The New York Herald Newspaper, July 31, 1872, Page 3

TA AGRES OF FIRE Fearful Oil Conflagration at «Hunter's Point. LAND AND WATER ABLAZE. Nearly Forty Thousand Barrels of Oil Destroyed. HEAVY LOSSES IN SHIPPING. A Bark, Two Brigs, Three Canal Boats, Two ‘Lighters and Two Seows Burned. THE ELEMENTS IN CONFLICT Heroic Conduct of the Police Boat and Revenue Cutters. ~ P ? ete mem hat Sots Tans oO Burning Vessels Cut Out and Swamped. A FIRE RAFT ADRIFT. Narrow Escape of the Village of Port Morris. A Tempest of Flame and a Heaven of Smoke. Scenes and Incidents of the Fire. PROBABLE LOSS $1,000,000. ‘The greatest conflagration that has ever marked the history of Hunter's Point originated yesterday morning, about a quarter before eleven o'clock, on board a canal boat lying at one of the piers of the Standard Oil Refining Company. As most New Yorkers are well aware, Hunter’s Point is located nearly opposite Sixtieth street, East River, on the Long Island shore, and is the great entrepot of the oil trade of the port of New York. Here are carried on the refining and shipment of pe- troleum on a scale covering millions upon millions ‘of dollars annually, and the entire town is devoted to the trade in oil, It has‘many times been visited by fires of more or less destructive nature, but the conflagration of yesterday exceeds all past cxperi- ences of the kind. ‘The fire orignated in the hold close to the cabin ‘of the canal boat in question, the name of which ves- eel, however, could not be learned. She was lying on the morth side of the canal pler, and conse- quently on the upper or northerly side of the Standard Oil Company's works, A steady wind was blowing at the time from about north-north- ‘West, and as a consequence the whole oil yard and the buildings situated thereon, lying as they were to the south of the initial point of confagration, were in the pathway of the flames. The cem- pany’s docks cover a river front of not less than three hundred yards, and there were lying at the piers at the time the fire commenced about eighteen vessels of all kinds. Among these were nine scagoing vessels, loaded and about to load for European ports; six or seven canal boats, with oil brought mainly from Buffalo, and some two or three lighters and scows. It so happened that the canal boat on which the fire broke ont was the most northerly of all these ves- sels, and was herself lying outside of an empty lighter, and was about to unload on to the pier over the decks of the latter vesacl. AN of'these oil-carrying vessels became more or tess saturated with oll, and as soon as THE FIRE HAD BROKEN OUT it leaped among the barrels and almost imme- ately spread throughout the entire hola of the boat. The few hands employed on board fled to the ock, andin an instant the barrels below were bursting one ‘after another, sending out streams of flame and clouds of black smoke. Before any one could summon presence of mind enough to get the boat fairly’ adrift the flames reached the pier and then the work of devastation commenced. The pier was covered by @large storage shed, containing at the time 15,000 barrels of oil. In five minutes from the time the first cry of fire was raised the shed was a vast furnace of Jurid flames, and five minutes later the entire superstructure came down with a roaring crash, Fifty feet from this shed was another storehouse, containing about ten thousand barrels of oil, and a perfect sea of burning liquid rolled from the first shed into this building. Then fol- lowed another terrific scene of exploding barrels, followed by a steady, rolling stream of flame that crept along the ground with a sulphurous front of fire and an awful crest of smoke towering inky and dense into the air. , “Neany an the vessels were instantly cut off from the shore by ‘Smtr BUT 4 Wrbeeness of wreaTainc FIRF, and their only hope was in cutting adrift. , On the north side of the pier, close to the canal boat, the | brig Roslyn, of Nova Scotia, lay at her moorings, and atthe endof the same pier, within a hand- spike length of this vessel, was the bark Eddie, a British vessel, two-thirds loaded with oil, At the stern, of the Eddie lay the bark Elpis, said to be a Norwegian craft, with nearly a fall cargo on’ board, These three vessels being nearest to the incendiary canal boat ‘were doomed. There was no time to cast off or cut moorings, ho time to hoist sai), and their crews fed along the piers southward or took to the boats, ‘The remaining half dozen sea-going ships had a few minutes’ grace, and cast off their hawsers; and just then a gallant little tug-boat, which chanced to be passing at the time, steamed swiftly in and towed out the. two most imperilied vessels, and turned them adrift in the stream, By this time the other vessels had been blown to the south of the docks, and were out of danger, and, in company with a schooner and half a dozen scows and canal boats, arifted over to the New York shore, where they | clustered together in a group in a baven of satety. At @ distance of 100 feet from the jarge shed and to the westward of the river front were located four large Iron cylindrical tanks, each containing | from three to four thousand barrels of oll, and a tank containing about three hund barrews of naphtha. As the hy a Re id tained FIBLD OF BURNING OML on piers swept into the air carried over the tops of two of rd arose southorly of these tanks and the oll at once became ignited. Then these two vast cauldrons blazed forth from thelr summits, and sent long waving streamers of tire through the black heaven ofsmoke which engompassed them, and the scene became terribly grand. In the course of half an ir there was'a sea of fire raging over an area of aed, ten acres of ground, cating away the indations of the buildings, leaping through the i and spars of =the = ships, piers a: uh ge: if fite Vuvian tava sarkoue and. nosing ont on cataracts, and foatin ‘the surface ofthe river. Still further to the west- ward atood & large brick building, in which it is aid there are stored over tweuty-fvé thousand barreis of ofl. On the side of this building nearest to the river were the shops where very consider- able of the process of refining is carried on, sWas Igcated more Valuable machinery, NG NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, open awe child on one of the including what is Fiiown as the Cn Se Ingy bu eoaraned Dicccilar caren by the. fire, and failed th end of this briek baiding, with a smoke stack. In this were the engines, and fur- maces which fu ‘the motive power for the entire oil works, and this building was riddied ‘by the devouring tem: nothii but the four walls and the stack left undestroyed. Stil further south from the engine room was another stor: shed, with brick walls of one story in height, but this was not seriously injured, owing to the fact that a considerable a, space intervened between it and the ape ow fire, and the burn- ing oll floating along the yards had been almost stayed in its conrse. The greatest danger to these and other less ba! tage structures contiguons to them, was fromthe long sheets of flame which swept aloft and hovered in the air above them, ‘This last mentioned building formed one of the stores belonging to Coe’s Super-Phosphate and Fertilizer manufactory, and was the principal storehouse of that concern. There were two other sinaller buildings connected with the same estab- lishment, and these were destroyed. Fortunately # natural embankment, or ridge of earth and rock, ran across the yards from about east to west, ani the probabilities are thatif the burning oil had floated down so far as this ITS COURSE WOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED by this natural impediment, so as to throw the tor- rent of fire over the bank into the river. Within an hour and a half the entire Fire Depart- ment of Long Island City, in which corporation Astoria, Greenpoint and Hunter’s Point are situ- ated, was on the ground, but they might as well have remained in their engine houses. The fire apparatus of the of the old style hand-pump ¢; two or three rickety looking hecr and 1adder trneks, All whesé afé dra the ¢ by hand ropes, and as the en out at remote distances, there was considerable delay in bringing them to the scene of action. ha a operated under the old volunteer Aystem, an like the old system itself, a 8 oF lure. he of the fa About twelve o'clock 6! tanks, which hi just succumbed to the cont on of fire, burst, or more probably the iron walls of the great caldron being heated to a red heat gave way, and with a seethi: roar, like subdued thunder, the oil passed over the alread, Naming and calcined surface of the ground an added fresh majesty and new terrors to the scene. Great billows of deep red fire surged out Fpl fe i oremesti ge ated tras of very sui as_they at uy dense black cloud. Here and there a pennant of flame shot up clear through the ices of the smoke where the volume was not so heavy, and again a long sheet of fire with ra, edges would belch itself out in mid-air and collapse instantly like an exploded balloon. The only thing that triuny] was the smoke. Like the eruption of. a volcano it towered upwards for hundreds of feet, and then, meeting a stronger current of air above, it streamed lazily away to the southward, often veiling tne sun and throwing long, dark, thunder cloud shadows over the surface of the river. In the conree of the afternoon this line of smoke stretched away to the horizon and assumed the appearance of a stratum of rain cloud. Shortly after the burs of the tank the fire, swep’ By the wind to the east, ignited the surface olf In another tank of equal capacity, and this in turn thrust out its burning tongue and licked up the contents of the naphtha cistern only a dozen feet distant. BY TWO O'CLOCK THE FIRE RAGED with intensest thee The burning canal boat which hed originated the disasfor swung itself out. into the stream, and was making an infernal dis- play to the terror of all passing craft, An ocean of flame swept over ten acres of ground below and hissed back defiance as the streams of water fell with futile sputterings against its face. The great domes of smoke were pee upward pell mell, a8 though some Titan below were hurling black mountains into the air; the masts and spars of the vessels came down with » crashing reports; the tirc crept over the bulwarks, out on the Nae ‘and jatted Jike cannon flames out through and scupper holes, Looking at the fire from the river, THR SCENE WAS AWFULLY GRAND, and it was easy to ceente up an old-time naval battle, with bi and ships grappled and colliding in conflicts. Hundreds of small boats—many of tl doubtiess, manned by river thieves marking ont plunder to be stolen at tn ag fall—hovered around the blazing docks, ran close under the sterns of the burning ships, and aided in their puny way in rescuing some of the anoat. ‘AU naley it two "Oiclock the shat 4 Seneca looked Ii AN ANIMATED HERO as she dashed in among the smoke and threw tor- rents of water from four nozzles on to the decks and into the holds of the ships, and the conduct of her commander and crew cannot be too highl; commended. For six hours this vessel grap} herself close up to ulls, and swamped them with water, flames, and, having butted her prow ering sides so as to drive them ashore, where they could endanger no The housetops of Astoria and Hunter's Point, as well as the river banks on both sid ‘upon as points of vantage by thor is of specta- tors, and the high ground on the river front in New York was covered with serried lines of People, who lingered all the afternoon and late into the evening to watch the strife of fire and water. Within the inclosure in which the oll company’s property stands all was either DISMAY OR CONFUSION. There were about three hundred men employed oy, the Standard Conpeny, and these were running hither and thither, blackened, scorched and be- pee aiding the firemen in a ‘hopeless fight. Mr. josiah Macy, Mr. Beach, Mr. Rockafeller and the entlemen identified with the leading inter- | ests of the corporation were here, there and every- where, rushing through thickets of smoke and risk- ing their lives, in their anxiety, in a way that would have ‘shocked them in their cool ler moments, It was useless for the members of the press to ask any one for information, No one knew anything except that there was fire, and that it was terrible as a whirlwind. The managers of the concern said they could not give even a rough estimate of their losses. Chief Engineer Snyder, of the Fire Department, said he knew nothing in the way of details, only everything seemed ablaze. ONE MAN ALONE seemed to know something, a ragged, blumf North of Ireland man, with face blackene by the smoke and striped with white channels where the sweat streamed down his tired looking face. This man was Michael Kendrick, an employe of the Standard Company, and a member of Engine Co. No. 5, of Long Island City. On being questioned by @ HERALD reporter he made a statement as follows:—About half-past | ten o'clock I was engaged in filling up the tanks with barrelling onl, when I noticed a man running past where I was working, greatly excited. He was coming from the direction of the canal, and I asked him what he was running for? He said, “there was a canal boat on fire at the canal dock,” and passed on. Iran over to the canal dock to see what was the matter, and when I got there I saw the smoke and fire rising from | the boat. Ido not know the name of the boat, but, she was loaded with oil and was lying outside of another vessel—an empty Ighter—which was close alongside the dock. A number of our men, belong- ing to the yards, had turned out by this thne, and we tried to push the burning boat away clear of the dock with long pike poles. We got her out short distance, but she came back peta with the wind in half a minute. The Are was too hot now, and we Were obliged to Jeave here, ag’ {he Qre, strack the DCT alld set tne pea On ure. | seemed, the fire jumped over everything, and I | know nothing further Lerig that everything is ablaze ag you see it now. I donot know anything about the losses, but they will be ver’ my The canal boat which took fire had proba ly nm or sixteen hundred barrels of oil on board, and 1 be- | lieve she is the vessel that has gone up the river with the tide,’” ‘THE RUINED REFINERY. a pre DOW known as the Standard Ott Company's Works, but were formerly called the | Long isiand Company's Oil Refineries, Josiah Macy & Co. were at that time the controlling own- ers, but the leading members of the corpo- ‘vation are now said to be Rockafeller, | Flagger, Macy and Andrews, The — bnild- ings, plers and machinery are estimated to have been worth about three hundred thousand dollars, It was impossible last evening to estimate The work they cannot Jall short of $1,000,000, could be made ap last night :— THE BURNED PROPERTY. Thirty thonsaud barrels Of on in tanks and bat rels on the dock, and nbont five thousand barrels | afloat on the burned vessels. Value per barrel, $10. | Three large oil tanks of boiler iron. A cooper shop complete, with tools and large | stock, Three large storage sheds and several smaller oncs—wooden structares. t he | {housand barrels of superphosphate, $8 per parrel, | Two large brick buildings, used as engine reoms and inachine rooms, together with the engines and refining machinery. Abont eight hundred feet oC ters and bulkheads, | almost new, burned to charcoal and ashes. | “One hark and two brigs, wooden vessels, gating about one thousand eight hundred tons, Three canal boats, one scow and two small lighters. ‘One large Fab dag building, belonging to the Superphosphate Manufacturing: pany. The oft refining establishments adjoining or near- est to the property destroyed are the Empire Oil Works, the Pratt Astral Oll Company and the Day- } light Works, None of these compantes have suffered any material loss, and this is @ somewhat remarkable circumstance. The Pratt stores in the same enclosure with the Standard Works, and We ecems as if NOTHING SHOWT OF A MIRACLE could have saved them. At one time, too, fears were entertained for the ha and a la amount of freight and rolling stock belongin, the Sonthside Kailroad as well as the Hunter's Point Ferry Company's buildings, but fortunately the fire did not extend so far sontiiwardby, | On board one of the canal boats which were lestroy was a pair of mules, and the a ed if i id unfortppate animals bravely and patiently endured re. ve an & minuce, it | with any approach to accuracy the total losses, but | a The sollowing | is as accurate alist of the property destroyed as | burned boats ped pe the fire, but there was no truth in man ‘end chila referred to had very, arrow es cape, but they were not Labi ite in the afternoon Macy tel hed to New York for ® steam fire engine. Fire Commis- sioner Blair paires gine fo. 16 and a spare engin pal ut as soon as they arrived the Hunter's Point vol- ‘unteer firemen PROTESTED AGAINST THEIR PRESENCE, on the ground that they were, opposed to any inter- ference or assistance from a paid fire department. The afair created considerable unfavorable com- ment toward the volunteers, ” It Wasa subject of much discu: appeared great remissness onthe part of the great refining companies in neglecting to provide themselves with steam fire engines to be kept on their own premises and worked by their own em- Pploy¢s when emergency required it. Atone o'clock a number of canal boat Captains and men who had come down to New York early in the morning returned to look for their vessels, an it was’ really painful to witness the anxiety of the poor fellows, most of whom no doubt had their entire worldly pos- sessiong invested in. their — bai Some of them actually cried and sobbea like children. Another expressed his anxiety solely for his two children whom he had left on board the boat, and eer SD his hands with joy when he saw that his boat had been safely towed out into the stream, Shortly before twelve o'clock the river police boat Seneca, Captain Speight, arrived at the scene of the disaster, The Captain, on his own responsi- ‘bility, assumed this course, as Hunter's Point is not in the Metropolitan district proper, but his action ‘was fully endorsed by Superintendent Kelso, who lespatch to the Captain to proceed with all othe fire, When this m reached tho ee at it had sireudy been two hours on tho Nes Captain 8) it arrived he had an onerous and terrible task before him. The spectacle was at once terrible and magnificent. Dense, volumes of smoke anced Di unto the heavens, while thick masses of dames, ming!ing with the murky dark- ness, made the panorama Ae kgs PICTURESQUE IN THE BXTREME. As the police boat could be of no assistance to the flames on the dock it immediately turned its atten- tion to the burning vessels, and In a few moments four powerful water upon fie brig Eddy Heléna. At this time there were burning upon the river three large vessels—the Elpis, the Eadie a and the Roslyn three canal boats, ion that there fro Nentow nud two pres ay y*. wlatare, com oa na han described. vesstiewete led to the water's with bar- rels of refined oil; two of the canalboats were Teady to leave, having received their full cargo and, with the other vessels, had more or less of THE INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL on board. 8o little time elapsed between the time that each of them became enveloped in the devour- ing element that. they may id to have caught simultaneously, and the police with great wisdom directed their efforts to rave the vessel that seemed to be the most valuable and the least injured, The fire apparatus of the police boat formerly belonged to the old Metropolitan boat of the same service, but they have been lately re- pared and renovated, and yesterday was the first iny in which they were subjected to a new test. mney could not have had a better baptism of re; boat to grapple with go extended and so terrible danger. ie brig Eddie, which it was first attempted to save, had almost received its full complement of oil, and was to have left her dock last evening; but as she laid near to the canal boat from which * "ORIGINATED ALL THE MISCHIEF, She was the first tocatch, She lay right in the canal opening to the north of the oil yard, and twenty minutes after the conflagration broke out could not be distinguished except as a sheet of flame. Nothing daunted by a spectacle which was suiticient to appal the most stout-hearted, the po- lice boat went right for the burning vessel, and in @ moment a terrific war of the elements was entered upon. FIRE AND WATER ling madly for the mastery. Theimmense ity of oil which the vessel carried momenta- ly fed the fames as it caught, and the efforts of the gallant firemen seemed for a time to be abor- tive; but when the water had been Playing for about half an hour a slight reduction of the fla became apparent, And this moment a singular and thrilling incl- dent occurred, One of the canal boats, which was moored close to the dock and which was being rapidly consumed, broke loose from its fastenings, and in @ moment was carried out into the middie of the river. The action still further stimulated the flames on board, and when it had reached the mi die of the river it might be literally said to a cataract of fire. The thousands of people on the banks and the innumerable boats of every descrip- tion in the river, which were FILLED WITH EXCITED SPECTATORS, watched the scene with intense interest. For a moment the canal boat lay first in the centre of the stream, but a breeze fMeshening up she suddenly sprang forw: and belching forth a deluge of smoke and fire, dashed swiftly up the stream. The oil becom! ‘water, it stro; juanti scattered over tl also be- came visi! for some space around with the flame; but clearing away a little, the burning 5 peat was seen to ment veel] daiana ip 4 fatal precision, carrying terror an may inhabitants on both sides of the river. enced fireman on the police boi been the witness of such an exciting spectacle. He could compare it to nothing, sald, but a FLOATING FIELD OF FLAME. For one hundred ards on each side of the boat the water was ignited, and the union of water and oil blazed with irresistible power. The boat ed through Hell Gate, and was lost to sight, it after a time it seemed to have come to @ sudden stop, as its smoke could be dis- tinguished for miles on both sides of the river. Duri this time the police boat had not been idle. The indefatigable efforts of the firemen, deck hands and Re peace had been partially successful, and the Eddy looked as if it were going to be saved, when @ new disaster which took place precluded any BrORaRnIty ofsnch @ result, Like th ‘anal boat, the brig broke away from its moorings, and, clearing @ passage Jor itself through the floating oil casks and burning débris, commenced to driftalong the banks of the river towards Astoria, The police boat immediately gave chase, uring its four streams of water upon the burning wreck all the time, and the scene became fearfully exciting to the spectators on the shore, the river and the boat. The Eddy, however, did not drift far. The Seneca got front, and a ton of water pourite, into the Eady every minute soon brought it to a standstill, about 200 yards trom the place where it originally stood. je Senaca got alongside again and settled itself steadily down to its work, and a ens range being got the flames in the stern eud of the boat were soou in a fair way of being extingnished, At this time an unlooked-for and by no means fortunate interruption occurred, The United States steam tug Cat- alpa, which had been despatched from the Navy Yard to render any assistance in its | power, steamed rapidly and came alongside of the Eddy. The Captain said to the commander of the olic? boat that he would undertake to pat out the re in the Eddy, and that Captain Speight might proceed to the assistance of the other vessels which WERE IN MORE IMMINENT DANGER. Captain Speight reluctantly aud the police bout steamed away and made fast tothe Roslyn, a large brig of 600 tons, which was on fire in every part, the Ad toppling over and the rigging total royed, The Catalpa in the meantime struggled manfully to complete the unfinished work which the Seneca in the eddy, bat in a few minutes It found (hat it jam, wd had Je! that I had failen heir toa task ir beypni vas able to cope with, the partially subdue bursae® forth with tenfold ardor Wien pn! posed 6 the eingie stream of water, wat: ag all that the Catalpa Was able to pour upon them. The fire crashed yg x THROUGH THE SIDES of the vessel, in which immense holes were soon Visible, the tall masts rocked to and fro, threaten- ing at every moment to topple over upon the tng. | The blazing ol! poured into the water in regular streams, BARREL AFTER BARREL BURSTING and adding to the fearfal grandeur of the scene, The tug Tamataly endeavored to stem the current of destruction, but the struggle was an unequal one, and afier a few vain efforts it | was forved to content itself — with Med itl water. upon the stream in which — the flames had been previously almost conquered, The police boat by this time had got bravely to } work upon the Roslyn, and with the same effect that had alrendy attended its efforts to save the ae The Roslyn, fortunately, had very little oil board, on Properly, not more than two hundred | barrels, and this accounts for the length of time it | was in being destroyed and its comparative safety | alter being exposed to ‘A CRUCIAL TEST OF TWO TOURS. { Tt lay close to where the Kady had heen before she drifted, aud in immediate proximity to the canal boat in which the conflagration had origin- al ‘The Seneca was forced to push her stern | right in between the two burning vessels, and al- though the position was one fuli of perii, it heid it with undiminished piuck and tenaci The four RFFECTIVE STREAMS OF WATER were again brought into requisition, and thas be said to have cut directly sirough the burning rig- | ging, masts and decks of the Koslyn from stem to stern. Assistance had not come a moment too soon. One half hour would already have burned her to the water’s edge, and as it was, the most durable and valuable part of the brig had been ren- dered utterly useless, The policemen and flremen made the most heroic efforts to extinguish tne flames, and efforts such as theirs could not fail to be crowned with some measure of success, After the la of twenty minutes a visible change could be observed on the Roslyn, The columns of smoke were as thick as ever, but tie flames had partly diminished, and it seemed as if the Roslyn stood some chance of being saved, It was now two o'clock. The fire had been MORE THAN THREB HOURS RAGING, and rere, or ever was there a spectacle of ruin an #0 sudden and complete, The view from he river was magnificent in the extreme. Look- ing from the river the burning reservoirs on the shore presented the appearance of triumphal columns of flames; the docks were lined with the ingumerable bar rrels of burning oil; the blazing vessels on the river scattered short distances from each other, the canal boat fax up the stream, the crowds of spectators on either shore, agd the hie for rarely has it fallen to the lot of any | nsented to do es | - | now seemed to be | who did not understand tne operdtions of the prac: i | presence of mind, and the feat w: ACRES OF OIL SEPARATED on the land, and the intensi own flame precluded the ity of any boat ap- proaching i with safety from the river; so stern necessity compelled the reluctant alternative of abandoning it to its fate. The gp boat went on laying on the Roslyn with increasing assi- Butt , and already the greater part of the flames on the vessei ad been subdued, when a cry was raised by several of the men, we are on fire ourselves, Get the boat out, or we will ‘be destroyed without & chance of escape, ry one rushed to the stern of the vessel to ascer- ain what the new and unexpected danger was,and found that the peril was not in the least ex- ved. ¢ fatal canalboat, the source of all the mis- chief, and which seemed to be the presiding genius of destruction, had burned down to the water's edge. When it began to sink in the water the oil poured out into the stream, and, scattering all around, sent asheet of flame up the sides of the olice boat near to its stern, To add to the danger which it was placed it lay 80 close to. the re that it had become entangled in the sides of the latter, and when the engineer went to take it out it was found to be so fast imbedded as to be almost immovable. Captain Speight, who was on the side next the Roslyn, called out, ‘All hands this way,’ a com- mand which was instantly complied with, and more than @ score of strong arms went to with a will to ge the Roslyn a shove off, and, if possible, save e pretty Seneca from the fate which threatened every craft around, Berengtn, ree and prepons of mip carried the day. The Seneca lure! the whee! IT FROM AID and extent of its Is turned and it steamed out in safety, amid cheers from the crowds on the shore. ‘The deliverance was not eifected an instant too soon. Amoment longer and the Seneca would inevitably have caught, and its light frame and delicate timbers would not have offered much re- sistance to an element which for a time was MONARCH OF IT SURVEYSD. After lying for a few minutes in the middle of the stream ano! charge was made upon the Roslyn; more be, ee bona on in paren and in about on ¢ flames were appear- ance aaa ohana and extinguished. ‘The proximity of the Roslyn, however, to the BURNING DOCKS AND CANAL OATS rendered it necessary that she should be further removed from the scene of destruction, and a ro) was made fast to her bow by the deck hands of the Seneca. More steam was put on, and a powerful effort was made to haul the brig out, but the rope slipped off and she continued to stick fast. A sec- ond attempt was made, and this time everything went lovely; the anchors were not able to hold the burning vessel, and she was hauled out with ease and taken to a point of safety. All this time the Eddy was being rapidly con sumed, The Catalpa continued to pour its one stream upon the bark, but, if as in mockery, the flames jumped higher and higher and grew broader and broader, Cpe the power of the puny stream, which was kept bravely up. Relieved of the Roslyn;which, to all appearance, was entirely safe, Captain Speight resolved to roceed to the assistance of the Catalpa, although annoyed at the manner in which lis chances of swimming the Eddy had been spoiled by the tug. The dense smoke rendered it impossible to approach the brig from the side nearest the shore, and in consequence both tug and boat were forced to operate from the same poin' THE INCREASED SUCCOUR made no change in the result, the fire had gained too muen headway and though the fresh volumes of water seemed for « moment to hold the flames in check, the shortlived hope was speedily dispelled, and a fresh fire unexpectedly appearing on the Roslyn, Captain Spelg it again steamed to itaaid, to find a more dificult job than he had anticipated, as the bottom and hulk of the vessel, in which the fire had been only smouldering, had again seriously caught. After an hour's hard toiling the vessel was finally pronounced out of danger, and as the smoke from the boat far up the river continued TO INCREASE IN VOLUME, Captain Speight, fortunately, determined to pro- ceed to where it lay and.ascertain if there was any danger threatened 4 it to the surrounding ship- ping and shores. While the boat was steaming square scow, which was parttally con- sumed, was hauled away from the dock and the canal boats, uy @ number of men on the shore, who made a rope fast to it and hauled it up the canal out of danger, at the same time extinguishing the flames upon its deck. When the Seneca passed through Hell Gate the floating and burning canal boat came in sight. It was lying in the centre of the stream, near to where a sloop Was moored, wea opposite Port Morris, and in sight of Flushing. large number of boats, attracted some by ow ity and some by the hope of plunder, lay thickly around, but very prudently KEPT AT A SAFE DISTANCE as the Senger too near approach was plain manifest. Every inch of the boat wascovered wit! flame, and not one foot reat that the fire would every moment shoot up to the height of more than forty fect. It wasevident that the Seneca could render no assistance, and Captain Speight directed her to be moored to a canal boat which was unloading coal at the Port Morris dock: At this time the it rang for dinner, and the tired policemen and deck hands, exhausted with month yi ot washed themselves and were about to Pp with their meal when a new and more terrible danger sprung up, and the most thrillin, incident of the da; The burning boat y took place, peut by the tide and the wind, slowly continu: to drift, but so slowly thatits motion could scarcely be apparent, but watching it attentively for a mo- ment it could be distinctly seen to move. On the docks of Port Morris, which is chiefly used in warehouses for coal and wood, immense quanti- Ues of lumber stand, and, if the foating fotilla of fame would but once touch the banks of the river, no power could save them from total destruc- tion. ing moored to the coal warehouses were a number of canal boats laden with coal, which were being unshipped from them and being placed in cars for transportation, The police boat hurriedly LET GO THE ROPE THAT HELD IT FAST, the men had to defer the consumption of their din- ner, the frightened inhabitants, they having at the first alarm hastened to the scené of the disaster. The und the boat was headed towards the acre of fame pean the river, wisely, however, giving it as wide a@ berth as possible. The drifting had by this tine became rapid, aud the destroying element rapid) advanced to the shore, which was lined wit® entire population had turned out—women with babies, old men and children, young men and maid- ens—all impelied by the same feur, but animated by the same terrible fascination, were crowded upon the piles of lumber and coal, watching with a terrible anxiety the approach of the canal boat. EXPECTATION WAS WROUGHT TO A HIGH PITOM, The boat came closer aud closer to the part of the shore where the largest portion of the lumber was piled, and Captain Speight had ropes made fast to the canal boats and was proceeding to haul them out, When a cry arose of “Allis sale; the vessel is aground!’ And so she segmed to be, as she struck within a few yards of the shore, near to the only heap of stones in the river, with her stern, or what was left it, pointed at the shore, The ropes were Jet go, from the canal boats farther np, but in an incredibly short space of time the doomed | boat was aioat again. Turving completely ‘vouhd, | ¥ she landed (farther uy team, 8c directed ike Borie, He ete te if little creek, which ran into the stream, on the ed aide of which jutted out @ wooden gangway, which the drifting loat must Inevitably strike AS Soon a8 regehod, ty be | YE te 8 ik cohort aad AVING THE JATTLE PLACE audoned, The police boat was | compictely powerless, in the circumstahces in | which it was placed, and could render no assist- | ance. The shore presenfed no obstacle which couid obstruct the passage of the burning element and preserve the doc! The Inhabitants were panic- stricken and incapable of action, looking ag if the ruin by which they were threatened had com- pletely stupefled them “l it looked as if, by common consent, the devoted spot was to-be given up to destraction. All that the police could do was vu to get the COAL BOATS TO A PLACR OF SAFETY, | whicn she proceeded to do, the commander of one of them, & buxom woman, 1 substantlal and i very fat, wringing her imnds daring the operation, | the very picture of misery. Despair settled down | upon every one who wes ft witness of the thrMing | ene and all were preparing for the final act in the drama when a dark looking vessel ; could be seen clearing lis way through the dense smoke, and when it escaped from It it proved to | be the revenue entter Brent, whieh tm an instant | bore down upon the burning boat, Its bow ran | right with the fame, at the same time pouring a stream of water into it to protect the men whe were operating. In an instant it streamed out aguin, leaving the position worse than before, as | the boat was pushed nearer to the shore, and a cry | of astonishment was raised hy the spectators tised seamen. ain the Bronx made for the wreck, and a cry of terror went np from the assem | bled crowds, as a number of men on the bow | conld be seen pinnging headiong into the flames, | which was quickly changed into one of admiration, ) when, the cutter emerging from the smoke, it was jound that she had flung ah anchor into the centre | ke burning Mass and made it fast by a strong | chain. A LOUD AND PROLONGED cHERt greeted this un:xampled display of bravery and in incontest- able proof of the superiority of discipline and train- ing bay untrained zeal, no matter how well inten- | tianed. As the boat was being turned Into the stream the action shook the oil and the blaze in- creased tenfold tn volume and extent. ‘The boat, too, beran to break into fragments, and the oil poured into the waters, not calming them, how- ever, but troubling them fearfully, the_ river being ignited in a dozen places at once. The remains weve pulled into the centre of the river and the er, lez to until all possivitity of further danger re joved, Evening was now setting in and the Seneca’s head was turned towards Hunter's Point again, which it in about twenty minutes, to fina that the Elpis, the bark which Jay further down the lock the in at the early part of day, and which no effort could be made to save, had been towed up stream by a tug, and was of the bow yessels contina- 5 lying | of | Re ' General Committee ¢ | Sulzberger, M. Thalmessinger and N. -1872.TRIPLE SHEET. aur- they had at any had in ight, bers: Setere as bright th . The oaiyn, not soon smoke from a few smouldering em! and her RUINED MASTS AND BLACKENED SIDES opp oat sign of lame. Groups of ruManty- ing men in small boats were pulling aroun end to snatch up anything of value that might turn up, but the presence of the police de- terred them m any open act of robbery, and they contented themselves with spotting what they de- sired, prefe! to wait for the cover of the night before they would confiscate the coveted popary x efforts It was useless to expend any more time to extingnish the fames on the Elpis and Eddy, and Captain Speight contented himself with bring- ing iis bodt to an anchor, Where it lay during the reater part of the evening to guard against any fresh peril that might possibly arise. By this time the fire’on the shore had gompietoe exhausted its fury, and, save the column of fame which continued to burst from one reservoir and a few seattered embers along the decks every- thing had been extinguished, When darkness came,upon the scene, and the shades of night settled down upon the disaster, the view upon the river was singularly beautiful. Far as the eye could reach, north and south, the shores and villas of Astoria, the long rows of ware- houses in New York and Brooklyn, Blackwell's Island, Ward’s Island, Randall's Isiand, the ship- ping in the river and the spires of the surrounding churches were ILLUMINATED WITH THE BRIGHT BLAZE from the burning boats. The masts and rigging of the countless vessels, and every place of vant- age upon either shore were crowded with specta- tors, while from bank to bank of the Hudson stretched an arch of smoke. . All through the night the vessels continued to the flame shows no sign of diminution, and will probably continue to burn the entire day if the sup- ly of oil they contain continues to hold out. On he shore the work of ruin and desolation is com- plete; everything of value is destroyed. On the river three seagoing vessels, three canal boats, two barges and two lighters, all utterly destroyed, bear witness to the power of the fire fend and at- tegt his terrible power, mong the Incidents of the fire may be men- tioned the singular rise of large flocks of pigeons, which penetrated into the smoke where it was densest, looking like small spots upon a wall of tar. The ship Celestial Empire, which was being Joaded with oil at the docks, was at pe He in great danger of being consumed, having caught fire in two different pl noes, tae the steam- tug Day Spring, Captain Rose, which was towing a barge up the river, came to the rescue and suc- ceeded in extricating the Celestial Empire from her hposieas position and bringing herto a place of fety. ‘Too much praise cannot be given to CAPTAIN SPEIGHT, SERGEANT SPENCER andthe deck hands and policemen of the Seneca police boat for the noble efforts they made during the fire, and to them must be attached the credit, of saving from total destruction a large amount of valuahe property. Both officers and men did ad- mirably, and they are a credit to the Police Depart- mentof the city. The United States revenue cut ter Bronx and tug Catalpa also greatly distin- guished themselves, particularly the former, and they are entitled to their full meed or praise. The fire muy be pronounced one of the most memorable which has ever desolated the shores of the East River, not only from the Immense destruc- tion of Property, bat also for the thrilling in- cidents, daring adventures and humane efforts it brougiit into play. A GREAT FIRE IN JEFFERSON, TEXAS, JEFFERSON, Texas, July 30, 1872. A fire broke ont this morning about three o'clock in the Freeman building, burning all the houses on both sides of Dalias street, from Market to Wall. Hayward House, the finest hotel building in the State, and the Manwarring block are gone. Loss, about one hundred ang fifty thousand dollars, CHARGES AGAINST UNCLE SAM. Allegations from Hidden Sources—Detect= ives of the Secret Service Bureau and Deputy Marshals to Violate the Election Laws in North Carolina. w GREENSBORO, N, C., July 30—Midnight. The following special despatch has just been re- ceived here from Goldsboro, N, ©. “Reliable information received leads us to believe that federal detectives or marshals have been ap- pointed for all voting places in the State. The plot now seems to be to vote the negroes in a rush early on Thursday morning, then to create a riot or dis- turbance, in order to afford detectives an oppor- tunity of seizing the polls and ballotboxes, Be on your guard and avoid all disturbances. A Senator, who shall be nameless, isthe author of this infamy. He has written to deputy marshals in various parts of the State to appoint detectives, and asserts that the govern- ment intends that the election must be carried for the republicans at all hazards.’ This information isin part confirmed by an influx of Northern de- tectives in this section, some of whom I have known to be connected with the Secret Service De- partment of the United States. B’NAI BERITH. tdi all ill Semi-Annual Mecting of the Great Jewish Order—Presentation to Mr. Julius Bien. The order of B’nai Berith—a tort of Hebrew Ma- sonic order—in the United States is a compara- tively recent organization. [ts design is mainly benevolent. It is divided throughout the United States into six districts, the first of which prises the New Engiand States, New York and New Jersey. The order numbers about one hundred and eighty lodges and 15,000 members throughout the country and this district about five thousand mem- bers. The semi-annual meeting of the first district B. B. was held in Irving Hall on Sunday and Mon- day. About two hundred delegates were present. the above members the district lodges bave a be nevolent fund of $60,000, The annua! sassion of the order for this district wil be held here in January, 1873, The annual convention of the entire order will be held in Chicago in 1874. In 1871 the Grand Lodge, District No. 1, appointed a committee aod appropriated a certain sum to provide @ fitting testimonial to Mr. Julius Bien, of New York, its worthy President. During the late session this testimonial, in the shape of a silver tea service, was presented in the nawe of the | Grand Lodge by Grand Alaf Morris Goodhart, ina | brief and appropriate speech, which was tittingly | responded to by Mr. Bien. This geuyeray has | been connected With the order almost froin tts in- ception—twenty-five years—and has wately tts progress and had a ‘hand io making it a su 8, ‘The tea wn bears the foliowing mscription, beauti- fully engraved :— OOO ONTO CEDELEEL ELEN be. eocrecrecenreeee: Brother JULIUS BIEN, President of the Independent Order B'nai Berith, by District Grand Lodge No. 1, asa token — bro’ y entéem and afiection, and for his reat dévotion in the discharge of his daties in gthe cause of cigs enntent and humanity. Mi. THALMESAIN, OEM. GOODHATE, 8. KARPELES, New York, July, 1872. AODOALIOLOLEDEDOL ECO DERE. Committee, eeeccceerceres 3 nocvortersecooceeessen stay Several amendments to the district constitution were presented and referred toa special Committee of Seven, to be considered and reported on ata Jutare meeting. Some of these look toward a re- duction of the number of representatives tn the Grand Lodge, and rotating the annual and gemi- annual meetings among other district towns, tn- stead of meeting twice 2 year in this city as it now does, On Sunday a grand banquet was set for the delegates in Irving Hall, at which short and inter- esting speeches were made by Mesat: fen, Fulk, | Goodnart, Judge Rosendale, of Albany, Judge Koch, of New York, Falkenburgh, Fox, Ehinger, ‘Thal messinger and Dr. Band!, and a pleasant, sovia time Ay Egy . The oMeers of the Grand Lodge are M. J Bien, President Goodhart, 6, A.; Jos. ¥ G, Y.; 8, Hamberger, G, G, Marks, G, 1. Wf. nsists of Dy. Priedt-h ‘The Grand Lodge adjourned to meet i sion in this city next January. COULD ANYTHING BE FAIRER THAN THIS? How to Settle the Stokes Case, New Yous, July 20, 1873, To THE Epitor or rH” HeRaLp:— Should Stokes be again brought to trial this fall | and a verdict even obtained there will still be left undecided and remain an ugly question for the “profession”—the very important medical points raised and disputed by the scientific and amiable doctors, Now, I would suggest to those having the case in charge a plan whereby the necessity of having another long, tedious and uncertain trial, with all its attending trouble and expense, may ve obviated, and at the same time a more direct, det. nite and just decision on all points be ren- dered, and one that 1 believe will give entire satisfaction to the public. Leta “juryman” bo selected, with his mind, of course, as blank as possible, then let himin the precise manner atid place shoot Stokes, as Fisk was shot. Now, if under the treatment of those doetors, who claimed to “belong to a school that cures,” he recovers, of course he js not guilty of murder, but Fisk's doc- tors ny be, on the other hand, should he dle under their scientific manipulations, they are guilty—of what? This just and impartial plan will decide the question in dispute, upon which each party has staked his reputation for veracity and ngs ier et Lang! Cah Ch ‘ad public will ented and yours, truly, ly ahi 6. JEFFERS. burn with unabated vigor, and as we go to press | ‘The reports that were read showed that besides | 3 LARGE FIRE IN FORTY-SEVENTH STREET. Loss One Hundred Ti.ousand Dollars. One Life Lost and One Man Injured—Slaughter Houses Consnmed—Seventy-five Head of Cattle and Six Thousand Hides Burned. An extensive fire broke ont last might on the premises of Mr. Eisner. The first alarm was given about half-past ten o'clock, when a light jutting flame was seen to issue from the south end of the slanghter house. After a very brief investi- gation it was found that the fire had taken its origin in’ the stable where some two or three dozen horses were stabled, all of which were rescued from the flames. About seventy heifers were burned iu consequence of the sudden headway made by the destructive element, Some two or three hundred sheep, kept in the upper story, were also burned before any timely assistance could be rendered, The length of the whole building was 150 feet, and breadth about one hundred and twenty. The whole houses covered nearly half a block, and were all solid frame work except the foundation, which was of brick. ‘The wood being exceedingly dry was immediately ignited and flames suddenly burst from the whole concern almost instantaneously. The flames reached up to as high as the fourth story win- dows of the adjoining tenement houses, and it was considered miraculous that only one of these was burned down. The loss was computed to be more than one hundred thousand dollars, About half-past twelve o'clock one sad death was re- corded. Mary Donahue, a child two years of age, in 854 First avenue, was discovered by Officer Ben- nett . LYING DEAD UNDER A PLANE in the burning tenement house, and was with great diMculty brought out before she was burned to as ee A blind girl was rescued by the same offlest. The greatest excitement prevailed around the locality, and nothing was audible ex- cept the horrible groaning of cattla, sheep and mingled voices of women ani children. One man, representing himself as an agent of the Atlantic Fire Insurance Company, was arrester by one of the police staffin the burn- ing tenement house holding in his possession two or three bundles of valuable cloths, which marked him out immediately as A SNEAK THIEF The owner of the rupoeey. Was so excited during the scene that very little regarding the insurance could be gleaned from him. It is asserted, how- ever, on good authority, that the whole was in- sured for over two-thirds its value. There is noth- ing heard or said relative to its being the work of an incendiary. THE FIXINGS IN THE STABLES, harness, wagons, &c., were all burned up, also a large quantity of hay, straw and grain—material which gave fresh and very flerce STRENGTH TO THE SPREADING FLAME. A large stock of meat, ready for the market and valued at from two to three thousand dollars, was also entirely destroyed. The horses alone were saved by the timely aid of the stable men, Four engines were promptly in attendance at the third alarm, which was given vehemently about a quar- ter to twelve o'clock, The fire engines did gook work in a very brief space of time by GUARDING THE OUTSKIRTS, and preventing by their vigorous exertion the cons summation of a whole bi of tenement houses, in which. very many families were residing. For a time it formed quite a contrast with the terrible fire at the other and opposite side of the river. Both fires illumined the whole sky and gave the atmosphere a most brilliant appearance. TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT EXPLOSION. The James Malburn Explodes Her Boil. ers—Fifteen Men Killed and Othern Badly Scalded. CHIcaco, July 30, 1872, A terrible steamboat explosion occurred on the Mississippi River, about two miles above McGregor, Towa, about one o’clock this afternoon, The raft boat James Matburn, bound up, exploded her boiler with fearful effect. me ‘Of twenty-five persons on the boat only ten are Saved, as far as could be ascertained at the latest accounts, and several of these are badly scalded and otherwise injured, James Malburn, pilot, was badly wounded; Har- vey Pierce, first cngineer; second en- gineer; J. Bradford, fireman} Alexander Apple- ite, Jon MeNorton, scalded; L. 8. Lahore, aniel Hoyt, slightly injured; Thub Smith and one child (Ole Hanson) were also injured, The following are missing:—Captain Matburn, Tom Wilson, pilot; Pat. O'Neil, fireman; Henry Tilburn. Known to be killed—Charies Young and a child of Mr. Smith, The cause of the accident is not yet known. 2 RAILROAD SLAUGHTER IN KANSAS, An Entire Train Wrecked—Five Perso: Killed and a Number Wounded—Spec lation: to the Cause of the Slaughter. DENVER, Col., July 30, 1872, A terrible accident occurred at about 1 o'clock yesterday morning, on the Kansas Paciiic Railroad, 115 miles east of this place, | The westward bound passenger train, consist- ing of two slee’ cars, one first class and one second class coach, and the baggage and express cars, ran through the bridge over Coon Creek. The entire train, exeept the sleeping cars, was wrecked. Five persons were Killed outrignt; a number were wounded, some of whom will probably die. he killed were ali ip the, Second class car, THE KILLED are:— John Serger and wife—German emigrants; they leave two helpless children, Susan Riley, from Treland, on her way to relatives: residing hers. A German girl, name unknown. Jolin Soderguest, residence not stated. 12 WOUNDED | are Marie Leschoender, aged eight years. hip badly crushed; John McLaughlin, train boy, seriously Edward Manvill, of flannibal, Mo., sligiitiy; Wallace, baggage master, seriously; — Burg | mad agent, and —— Cutler, express agent, 5 i 8 bh ag the news of the accident was tele- graphed to Denver a special train, with surgeons } and nurses, was sent ont, and every possible care will be taken of the injured. The accident 14 supp to have been caused by & waterspout bursting over the creek and washing Out the suppo. tg of the bridge. Wak DEPARTMENT, OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFiUPR, MINGTON, D, ©, July 31-1 A. M. Probabirities, e Threatening weather, with rain areas wii! pre- vallon the lower lakes, extending eastward, wittt | southerly and easterly winds, through northern | Pennsylvania, New York and New England ; souther- fe ly and westerly winds and partly cloudy weather in the Middle ani South Allantie States and Gut Stat Clearing and cooler weather, with nortner- ly and westerly winds in the Northwest and the upper lakes, extending to the lower lakes and Ohio Valley on Wednesday atternoon, The Weather in This City Vesterday. The following record will show the changes in the temperature for tie past twenty-four hours in cot. ‘on With the corresponding day of last ated by the thermometer at Mudnut | macy, Heracy Lullding 1871. 1872, “4 18tt. % BM oP, M. | Average tempe: | last year THE JERSEY MUNIOIPAL OONVIOTS. Governor Parker Appoints Their Suce cessors. The conviction ant sentence of the Police Com- missioners of Jersey City created vacancies whieh were filled by Governor Parker yesterday, The fol- lowing are the new Commissioners :—William W. Tart, in place of Thomas Edmondson; Matthew Monks, in place of Thomas A. Gross; James Flemming, in piace of Ezekiel M. Pritchard, and Henry Gaede in place of Frederick A. Goetze Jacob Z Marivus, who was ay late Legislature in joint meet | reputation {8 proof inst indictments, holds over, so that with ox O'Neill the Board stands four democrats and two repubiicans (Messrs Flemming and Marinus). It stated that the present Commissioners — will “i oun here is not the shadow ol authory for their exercise of municipal offices. The Attoiney General, whose opinion practically settles this Varstioe, i ads to také prompt action against them if they attempt to exercise any oficial function «fter this date, There was great rejoicing in Jersey City, not merely ta political circles but among the taxpayers at large, when the announcement ‘was inade yesterday the the obnoxious Police Commission was Ro More.