Year: 1873




| ire broke out yesterday afternoon about half
past one O'Clock on tank boat lying near the dock
| OF the Standard Oil Works Company, Hunters
Point, destroying two talk boats. three Darges,
injuring the brig Oscar and making total wreck
OF the company's tanks and sheds on the dock.
The oil works are located Immediately opposite the
hospital at Backwell's Island and the premises are
bounded on the north by the canal on the south by
Tenth street. the east by Front street and the
west by the river. The frontage OF the works ex-
tends a distance OF 65) leet, and back as far as
Tenth street there is depth of some $50 feet. The
tanks were three in number, besides a new one
with capacity OF 1000 barrels, which is in pro-
cess OF construction. The sheds were nothing but
frame buildings for the most part only one story
high.


THE BOATS IN THE CANAL


The Darges and tank boats which were destroyed
were Immediately In front OF the dock. the tank
Immediately beside the dock being water tank,
while that upon which the fire broke out lay inn
mediately outside of IL in the canal. Westward Of
and adjoining The inside tank was the barge Nor
ris Barnes, beside her being the barge Globe, and
little further out in the water was the barge
Sturtevant, having the brig Oscar lying beside
her. Only few yards distance nearer the
river lay number of barges, briggs ana
boats. The tank boat on which the fire occurred,
had on board the captain man named Myers, and,
as is cOnjectured, deck hand. On board the other
tank boat Captain Cody was alone. The barge
Morris Barnes had ON board Captain Deedy, his
wife, ana his children, a little boy and girl. On
board the Globe were her captain his wife and two
Children and his ssterinaw and one Child. The
Sturtevant had on board the captain, his two
children and a deck hand.


THE FIRST SHOCK.


At about half-past one O'Clock the terrific sound
OF an explosion was heard for a considerable dis
tance IN all directions from the oil works and the
hremen OF Long Island City, at once divinng that
some catastrophe had occurred along the Oil DOCKS
fastened to get ready the fire apparatus such as 1t
was. Even IN the short space of time it took to do
this they seemed to have been tardy. A crowd in
the neighborh0Od of Tenth street, outside the
Standard Oil Works Companys premises,
showed the nremen where their services
were needed. Such feeble fire appliances as
Hunters Point could AFFORD were not likely to stay
or check the rapid fight of name in such place,
so that within q few moments boats, barges and
the c0mpanys works were all In a blaze. Help
was at once sought from all sides, and as speedily
as possible 1t came; but even within ten minutes
it was needed only to stop the fire from seizing
within its grasp neighboring premises. The scene
In the vicinity or the fire during the
first hour after II broke out was so excit-
ing as to be even terrible. Scantily as
is the neighborhOod populated, 1t seemed as II
every man and boy capable Of moving had turned
cut to see the fle for mile around: and fears
were felt, as is usual on such occasions, that the
flames would creep up the entire length OF the
canal. The police turned out in full force and
guarded all the entrances to the dock, and the
crowd was therefore obliged to be content with
speculating or with seeing as much possible
from advantageous points. AS the fire was visible
from its start to the passengers on board the
Twenty-third street and Thirty-fourth street
ferries, the number of spectators was constantly
receiving additions. Everybody was inquirlng of
his neghbor the particulars of the fire, but man
knew much about 1t as his neighbor, and the only
point OF information that was freely given con-
sisted IN the TACT that about this time year ago
fire had occurred at the very same dock. At that
time, however, the fire was OF more popular
character for 1t extended considerably more to
the southwark, and the names rose In brilliant
pillars whereas now the only constant column
ascending was huge one or smoke.


THE PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.


The boat III which the fire broke out was empty,
while that beside it was filled with fresh water to
be used for the engines. Though the boat was
empty yet IL was filed with all sorts OF vapors and
gases and saturated with OIL for this boat was
stantly in use carrying The unreined oil to the
dock. 1t need not, therefore. be said with what
rapidity the flames travelled, nor how grecdily
they were received by the adjoining boat and
Darges, all oil which were used in the business OF the
on Company, nor how the thinnest fiame once risen
and descended, and caught anywhere among the
sheds, would envelope the entire vicinity In
whole block OF name; for there were mere some
seven thousand barrels OF oil stored, various de-
grees OF process. 1t was even wonderful how
long time 1t took for the fire TO devOur the entire
place; but this fortunate comparative sOwness
was due TO the circumstance that the tank lying
Immediately beside the dock was filled with water
and this to an extent dampened the ardor OF the
flames. But once passed the water boat there
was no further check. The most that could
now be done was to try to confne the
Dire, and, as may be imagined, there
was not much time to think at all
during the time that elapsed between the first ex-
plosion on board the tank boat and the more terri
tic one which occurred when the sheds were
reached and the solid pyramid OF fire rose In the
air, stretching ITS point far up into the heavens;
then It's lurd brightness gradually resolving itself
into black and murSy mist.


COMBINING THE FIRE.


The Long Island City Fire Department was soon
present In full force numbering some seventysix
men, with six hand engines and three trucks,
under command OF Engineer John NJ. Snyder and
his assistants Murray and Murphy. Speedily also
on the ground were steamers IL and 13 OF the
Brooklyn Fire department, under the COM
mapd Of Assistant Chiel Engineer John Smith.
The towboat Cncle Abe was soon put into
service on the east OF the oil works, throwing
Joining, while one OF the Williamsburg ierryboats
did similar service from the west side. Opposite,
on the other side OF the canal, owners of property
protected themselves by using their own hose
freely, the fire being thus attacked from every
quarter. The fire ragged most nercey during the
hrst hour so, the three bargeS being all in
flames. rhe brig oscar also caught fire, but was
fortunately towed out to the river without sustain
ing serious damage. All the barges briggs and
boats that had been lying in the vicinity OF the
compapys dock when the fire broke out were
towed down the river safely before the fire caught
the oil barges.' AT about four O'Clock the hrcmen
had worked so hard and the boats had done such
good service that no fears were entertained OF the
spread OF the flames beyond their present confines.


how ORIGINATED.


Various rumors were afoat as 20 the origin OF the
fire. but the one generally credited was that which
ascrlbed to Captain Myers the misfortune OF care.
lessly using lighted match.


Stories went that the Captain, IN lighting a cigar
carelessly threw the match away. or that, having
hnished smoking he threw away the end OF the cl-