New-York tribune., 1910-11-10
| KILLED At BIC OIL
TANK EXPLOSION FIRE
Workman's Body, Blown High
Into Air, Drops to Earth
Eighth of a Mile Away.
TIDEWATER PLANT WRECKED
Shock Caused by Bursting Giant
Containers in Bayonne Felt
in Brooklyn-Flames
Still Raging.

| Lower New York Harbor, the frovn-
| ing walls Of the Palisades. the Jersey
| coast for miles and the towns within d
| radius OF twenty miles of Bayonne were
cast into brilliant prominence last night
when the great oil tanks OF the Tide
I Water Oil Company. at Constable Hook,
I we're partly destroyed in a fire which
did more than $4,000 damage.
One man was killed and several more
are reported missing The cause of the
fire was given as spontaneous combus-
ton. 1t was still burning az an early
hour this morning, and viii probably
continue 70 do so for the greater part OF
the day.
In addition 70 the briIIiancy Of the
scene for a wide area because Of the
great tongues Of flame that shot far into
the sky terrific explosions shook New
Jersey towns. breaking windows and
chinaware and frightening people out OF
their houses into the streets. A woman
was thrown out Of her bed and her arm
was fractured.
1t was shortly before 8 o'clock when
the first tank. No. p Of the Lombard
stills. blew up. Almost Immediately the
big bells OF the Tidewater Company
tolled the alarm. summoning every man
employed in the works. Within a hun
dred yards Of this cOmpany's plant are
the oil tanks OF the Standard Oil Com
pany OF which the Tidewater is a sub
sidiary concern This company's en-
pIoyes, to the number Of more than six
thousand. Joined forces with the others
and prepared 10 do what they could to
stem the blaze
Terrify People Far and Near
Tank No. "a contained more than
forty thousand barrels Of water white
kerosene OIL. and when the explosion
occurred II blew the iron roof from the
tank. The burning oil. set at liberty.
was projected into the air in a single
long, flaming stream, and IL lighted up
the sky like a huge rocket and terrified
people In HobOken. Jersey City and
neighborinS towns.
The great tank was in the middle Of
the parafine section of the Tidewater
works. Spread in a huge circle all
about the big tank We're ten tanks OF
slightly smaller size. all also filed with
oil. Just adjacent To the largest tank
was the stillhouse. and here il was that
Charles Belitz. OF Avenue g and 18th
street. Bayonne. was on duty alone. A
dozen other men We're at work in this
section, but were not So near the big
tank
II is certain that BeIitz never knew
what happened for with the blowing up
Of the tank the still house. a brick
structure, was totally destroyed. His
body must have been blown a great dis
tance into the air. for when il was found
it was more than an eighth OF a mile
away
While a huge crowd gathered on the
neighboring hills and points OF vantage
10 watch the work Of the flames. the
smaller tanks. like a huge display Of
fireworks. went on in terrific explosions
at irregular intervals Every burst was
followed by great tongues of fame, and
these transformed the surrounding hill
into startling relief.
Made the Earth TreubIe.
With the force Of the deafeuing de-
donations people in Asbury Park and
Manasquan. on the coast, distinctly felt
the tremor of the earth. and in PasSaic
and other nearby settlements. the re-
suits were even more sharply defined
The employees OF the oil works. almost
ten thousand in number, and trained To
cope with just such situations. soon
found that they were helpless % pre-
vent the destruction of the oil plant OF
the Tide Water company In this crisis
the fire department of Rayonne was
called out, and frebOats on the Hudson
and the lower East River also were sum
money 20 their assistance.
The flames now famed by a breeze
Continued uag~