New-York tribune., 1900-07-06
NEW OIL FEEDS THE BLAZE
STANDARD TANKS EXPLODING. WITH no
END IN SIGHT
FEAR THAI THE OLD WORKS MAY BE CON
sUMED WITH THE TIDEWATER
CoMPANY'S.

which struck the Standard OIL Company's refn-
ing and storage plant at Constable Hook, n. J.,
yesterday morning. At an early hour to-day
the names were still raging The loss had
reached about S1,O00,O00 and threatened to
reach S2000O00
At 10 o'clock last night another big tank-tne
sixteenth to go--blew up sending a mighty
pillar Of LIQUID fire high into the air. The scene
was the most thrilling yet. The newly released
cil fed the flames for hours, and the flood kept
spreading and dashed the confidence OF the fire
fighters that they had seen the worst of the fre
Toward midnight the wind began TO rise, and
the flames took on new shapes and the smoke
moved off more rapidly. Then there was worry
lest the increased wind should carry the flames
In a new direction. The wind held, however,
from the southwest, and the buildings in Twen-
1y-second-st. remained safe.
At O'Clock it looked If the fire would not
be stopped until at least twenty-five or thirty
tanks had gone. Oil was being drawn from the
tanks distant from the fire, but the trouble was
that there place to send ii. If these
tanks go the fire may last for days.
About II 30 the seventeenth tank went up.
The hremen were in despair and had practically
given up hope, but kept on working. There was
q steady stream Of men TO the hospital TO have
their burns dressed. None Of the burns were
very severe Many suffered from blsters caused
-
The officials of the company late last night
admitted that the case looked dark. What they
fear now is a change of wind and an increase
IN its force T: IS might carry the old works
and those Of the Tidewater Company.
IN the explosion at II o'clock about dozen
men were caught and badly scorched. They
went 10 the Bayonne Hospital and had their
injuries attended 20. There are only three men
IN the hospital About fifty in ali had their
burns dressed during the day.
COMPANY READY FOR EMERGENCY.
At the office OF William Rockefeller, in this city,
yesterday it was said that the company's export
business would net be seriously interfered with
by the fire, as the demand could be met from
other depots. The Standard Oil Company has
suffered rather Severely by lightning, its great
tanks Of iron standing in exposed situations
generally seeming TO attract the electricity to
rather unusual extent. So far the losses by fire
among its oil tanks have fallen upon the COM
pany alone, but there is always present the dan
ger Of a food of blazing oil being poured out
from one Of these vast tidewater reservoirs Of
the Standard Oil Company and being borne by
wind and tide among the wharves and shipping
of owners less able to bear the loss
Up to last midnight loss of life had at
tended the flames at Constable Hook. but sew
eral persons had been seriously hurt and fully
five thousand persons. laborers and their fam
lilies whose houses adjoin the burning plant,
had been driven from their homes by fear that
the flames would spread TO their houses at any
moment.
The hrernen could do little with the flames
except try to confine them within reasonable
limits. They dug bitches around the great oil
tanks in many cases. but the blazing oil
streams from such tanks had burst filled
up and passed many of these trenches
and spread the confiagration in spite Of all
the men could do. After struggling with their
fierce foe for twenty-four hours the fire fighters
did not know when the flames would subside.
and they will burn for many hours even after
they are under control. Again and again the
fire was believed TO be at its greatest height,
and the men thought IL would burn itself out,
but each time new tanks exploded and the
flames kept spreading The fire became so
extensive that the drainage system of the yard
became useless This was put in to allow oil
to be drawn from one tank to another quickly
so as TO reduce the volume of oil to burn but
this fire was too extensive TO allow the system
TO be worked
BOLT RIPPED OPEN TWO TANKS
The men who were in the yards when the fire
broke out agree pretty well that the bolt of light
ming ripped open two tanks. Each Of these con
tanned about thirty thousand barrels Of oil in the
crude. In five minutes a food Of oil was on fire
and was spreading about the yard The wards fire
department was quickly at work, but the thick
black oil. with its surface a1ame, rolled foot
deep over a vast area, and the other full tanks
were set on fire. The company's plant covers
e45 acres. The flames about the base OF the
tanks would heat the oil until it reached the
boiling stage. and then would come an explosion
and another burst Of fame and thousands more
gallons Of OIL to add to the thousands already
spreading over the ground.
Each explosion was acconpa MED by report
like dozen great guns fred at once With
each there would be an outburst Of flame that
would roll upward and outward for several
hundred feet This would lick up everything in
its path. and the oil released would surround
other tanks. Thus all night and all day yes
terday and again last night the flames kept up
their steady march
Pouring water the fire did no good at anv
time, FOR the more water on the oil the more
widely the oil spread.
RISKS HIS LIFE FOR COMPANY.
In the afternoon the fifteenth tank went I'D
and spread the fire further. AS darkness set
tied many acres were fire swept but Superin-
tendent Wedge was hopeful. Looking over the
blazing area, he said the danger Of the fire
spreading further was not so great There had
not been 90 hopeful time all through the long
hours he and his men had fought He searched
high and low for the name Of one man. to whom
he said he believed his company would owe the
preservation OF the rest Of its property. The
man could not be found. The man was a pipe
filter in the employ of the company He had
risked his life in the greatest danger, but his
effort promised success
The last tank 10 blow up at that time was
no. IA. After the top blew up and the