New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-27
BIG OIL WORKS DESTROYED.
BORNE 4 sCRYMsER,s FACTORY IN RUINS.
STUBBORN ERE NEAR ELIZABETH. N J.-Loss
SAID TO BE $3.50 900.

STUBBORN ERE NEAR ELIZABETH, N J.-LOSs
SAID TO BE s250.Ooo.
Fire broke out in Borne Scrymser's large oil works
on staten Island sound a mile below Elizabeth y. j..
at 6 o'clock last night. The high wind drove the
flames in all directions and the intense cold crippled
the efforts OF the ircmen. general alarm was seut
out bringing TO the the entire Elizabeth Fire De-
partment The Baltimore and Ohio bridge threat
eneJ and telephone messages sent to Bay
onne sumrOning tngboats from the oil works at
Constable Hook to fight the flames. The excitement
was Intense and all telephone communication along
staten Island was cut OF.
The greater part of the oil works were In ruins at
O'Clock and It seen that the fire would burn all
night The big storage tanks The north side of South
Front-st we're saved with their contents likewise
were the two buildings used storage warehouses The
flames swept ever the wooden bridge which spanned
the street and connected both sections of the works
and DESTROYED the structure, but the fire was thel
checked before II could spread to the cooper shop
and storage tanks. The main portion Of the WORKS
we're on the south side Of the street and extended TO the
waterfront. They were swept away by the hames'
The fire started with an explosion Of some kind on
the pier and I'm a few minutes IL had spread 10 the DIG
building 425 feet long. used as filter-h0nse' II"
employed In the works tried to check the na"'o'
with the fire apparatus attached to the estab'snhe''
but the furious wind rendered their efforts futile anu
they had TO beat hasty retreat to save their hVes'
boat Advance OF the Grassclli Chemical Company came
from Bayonne and did good WORK me fhzaoeVn
hremcn were prompt in arriving. but could OBTAIN no
water for their engines and were forced to return.
At : O'Clock IL was evident that nothing could be
done toward saving that part Of the WORKS adlolhg
Staten Island sound and all the efforts OF the IRE
fighters we're directed toward preventing the names
reaching that pnrt Of the plant horI'
of south Frontst and IN this they were successful
The employees In the other factories in the vicinity
aided the Borne & Scrymser men greatly In combating
the flames south FrOntst. IS the avenue that ie'us
direct 10 all the factories and oil rehneIeS SCUM Vi
the Elizabeth River. and when the names apread
across tits street the employees Of establishments below
the burning oil works cut Off from getting 10
their homes. and had to battle with the names 70
secure Of reaching Elizabeth. The total loss Is
estimated at S25oO0O, largely covered by Insurance.
A still collapsed at the works during the day. but
this was said to have any bearing on the origin OF
the fire. The Offices and warehouses OF the company
are ut Nos. 50 and 81 Southst.. New-fork.
The Borne IL Scrymser Works we're established In
Brooklyn In 1879 and removed to Elizabeth in 1888
since then t.y have been extended until Yesterday the
plant which originally covered ten covered sixteen
Abont 400 900 barrels OF oil were produced hhnaiy
and 100000 barrels Of crude petroleum. were useu ~
make mbrcators The buildings on the grounds were
a big cooper shop barrelling house. hiterhouse'
pump house. a house for bleaching oils and the press
pararIne WAY from the oil There were sNty-hve iron
storage tanks, with capacity raIging from seventy
i've 10 5000 barrels. AbOut 10000 empty OIL Dat-
rel were kept stock. There were eight stils VIVA
"A capacity Of l2j to 600 BARRELS. IN intricate sys-
TEN Of pipes connect with al parts Of me work. uo,
over 100 grades Of lubricating oils were man
ufctred in the establishment, which furnished EN-
,invment 10 about 200 men. There two boiler
houses and four engines of 5OO-horse power. The
firm had fine pier. with ample shipping facilities
Its export trfde large. and II Rad agencies IN
Australia South America and Japan The works could
turn ont over 200 barrels Of finished oils daily.