The sun., 1900-07-07
OIL FIRE DANGER OVER.
STANDARD COMPANY'S LOSS. now
EVER, PUT AT So 800 600.
rs Tanks In All Burned-several stu Ahre at
Midnight-Chanse In the wind Two Hours
Before Had Almost Made the Ffremen
Abandon Hope-stock Rallies ] Points.


Abandon Hope-stock Rallies ] Points.
AT midnight last night there WIS every pros
pect that unless stiff breeze should spring up
In the meantime, the fire In the Stanuard vi
Company's plant ut Constable HOOK. bayohhe.
would be under control by daylight. Two
hours before midnight, however. the tlremen'
despite their plucky two days struggle win
the flames. had despaired OF saving either The
Standard plant or the Tide Water Companys
tanks, in the adjoining works. hitherto un-
harmed by the fire
The wind was the chief factorin the situation.
All day I'LL O'Clock in the evening II had
favored the fremen Then, just before the
second thunderstorm swept across the
sky. the breeze shifted to the north
east. II blew the smoke and flames
from the burning tanks directly upon the fire
men, who we're fighting to preserve tanks IL
and 0. and all hope Of saving these tanks
seemed gone The fire lines were set back 800
yards. however. and tho men stayed at
the hose. The anxious time lasted
two hours. Then the breeze died down and
three OF the burning tanks, surrounding tank
l3. burned out. The last dangerous tank. that
nearest No, 0, is eIected 10 burn out by o'clock
this morning With that tn, danger to the rest
will practically be at an end
When THE Sun went TO press yesterday
morning twenty-three of the Standard Com
pany's tanks had blown up and we're In flames
An hour later, owing TO a change In tho wind,
the flames communicated with tank 10. In
less than five minutes It blew up, and the new
tide Of burning oil gushing out made the work
of the fremen the harder. The flames made
no further cncroachment until 10 o'clock In
the morning. Then tank IA blew up In spite
of a torrent Of water poured on TO cool IT, and
the iremen had TO renew their fsht.
In the course Of the day new complication
arose from the fire. There began to be serious
danger OF a water famine In Bayonne. The
fire, since It started had cost that city at least
s. 900 for water. and not only was the water
bill increasing. but the city's supply. It was
SEEN would soon be seriously threatened.
Murmurs from citizens to whom this occurred
reached the, ears Of the company and 4 plan
was devised to secure more water without
depicting the citys supply more than was
has been used Ia tho oil distillirg room was
taken apart and carried down TO the water
front front on the Xii Won Kun. where it was set ny
again The pump has caEssy pIpss 96 80 xs1e s
dropped into the water, six-inch outlet pipe
was attached 70 the engine and TO this many
ordinary sized fire hoses were coupled on, lhen
the engine was started and salt water was
Men under the direction Of the Fire Depart
ment meanwhile worked on the safety ditches
around the area In which the fire was raging.
They succeeded in the afternoon In completing
would prevent the tide OF blazing oil from spread
ing outside Of the immediate vicinity OF the
burning area Not satisfied with this, they
dug an additional two-ioot ditch between the
safety ditch and the Kill Won Kull In order that
no matter how much the fire spread the blazing
oil would not be- able to run into the Kill Won
inss on the Staten Island shore. Much of the
tanks was also drawn of
The members OF two Of the Bayonne volun-
teer fire companies had become SO iatigued in
the afternoon that as soon ms the bic distilling
engine was working well they went home for
rest Promptly story appeared " the SEN
had gone on strike for higher wages and for
food from the Standard Oh Company, The
! O'clock last night, when the wind shifted and
tho thunderstorm drove II along with increased
velocity. Then when the smoke and flames
blew down directly lSoort over siorr, the Two Two
in Tor the return Of the two engines The
wires were 50 seriously Affected by tho heat
by this time that the alarm did not sound prop
erly, but this was soon discovered and the
alarm was sent in again. Although the men
had been lighting the flames for more than
two days. they promptly responded and went
or seven feet of gasolene remaining in the
two tanks. but this was enough 10 make the
tank dangerous factor In the situation. What
would happen II the fire Reached the two tanks
Supt Q'Gorman explained.
III the fire spreads to tank o." said he. Il
am afraid that the entire plant will be " ped
out II tank IS catches also, there is abSO-
mtely no hope Of stopping the flames until
everything in our plant Is gone and the flames
will probably reach the Tide Water plant.
Back OF tank 10 are. tho buildings Of the paraf-
fine works, and u they once catch the fire can
spread both east and south. and everything
will CO."
Engineer j. T.. Morse Of the Tide Water Com
pany Yesterday, when twenty-five tanks had
been burned as not less than 1890 900 on oil.
1900 900 on tanks tank and about $1,000 eco On other
night 10 round figures about 81, ,3OO.OOO Stand
ard oil stock. which sold down sharply on
Thursday. rallied in the curb market yester-