The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-02-14
Tuesday Morning, Feb. IA, 1865.
A River Of Deyouring. Fire.

The Philadelphia Inquirer gives full and
graphic account of the great petroleum fire
which occurred in that city, and proved so
destructive of property and life on the 7th
inst We make the following extract: IA Il
The fire originated in the coal-oil storage
ground of Blackburn & Co., which is an open
lot facing on Washington avenue. Between
two and three thousand barrels of oil were
stored in this depot, the property of different
owners, awaiting transportation. The fire
quickly communicated from barrel to barrel.
twenty minutes alter the 1re was discover.
ed the courtyard and coal-oll establishments
were mass OF ruins. The burning oil eseap-
ing from the barrels streamed down Washing
ton avenue and around into Ninth street. pur-
suing its course southwark, and constituted a
perfect river of fire. The thick black curling
smoke marked the progress of the burning
fluid, and reminded one OF an immense auger
boring its way down the street, Kissing, crack
ling, aud seething in its career, filling cellars,
spattering against houses, and carrying de-
structlol with it. ~, -sssas's ~ SIS ss,A
Wherever anything like down grade pre-
sented itself the burning oil at once took its
course, and burning buildings marked its pro-
gress. In an incredibly short space OF time
after the escape OF the burning cOal-oi. a
great number OF houses on Ninth street, Els
worth street and Federal street, were on fire,
and owing to the unreasonable hour and the
Wretched condition of the sreets which caus-
ed some little time to elapse before the fire.
men in any numbers arrived, many of them
were mass OF ruins before the firemen could
bring their streams to bear on them. sl ri f
The streets being flooded with water and
snow, the water-courses and seWer-inlets be-
ing choked up, the burning oil spreading with
great celebrity over the surface, reached from
house to house on both sides of the way, and
ran in burning streams into the cellars. This
is what caused such an immense destruction
of houses. y
The scene that ensued just as the confagra-
ton was getting we'll under way beggars de-
scription. The residents of the streets named
were aroused from their slumbers, and before
many of them could obtain raiment sufficient
to protect them from the .'peliingsof the pitt
less Storm which ragged at the time, they-were
forced to leave their domiciles, just in time to
escape being burned to death. Women, hall
clothed and in bare feet, numbers of them
bearing children in their arms, were running
half frantic through the snow and slush.
Fathers and mothers In quest of children,
children screaming after parents, younger
d portions Of families set to watch goods that
had been saved, wrapped in shawls to protect
them from the cold and damp night air, while
the elder members were running about en-
deagoring to find place of shelter for females
and chiliren. and safe receptacles for their
household goods. j 81 ~ 7sf l.,r-v !
MI. Joseph H. Ware resided at No. 4, l2S.
South Ninth Street. On being aroused by the
light and noise of the fire, and finding his
house in great Jeopardy, he quickly woke all
the members OF his family, and pushed them
before him into Ninth street. At this moment
the burning oil was streaming past his dwell
ing, and, in attempting to effect their escape,
. his wife and children, seven in number, be-
came enveoped in the flames and perished.
Mr.. Ware made rnsh through the flames and
providendally escaped without much injury.
? He reached the opposite side of the street, but
= was totally unable to help any Of his family,
who were being literally roasted alive in his
z very presence. ssa s