The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-05-03

From the RinsbtEgh Gasste ofysaSday.ls
Disastrous FIre---An OIL Tank Struek
by LIEhtnInE---SixtyT Thousand Doh
lars Worth OF OIL Destroyed.
On Tuesday evening, about eleven
o'clock, during the severe thunderstorm
which visited this region, an oil tank,
belonging to the Fairview OIL Company,
WAS struck by lightning. The works
of this Company were situated at Fair
view, about nine miles up the Allie
gheny, and were all new. having but a
shorttile since commenced operations.
At eleven O'Clock, as stated, the light
ming struck the main tank of the Com
pany, and about the same time the
house of DR.. Herr, adjoining the OH
works, was noticed 10 be on Dire. The
flames were kept down pretty well, un-
til about four o'clock in the morning,
when> the main tank burst, on ac.
count of the intense heat, and nothing
could be done 70 save the oil or proper
ty adjoining. when the main tank
bursted the flames were communicated
to an adjoining tank that had Just been
built. A bulk burst, belonging to Fish
er Brothers, and lying up there at the
time, was filled with oil from the main
tank after the fire had commenced, but
afterwards took fire itself. The boat
was cut loose from the landing and
hoated down the river some distance,
when tow boat tied to 1t and took It
into the landing at Squaw's Run. This
boat contained about one thousand bar.
rels Of oil, and was still on fire when our
informant left. The capacity of the
main tank was about twenty thousand
barrels and had in it, when the fire broke
out, eighteen thousand barrels of crude
oil. This was all lost with the excep-
ton of the one thousand barrels taken
of in the bulk boat, which is, in all
probability, lost also. The capacity OF
the second tank was fifteen thousand
barrels, but 1t was just new and had no
oil in it. .lE
During the progress of the flames
yesterday morning, the steamboat Wm.
Barnhill went up the river with some
empty barrels in tow. The Captain
of the boat rendered the use Of the
empty bulk boats to draw off the oil
into, but afterwards thought it not pru-
dent to venture in with his boat, as the
heat at that time was intense, the flames
covering the space OF about an acre on
the river bank. The steamer Dick Full.
ton also came up with some empty
bouts, but too late to do any good. The
FairVisR Oil Works, as stated, was a
new establishment, and built IN i'm
proved style. The owners were Messrs,
Emil Schalk and DIR. Arnold Herr, of
Pittsburgh, and Chas. Lenig, of Phila-
delphia. The total loss of the company
in oil will amount to $50, 900,
on which there is no insur.
ance. The new dwelling of DR..
Arnold Herr, situate near the refinery,
was also consumed. The building was
valued at three thousand dollars, OH
which there was no insurance. The
furniture in the house yyas valued at
twenty y-tive hundred dollars, on which
he had an insurance, but was not GER
tain but that the policy had alrdady
run out. The agitating house and
pump house of the Company were also
destroyed. The cost OF constructing
the two tanks mentioned was eighteen
thousand dollars, but the Company
think they can be replaced for about
six thousand, as they were made of
iron, and hence damaged only by the
explosion.
The Company intend commencing
operations as soon as the ruined and
damaged property can be replaced.