New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-10
THURSDAY,
OCTOBER 10. 1895.
BLAZING OIL COVERS THE SURFACE OF
THE WATER. a.3
AND MADE A BIG SHOW. But DID LITTLE DAN.
AGE-THE EARTH ~ oNE-HUNDRED-AND.
FIFTEENTH-sT.. NEAR PLEASANT

AVE. SATURATED WITH OIL.
A heavy explosion caused great alarm to the peos
pie living In the neghborhood OF One-hundrcd-and.
ffteenth-st and Pleasant-ave. at $50 o'clock yes
terday morning As the Standard Gaslight Com
pany occupied the territory between One-hundred-
and-fourteenth and Onehundred nd sixteenth sts,
from Pleasant-ave. to the Harlem River. II was NJ
supposed that the works OF the company had
exploded and that great destruction had been
caused. People rushed from their houses ana -
a column Of flame at least fifty feet high asceaer
ing from great hole that had been blown In One-
hundred nd hfteenth-st. the river. and also
saw that there were flames on the surface OF tho
Harlem River between the Observation-Disclosures
teenth and One-hundred- and-sixteenth-st piers
Great columns OF smoke arose and foated to the
eastward, and II feared for time that the
entire enormous plant of the company was IN
danger OF destruction. with possibility or ex"
plosion that would wreck the entire neighborhoodL
The widest excitement prevailed Some residents
in the neighborhood gathered their families to-
gether and fed In fear. leaving their belongings
behind them. while others. more resolute. fastened
to the scene OF the explosion
In the mean time the flames had seized upon the
pier at East Onehundred and hfteenth-st. and the
footbridge leading to the boathouse of the Wards
Island ferry. which lies just below the pier. The
fire spreading over the surface OF the river and
threatening all the surrounding property
An alarm Of fire was at once sent out, and Chief
and two hook and ladder trucks responded. Chief
Short found the One-hundred nd hfteenth-st. pier
and the ferry footbridge on fire. while flames were
dancing the surface of the river and appar.
emily ascending from the ground for some distance
from the shore.
THE GAS WORKS IN NO DANGER
While the engine companies were stretching their
hose the chief made an investigation, and quickly
decided that the works OF the gas company and the
naphtha tanks by. containing enormous guam
titles of explosive oil, were in no danger. and then
ne set to work to extingush the fire, finding 1t .
task Of no mean proportion
The pier at East One-hundred "a nd ffteenth-st.
IL constructed with cribwork OF heavy timbeS
placed in layers and set crosswise. with the in
terstices filled with stone. On top of the pier ID
thick layer of earth and ashes for driveway. and
the pier ID completely Enclosed with heavy perpen'
dicular timbers set closely together
II was an easy matter to extinguish the hamea
on the burning footbridge, but TO extnguish tho
fire that ragged along the inciosed timbers OF the
pier was another matter. while the tide carried
As soon as the Explosion occurred superintendene
Wickes, OF the gas company. set to work at once
and the companys works. taking special preeau-
ton to prevent the fire from reaching the haRntnA
and oil tanks about two hundred feet away While
this work was in progress there several minor
explosions underground. reminding the people OF
An engine was set to work playing on the .ur.
face OF the river TO keep the flames from spssanne
Hose kept. in the earth on top Of the pier ano
streams were directed from either SIDE, but II WaS
three hours before the flames were extinguished
SATURATED WITH OIL. !
Then an investigation was made and 1t was founo
that ground between the gas works and the rfvef
and the cribwork OF the pier had been completely
saturated with oil from leak In an oil pipe Thla
leak which was over hundred feet from the
river was I'm drain pipe that conveys the refuse
oil from the gas works to a set OF small tanks
situated about hundred feet from the One, hum
bred -and -hfteenth-s pier alongside or the Iafga
naphtha tanks in which is stored the oil used In
carbonizing the gas
The leak from the drain pipe must have existed
for long time and has been extensive as the escap-
ing oil had permeaed the ground all the way TO the
river and saturated the timbers OF the crbwork Oh
the pier and then covered the surface OF the rfver
Chief Short SAYS there never any danger OF
the fire spreading the naphtha tanks or the works
OF the gas company
Residents OF the neighborhood that the gar
works are a menace to the health and safety OF tina
people in the nelghborhood
After the Are extnguished the hole In One
hundred-a -ffteenthst. sent up steam and smoke
like a miniature crater and the pier and the ground
around II sent up Clouds Of smoke and steam Thq
damage done by the fire amounts to only fewhuuA
dred dollars.