New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-16
OIL MENACES DRYDOCKS,
Crude Petroleum COUers HObOkeR
Basin of Tietjen Plant.

Pouring oil on stIll waters has brought more
trouble TO the Tietjen & Lange Drydock Com
pany in Hoboken than is usually alleviated when
the waters are troubled. Several inches OF
crude oil which escaped from tho large oil tank
OF the Public Service Corporation three days
ago covers the entire surface OF the
basin" the quiet Hudson inlet where the dry
docks are situated. 1t is sluggishly washing
around the piles Of the piers and the tugs and
steamers waiting to go upon the ways 1t has
forced the drydock company to reduce the fires
IN its plant 10 screen its smokestacks against
the escape of sparks and to employ a special
patrol to see that not a man among its en-
ployes smokes lights a single match while
within the companys inclosure-
In the mean time the Public Service Corpora
tion is employing gang Of twenty-five men
who. with big scoops. are feverishly skimminS
the surface OF the basin" filing barrel upon
barrel with the oil which they scoop up and
transferring it back to the company's tank
This tank is part of the gas plant of the Public
Service Corporation. at 14th street and Willow
avenue. Hoboken, from which light is dispensed
to the surrounding city The tank holds from
10000 TO $4,000 gallons Of crude oil Three days
ago the feed pipe which leads from it TO the
gas manufacturing plant burst and for two
hours the oil flowed out in great volume. filing
the plants yard and thence draining of into the
10Th street sewer. which has it's outlet in the
Basin" and into the lateral sewer along Willow
avenue between 14th and 10th streets. which at
the latter point empties into vacant lot
This lot. which is $50 by 200 feet in area, IS
now covered with from a foot TO foot and a
half of crude oil. which the Public Service Cor
poration employees are also carefully dipping up
The gas company and Tietjen & Lange have
kept the whole affair uulet since the leak Oc-
CURED and were unwilling last night to an
swer questions 10 make an estimate cs the
value or extent Of the oil lost. The employees In
Tietjen's Lange's yard. however. estimate
that some six thousand gallons must have es-
caped before the leak was stopped. In conspic-
nous places in the yard are posted notices
warning the men against smoking or lighting
matches, saying that any one found doing so
will be Immediately discharged.
The property at stake is valued AT considera-
hlv over S1.O0OO0O. Besides the cOmpany's
plant there are in all nine vessels lying IN the
.basin,' waiting 20 go upon the ways inclu0-
ing four tugs and a ferrybOat. Adjoining the
drydocks on one side are the scandinavian
American Line piers. large sugar and mOlasses
warehouse and the Lackawanna 14th street
ferry Sins and house. On the other side are
the Weehawken coal piers. The slightest spark.
therefore. might cause a confagration rivaIling
that which centred about the damDurs-Aherl-
can piers in 1901.
THE destruction Of a large amount Of property
is also imminent from the presence OF the oil in
the vacant lot near 18th street. for Immediately
adjoining this lot IS large lumber yard.
]. p Morgan's yacht. the Corsair. and How
ard Gould's yacht. the Niagara. have been at
the Tietjen and Lange drydOcl<s all winter, but
were taken away two weeks ago
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