Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-05
RIVERS OF FLAMES
Lightning Bolt Fires Standard Oil
Works at Bayonne, N, ].
TANK AFTER TANK EXPLODED
Burning Streams Spread Destruc-
ton in All Directions.
LOSSES WILL BE INN ENSE
LOSSES WILL BE IMMENSE

NEW YORK, July 5.-Fire at the works
| of the Standard Oil Company at Constable
Hook, Bayonne, n. j., started early this
morning. The damage will run into mil
lions. The entire plant is almost certain to
| be consumed
Naphtha tank. No. exploded shortly
after 6 o'clock. The force of the explosion
smashed windows on the hook and at least
one person was killed and several injured.
Chas. King, an electrician, was the one
killed. and John Waste and Owen Drum
mond, watchmen, were overcome by fumes
and smoke. and Fred Mauer was cut by
flying glass. They all lived in Bayonne.
Started by n Bolt of Lightning.
The fire started about 1 o'clock this morn
ing by bolt of lightning, which fell during
a terrific thunder storm and rain storm. 1t
struck sauarely in the immense yard of
the Standard Oil Company. which covers
over GOO acres of ground. King, the watch
man, was struck by the bolt, and at the
same time 1t exploded two immense reser-
voir tanks of crude oil. One hundred men
were at work in the yards, and whether
more were killed is not yet known. The
explosion was heard for miles and the
heavens were lit up for hours afterward by
the flames, which leaped a hundred feet in
the air. Even at o'clock this morning the
column of smoke which rose from the still
burning tanks spread out in such a cloud
that to those coming to this city from the
west the bright morning sun was obscured.
Hotel Rapidly Consumed.
Within fifty yards of the exploded tanks
was the Bayview Hotel used a lodging
house by half hundred Hungarians and
Poles employed at the works. The thun-
der storm had already awakened them and
when the explosion came they rushed pell-
oI,@
by the streams of burning oil which flowed
over and rapidly consumed the hotel.
The oil from the exploded tanks swept
down the hill on which the works are To-
Gated Explosions followed like the crash
of artillery tank after tank was ignited
by the fiery flood. Down to the waters
edge it went 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, 1t flowed
over into the Kill Won kul and f1oated in
snaky wisps of flame out into the bay.
Saving Shipping.
Meanwhile the Standard Oil tugs ran into
the docks and dragged out fifty vessels
which were lying at the companys piers.
Then the tugs formed a Gordon little way
out from the docks and fought the flames
from that side. Great booms of logs were
thrown out in a semi-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 depart
ment made an Intellectual fight against the
burning fluid
Trenches Dug to Divert Flaming
Streams.
Water was of avail, and the fire had
to be fought by strategy. Trenches were
dug to divert the streams of burning oil
from attacking property outside of the oil
yards
Right in the line of fire with the wind
blowing from the northeast were the plants
of the Tidewater Oil Company, the kalb-
heisch Chemical Company, the Bayonne
chemical works. the Bergenort 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
Alexander confined the fire to the Standard
yards and the plants of the Columbia and
French oil works, directly adjoining. lie
went into the crowds outside the fire lines
and hired every man who would handle
shovel. These he put to work digging
trenches around the circle of fire, and in
this way the burning liquid was prevented
from eating its way across the hook.
Half a Mile of Fire.
At 10 am the flames were shooting up
into the air fully 300 feet high, and the
blazing oil extended over area of nearly
half mile. The heat was such that the
fremen could not get near enough to the
flames to do much good. The fire boats
along the shore at Constable Hook occupied
a better position in this respect, but the
water that reached the blazing oil had lit
tie effect.
The force of employees of the Standard
Company resorted to their usual method
when a fire breaks out in the works They
! pumped oil from one set of tanks into 9TH
/ ers to a distant point from the blaze. This
work was slow as well as dangerous to
human life. owing to the rapidity with
which the flames communicated from one
tank to another.
| Early Estimate of Loss.
| At 1890 O'Clock the total loss was esti-
mated at 81. 5000 The company has Its