The New York herald., 1922-05-16
II Big Tanks, 400 Barrels of
Inflammable Fluid and
Other Property Burn.
ABLAZE YET EARLY TODAY
Foamite and Steam Fail to
Control Worst Bayonne Con-
flagration in Many Years.

A bolt of lightning struck a tank
containing 1.4OO barrels of oil at the
plant Of the Tidewater Oil Company
at Bayonne, N. j., yesterday afternoon
at ten minutes past o'clock and
started a fire that at o'clock this
morning had already destroyed prop
erty worth more than $2,0O0,00O At
that hour twelve tanks and much
other equipment Of the plant was in
flames. and an east wind was blowing
the embers toward other tanks in
other parts of the big yard Two of
the tanks on fire were filed with
naphtha, and an explosion was feared
unless workmen were able to empty
the tank before the flames reached il.
Officials Of the company said that 1t
would not be possible to control or ex-
tinguish the flames before the twelve
tanks had been destroyed, although most
Of the oil in them was pumped out and
saved. But at O'Clock the fire had de-
stroyed six agitator tanks, seventeen
continuous treaters Csmall tanks In
which the oil is treated). the refinery
and the pump house, and had damaged
the pipe lines and feed systems Of the
plant to such an extent that this loss
alone will hamper refining operations
for several weeks.
The intense heat, the rolling clouds OF
smoke and the rapidity with which the
burning oil spread from tank to tank
made the fire an extremely hazardous
one to fight. Several firemen were over
come by smoke. but only one George
Hendrickson. was sent to Bayonne City
Hospital. where it was said his condl-
tion was not serious.
A dozen or more employees of the
company were burned about the hands
or overcome BY the flames. but their In
turies were slight and they were treated
on the ground by ambulance surgeons
and physicians employed by the oil
company.
J. B. Edwards. general superintendent
of the plant, was in charge of the figh,
against the flames. and spent all night
directing his men. He would not esti-
mate the probable damage. but other
officials of the company said they
would be fortunate IL they kept the
loss within the S2.000000 set at O'Clock
this morning as the probable damages.
from which all the oil but 1.400 barrels
had just been pumped into steamer.
only few moments after a gauger had
clambered down the iron ladder from,
the top, where he had been measuring
the depth of the oil that remained in
the tank. The bolt struck with such
force that II blew the top off the tank
and hurled It on TO another tank con-
tanning 1000 barrels of oil. Both tanks
burst into flames and spread the fire
to two others. one of which contained
10000 barrels Of oil The oil In all the
tanks but the first one, however was
pumped out and saved.
Several OF the agitator tanks caught
fire with the first burst Of sparks from
the big tanks. The company's own fire
department tried to put out the flames
unaided. but with the constant spread
of the fire the situation became so
alarming that call for help was sent
TO the Bayonne Fire Department and
the Standard Oil Company. The Bay
onne department sent three engines un-
der command of Chief Alfred Davis, and
the Standard company sent several tank
cars filled with foamitc, chemical
used to fight oil fires
The fremen began to experience con-
siderable success with the use OF foamlte
and steam, but two hours after the
lightning had struck the waste oil
backed up In the sewage system of the
plant and caught fire. spreading TO the
refinery and the pumping house and
thence TO the pipe and feed lines. From
these the flames. famed by an east
wind. jumped the row of continuous
treaters. destroying them easily. and set
fire to other big tanks almost across the
yard.
Bayonne hremen said the fire was the
most serious oil confagration they had
fought In years. The fire was spectacu-
lar huge columns of black smoke roll
ing into the air and spreading over the
whole town and surrounding country.
II was visible for several miles
and attracted much attention along the
Nan Toraau ryatorfropt