting one of the trap doors he
i was met by burst of smoke He dropped
the door and ran to the engine ROOM
| Grabbing his clothes he turned off the
engine. AS he did so the flames ran
along the oil soaked floor and Kelly had
to jump through the window to escape.
The burning building was near the
scene of the last fire, which occurred
about three years ago, in which six mer
lost their lives.
It is thought that the fire was caused
by the electric wires becoming crossed IL
the cellar. Just fifteen minutes before
the fire was discovered three workmer
had left the wax department. The losl
on the building in estimated to be abou
S25O, 200, fully covered by insurance.