New-York tribune., 1922-05-16
Bolt Hits Oil
Tank CAUSING
$l,000,O00 Fire
lightning Starts Explosions
in Tidewater Company
Bayonne Plant, Lasting
Hours Until Early To-day
Staten Island Car Struck
Hundreds of Women and
Children Rush, Terrified.
From Terminal; 3 Injured

Lightning struck gasoline tank con-
tanning 1,4o0 barrels Of oil in the yard
of the Tidewater Oil Company, Ba-
yonne, N. j., yesterday afternoon.
causing a Ire that spread with great
rapidity, destroying ten receiving tanks
and seventeen others used in oil con-
version.
The outbreak started late in the
afternoon during thunder storm
Fought by combined forces of the Tide
water and Standard Oil companies and
the Bayonne Fire Departm it was
said to be under control at a. M to-
day. General Superintendent J. B. Ed
wards, of the Tidewater Company, said
at that hour that he could give no Off
cial estimate OF the loss. From officials
of the Fire Department it was learned
that the damage would probably exceed
81 900 900.
Lightning Hits Street Car
Almost at the hour the fire started
another lightning bolt hit Port Rich
mond surface car standing in the st.
George Terminal at Staten Island. set
ting FIRE to the car and throwing sew
eral hundred passengers who were
leaving the terminal building into
panic
After fire forces of the company had
neen engaged more than two hours in
an effort to suppress the blaze. aid
was asked from the Bayonne fire de-
partment and five pieces of appara-
tus responded.
At midnight it appeared that the fire
would be controlled without further
loss, but later new explosions occurred
and additional fire apparatus was sum-
moned. From that time on the fight
was concentrated on preventing the
spreading of burning oil to adjacent
properties.
Adjacent to the burning oil tank
we're eight agitators used for refining
oil, these containing large quantities
of infammable material. All these
caught fire and were destroyed. Pipe
lines connecting the agitators with the
tanks were also burned out These
vii! have to be replaced before bust
ness can be resumed at the Tdewater
plant.
When the agitators took fire it ap-
peared that four other large tanks CON
tairing thousands Of barrels Of oil
VAS then called, and the arrival of the
apparatus resulted in preventing fur
th"r loss. Firemen Of the Standard
Oil Company plant, which adjoins that
of the Tidewater company, helped in
the fight. They used chemical engines,
running lines of hose from their own
plant.
Tank Explodes When Struck
The first tank to ignite was directly
hit by the lightning bolt. 1t exploded.
blowing the top off. Ten minutes be-
fore a gauger had been at work on top
of the tank. He was wiping his hands
on a piece Of cotton waste, taking shell
ter from the rain under a small sned
near by. when the crash came. The
top of the tank landed on another oil
reservoir close by, setting it on fire
also. Later the fire spread to third
tank containing 10000 gallons of oil.
The explosions are said to have been
caused by gases formed by surrounding
heat. More than score of frcmen
and employees were burned slightly.
Three women were removed uncon-
scious from the Port Richmond car at
Staten Island after it had been struck
by lightning. The lightning struck the
trolley pole and ran down into the car
setting fire to woodwork. More than
100 persons were waiting to take cars
on the Port Richmond line. The sud-
den crash of thunder, accompanied by
car, caused them to rush wildly for
cover. Women and children rushed
through the terminal gates screaming
in terror, and difficulty was expert
enced in calming them.
Ten highschool girls who were in
the trolley car, unable to escape be-
cause Of the crush, kicked windows out
and got out by that route. There were
no serious injuries.