The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-24
THE OIL FIRE AT MONTREAL.
MiddletOn's Warehouse and Contents
COnSumed-6OO,OOO Gallons Of OIL De-
straved.
e Montreal Gazette, August 20.

strOyed.
From The Montreal Gazette, august 20.
Between IL and o'clock on Sunday morning
August l8, fire was discovered in one of Middle
toms coal oil stores on the line of the Grand
Trunk station. The store was about 800 feet
long and 20 feet wide 1--WE Judge these figures
from the eye), and contained, we are informed,
$1,000 barrels of coal oil, each barrel containing
40 gallons, and making 100000 gallons. The hose
was laid. but the firemen found that they could
do very little good inside the building, for the
barrels began rapidly to burst. and blow
with sods and earth for better protection
IRON the nSe without th 1ra ahese 6arTeIs h
bursting of course went on with increased
rapidity as the heat became intense within.
and shortly hundreds and thousands went
together. We should explain that beneath this
building the st. Pierre creek runs towards the
and commencing at distance of about two
hundred yards from the coal oil shed, many
hundreds of buildings are erected on wooden
sleepers, in fact, il passes through very
populous suburb; and here lay source of terri
BILE danger The barrels; as tney burst poured
towards the city, which was only 200 yards on
This roaring flame. on the surface of the creek,
sands Of barrels Of OIL o7erflowed It's natural
bank, making stream OF forty or fifty feet wide
flowed, went slowly rolling forward, a column
OF the most furious fire, threatening the entire
suburb. The whole city was Illuminated, and
we are informed by passengers who came up
by the boat that they saw the light thirty
ON the other side of the railway track, within
forty feet were two other coal oil stores con-
tanning 10000 barrels of coal oil and benzine.
To save these other stores, and to prevent at the
same time the fire rolling into the suburb, was
the object of the hour, and the crisis was Bu-
preme. To arrest the column 1t became evident
that nothing but stopping the current of water
above, and throwing up dams or dykes in the
intervening space between 1T and the city, would
be eftectual. This work was accordingly COM
menced with extreme energy, men on the spot
working with spades in intense heat, and men
at little distance from the stream cutting
large ROdE. which others carried In their
and threw on the dam. Before the first dam
could be completed the liquid hre came on, but
ment already raised The men retreated about
q hundred feet, and commenced another. The
suffered greatly, but did not finch. In about
half an hour the second embankment was COM
psted to the height OF @ f1ree t feer t anG It was
began to overflow the first, and came rolling
along against the second. Again the heat com
ment was commenced forty or fifty feet more
distant The fire, however, did not pass the
second embankment, the back of which was
kent wet by the hose playing upon it, to pre-.
vent the sods from burning and the clay from
crumbling away. A still further embankment
was thrown up at the bridge at Grand Trunk
street, as measure of ulterior precaution, and
this was the last
Chief sent word to Mr.. Perry that unless he
could come with assistance from his side, he was
afraid the stores on the opposite side of the
in the same way as that on fire) could not be
saved, and with their ignition nothing could
save the Grand Trunk Works at Point St.
Charles, in the immediate vicinity, and large
portion of the city. Assistance was immedi-
ately afforded, but at this point the fire was
most furious. A culvert passed under the track
of the railway connecting the two sides oppo-
site the oil stores Through this cuIvert
flowed the burning oil, which ran along the
ditch Immediately In front of the other stores,
and the fierce flame was within ten feet of their
be done was for the regmen to shelter t6s
selves behind the embankment, keep the sods
wet and throw water on the doors.
There was shunttng track alongside of the
store which was burned, on which were four or
five cars, and nothing can convey better idea
of the heat than the appearance which the
remnants of these cars presented after the fire.
The wheels nearest TO the sheds, which were of
cast iron, were melted away, and the fire which
melted these wheels was not 40 feet distant from
the stores on the opposite side, and, in fact, 1t
flowed only about 10 feet from their doors. The
nre was set to this store, beyond doubt, by an
incendiary; and we regret to have to state that
the first line OF hose which was put down was
cut open by some miscreant within three min
ntes after 1t was laid. over a week ago notice
was given to several of the insurance offices,
in writing, that this store would be burned
down, and two OF the insurance agents, for
q week past, have had watchmen there. The
value of the oil destroyed very great. We don't
know the exact value, but reckoning the 600, 900
gallons at shilling q gallon, we shall have q
value of $l20, 900, besides the sheds and cars
burned and damage done TO the railway track.
The IRE lasted in force from one to eight clock.
Il is still burning as we write. We understand
| Mr.. Middleton was very slightly insured. The
| Oil belonged TO various parties, many OF whom
could not obtain insurance on It, We nave
| heard IL stated that all the insurance COM
| pRnies will suffer, and some of them heavily
II is said the Western, of England, loses $l0O OOC
G5 Se 'ne 70 Thsse are the
largest amounts. The others are losers, but not
80 great.