New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Lost
In Brooklyn
OnTank Fire
Continued from page ]

put out Of commission half an hour
after the fire started by the explosion
OF the twelve-inch main steam pipe
thereafter the flames spread from tank
to tank Some of these contained
naphtha. others gasolene, some paraf?
me, but all of them some sort of re-
fined oil. far more inflammable than
crude oil.
At O'Clock last night ten of the
nuge, gray steel storage watts were con-
trlbuting to the monstrous. black, fun
nei-shaped cloud of smoke, which, rest
ing on several acres Of billowing fame,
was visible from any point in the
greater city and the cause of wonder
among the crews of ships miles at sea.
Big Fire-Fighting Force
One third of the fre-fghtirg force of
the greater city was engaged in fight
ing the fire. At o'clock in the after
noon borough alarm" was turned in
az the direction Of Fire Commissioner
nomas brennan. who, with Acting
Chief Smoky Joe" Martin. was earlv
on the scene. At dark a Twenty-third
Htree. 1erryooat loaded with fremen
ie1t Manhattan for the Greenpoint Soc
ton OF Brooklyn. These men we're TO
relieve the exhausted men who had
Deen on duty all afternoon in a heat
that bilstered their faces and hands
oHiclals of the plant said it was fu-
tiie 1or them to attempt to estimate
the loss 1t was believed it would he
nearer 100000 than 81 900 900 do
penang much on the success that re-
waroeo the efforts to keep the flames
from crossing kingsland Avenue. Forty
plant between Newton Creek. K;nrss
land. Normal and Greenpoint ayennes
across kingsland avenue are siytv
otner tanks, most of which contain
crude Oil. N0'''a'"
100000 Gallons at Plant
me total capacity of the plant was
roughly estimated yesterday at 11o
ooo'ooo gallons, divided among tanks
to $4,000 barrels. CHS
Inc refinery is inclosed bv a concrote
wall ten icet high on three sides The
fourth SIDE is bounded by Newtown
Greek. The wall incloses about seven
acres of ground. Beneath this ground
Is an antr!cate network of pipes. Some
OF these are part of the refining
process, but others are oil pipelines
WIN arms extending to Bayonne, y. J..
Long Island &ity and one or two other
Standard Oil plants. 0'''e'
oNN"iiie apparent Yesterday
mat the fire was beyond control. much
OF the Oil was sucked out of the tanks
and pumped to the other plants. milns
away and out of danger. The intense
neat from the burning tanks, however
Ign ted many Of the exposed nines
causing them to crack and snurt
geysers of fame into the roaring in
ferno. ''s AZ
Tank of Naptha Exnlodos
Late in the afternoon n tank of
naptha exploded All afternoon tho
nremen had kept their pitiful!y made.
quate hose lines playing on this tank
and ats twin, also filled with naptaa
Then someone cried warning. The
top OF the tank flew high in the al,
with roar like the sigh of tree
giant. Flames mushroomed out owe,
the sides. They reached to Kings
land street, which gisects the tank
fold. The street was tangled net
work of fire hose. Here and there
were ambulances and fire fighting We
hicles, and about 1000 men, firemen
policemen, reporters, employees of tn.
plant and few small boys who had
slipped through the police lines sew.
eral blocks away.
The first blistcring wave Of flame
swept aver this gathering, scorching
their faces, but turning their blood to