The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-05
Oil Works at BayOnne,
N. j., on Fire.
ConfiagratiOn Started by Bolt
of lightning.
HALF MILE OF FLAMES
Burning Liquid Flows Out Into
the Bay.
Tongues Of Fire Shoot Upward
300 Feet.

New York, July 5.-Fire at the works
of the Standard Oil company at Con-
stable Hook, Bayonne, N. J.. which
started early today was still raging at
a. m, and no estimate can yet be
made of the damage. though it viii run
into millions.
The entire plant is almost certain to
be consumed. The oil from the works
is spreading along the upper bay and
the Ki1lvon Kull blazing as it flows.
and serious damage is threatened the
adjoining property.
Naphtha tank No. Z exploded shortly
after O'Clock. The force of the ex-
plosion smashed windows on the Hook
and at least one person was killed and
several injured Charles King. an cleo
trieian, was the one killed, and John
Waste and Owen Drummond. watch
men, were overcome by fumes and
smoke. and Fred Mauer was cut by
flying glass. They all lived in Bayonne.
The fire was started about 1 o'clock
this morning by bolt of lightning
which fell during a terrific thunder and
rain storm 1t struck squarely in the
immense yard of the Standard Oil COM
pany, which covers 600 acres of ground.
King, the watchman, was struck by the
bolt, and at the same time it exploded
two immense reservoir tanks Of crude
oil. One hundred men were at work In
the yards, and whether more were
killed or not is not yet known. The
explosion was heard for miles and the
heavens were lit up for hours after
ward by the flames, which leaped 100
| feet in the air. Even at O'Clock this
morning the column of smoke rose high
in the still burning tanks spread out in
| such cloud that to those coming from
| the west the bright morning sun was
| obscured.
CuACErr nv T2rr19 NrTNrc.. orr
Within fifty yards of the tank was
the Bay View hotel. used as a lodging
house by half a hundred Hungarians
! and Poles employed at the works. The
| thunder storm had already awakened
/ them, and when the explosion came
| they rushed pell nell out of the rear
| Of the building chased by the streams OF
| burning oil which flowed over and rap
| idly consumed the hotel.
| The oil from the exploded tanks sTSept
| down the hill on which the works are
located. Explosions followed like
crashes of artillery as tank after tank
was ignited by the fiery flood. Down
to the waters edge it swept, spreading
the circle of fire. Nothing could stay
its progress. Even the water was no
obstacle, and from the burning piers,
which a little while before had been
| crowded with shipping, it flowed over
| into the Killvon Kul and fioated in
| Snaky wispS of flame out into the bay.
Meanwhile the Standard oil tugs ran
| into the docks and dragged out fifty
vessels lying at the companys piers
Then the tugs formed Gordon little
way out from the docks and fought the
flames from that side. Great booms OF
logs were thrown out in a se1ni-circle
to prevent the burning liquid from
flowing unreStrained over the water and
carrying destruction to shipping down
the bay.
Inside the yards the Bayonne fire de-
partment made an Intellectual fight
against the burning fluid. Water was OF
no avail and the fire had to be fought
by strategy. Trenches were dug to di-
vert the streams of burning oil from
attacking property outside the oil yards
FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
Right in the line of fire with the wind
| blowing from the northeast were the
plants of the Tidewater OIL company,
| the Kalbleisch Chemical company. the
Bayonne Chemical works, the Berger
mott Chemical company, the Oxford
| Copper works, the Port Johnson coal
docks, the Pacific Coast Barge company
and the crude oil docks. 1t was thought
that none of these would be saved, but
quick action by Vice President Alex
ander confined the fire to the Standard
yards and the plants Of the Columbia
and French OIL works directly adJoln-
ing.
fire lines and hired every man who
would handle a shovel These he put TO
work digging trenches around the cir
Gle of fire and in this way the burning
liquid was prevented from eating its
way across the Hook.
There were in the yards Of the Stan
dard Oil company, when the fire start
ed 365 crude oil tanks. over thirty soL
| these have been already exploded and
| they all may go as the fire continues 10
spread. All estimates of loss are at
this time mere guess work
At 10 a. m. the flames were shooting
| UP into the air fully 300 feet high ana
| the blazing oil extended over an area
! of nearly half a mile The heat was
| such that the dremen could not get near
| enough to the flames to do much good.
! The fire boats along the shore at con-
| stable Hook were able to occupy a bet
| ter position In this respect. but the wa
far that reached the blazing oil. nad
1 little effect. The force OF employes OF
4 the Standard company reSorted TO tnelr
| usual method when a fire breaks out
] in the works They pumped Oil from
one set of tanks into others at distant
point from the blaze. This work was
slow as well as dangerous to human
| life owing to the rapidity with Whlcn
| the flames communicated from one tank
to another. 49,, -, -,o,
At 1890 O'Clock the total loss Was
| estimated at 81, 500, 600.
The company has its own system OF
| Insurance. None of the officials OF the
| cornnanv at that hour believed that any
| of the 100 men reported missing nau
i been killed or severely injured, but ssV-
| e1-al had been painfully burned re w
| company's docks at Constable HOOK
/ nave been stripped end shipping was
1 taken by tugs to a, place OF safety-
The tenement district OF Bayonne was
/ az the above hour threatened by the
| flames and firemen were forced TO turn
| their efforts in a new direction
| The stock of the Standard Oil COM
r,azov closed Tuesday at 5.40n5-45 ana
/ ING a. z T1AQ