, 1870-07-02
THE PITTSBURGH OIL FIRE.
OiITanks struck by LiEh1ntnE-Ffvc
OIl I4efincrie~ m Flames - Tho
ShnrpsbS1rgh bridge Burncd-Onc
Mum Burned TO Dentl-A Terrible
Sct.fE-Eicft&uu IuclueutXs

OIL Retiucriex m Flames Thu
Shnrpsb1rGh Bridge Burncd-Ont
Mnn Burnch TO Dentll-A Terrible
scenc-EicitingI Inc1dentss
. Ffoaa lie Pittsburgh Commercial. June g.
One Ct the most disastrous oil conhasrn
occurred yesterday afternoon, in the Eight.
eenth Ward, opposite the borough oi
Sharpsburgh, resulting in the entire de
Bttuction Of the Eclipse Oil Works and the
| partial burning Of the Ctizens and three
others, and tho destruction Of the sharps.
bnrgh tridge. The terrible contagration va:
cansed BY the simultaneous striking by Light.
nlng Of two oil tanks-ono belonging to the
Citizens and the other to the Eclipse Oil
Works. One life was lost.
The refincries are situated on tho Pitts.
burgh bank Of the Allegheny river, and ex-
tend from q short distance above the Sharps-
bureh bridge down the river distance OF a
| half mile.
Tho citizcns' refinery buildings arc located
on the bank short distance above the bridge,
ncaz the road running down to tho bridge,
Upon the opposite side Of the road lay the
| Eclipse oil works of DR.. H. W, G. Tweddle,
| there being number OF tanks near tho cornai
where the road turned down to the bridge
Below these we're the still houses, treating
houses, and other buildings, the Office being
down near the railroad track in sort OF
hollow between tho refinery and the bridge.
1t Was also tho office Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company.
Near the works, and just below them, was
the elegant residence Of Dr.. Twedale, and &C.
companying buildings.
Below and adjoiuing this were. in the fol.
lowing order, the other retneries, some ot
which were considerably damaged: Forsythe
Bros, Duworth's. Bells, and the National
Refining and Storing Company.
The Eclipse works have been in opetatior
foa the past four years, but great improve.
| menta have been made within the last year,
| and the works contained eo1ne Of the most
valuable machinery in the United Stases,
there being in the works pa1atine press.
| one OF the finest in the country. This, to-
shipment, WAS destroyed. Tho property was
owned principally By Dr.. Twcddle, and occn.
| pied about ten acres Of ground Nothing but
pile OF asLes is left Of those extensive works
The Citizens' Company works occupied about
| five and quarter acres, and had 4 capacity OF
10000 barrels per month
In February last, q bill in equity WAS filed by
the sha1psbnrg Bridge Company against The
CiIizena' Oil Refining Compauy to restrain
| them from constructing their tanks in suct
in case Of fire. a preliminary Injunction was
i granted hy Judge S.errett, but tho Citizens
| Refining Company had given notice OF theii
intention to appeal to the Supreme Court, and
the case is still pending The accounts gener-
ally agree tbat the bridge did not take frt
I
| erablo diversity Of opialon as to whether the
| bridge caught from either OF tile redneTies
| some alleging that the roof Of the bridge wa.
Observed 10 be burning before the floor tim.
bers caught at all, thus giving rise to the in.
! preston that the bridge WAS also struck By
| lightning,
! Shortly after o'clock there loomed mp
around the horizon black, threatening clouds
and the rumhling thunder told of the terrific
storm that was approaching. In few mo
ments the wind became almost tornado; vivid
flashes Of lightning and terrible peals Of th1I-
der followed, and soon the awful work u de-
| yaEtaticn commenced,
About half-past o'clock the lightning
struck simultaneously 90 000 barrel tank be.
longing to tho Eclipse Works and one pelong.
f1ou, these .ct fire 10 tho adjoining promises
aud flowed rapidly down to the bridge, setting
| fire to all buildings that came in its way, ant
coon the bridge was enveloPed in ffamcs- I
was but an instant and pail as black a. hid
night settled over the entire vicinity, and mer
we're fleeing from the terrible scene without
| being scarcely able to see their way. The
! flames swept down upon tue Offices wLtre 11r
4. F. Foster, the bookkeepcr OF the Eclipse
Works vas sitting, aud few{charred remain.
| are left to tell his sad fate.
A man named Valentine Holly jumped from
the second story Of the Eclipse Works aud
was bruised; he was followed by man named
Patrick Wtlch, and they endeavored to assist
tie family Of d.: Tweddle to escape A cooper,
;nrat in ;n1,n;,," 7ro,,, tha ,r;n5nw nd ,nI tad
! to be taken to the hospital.
In few moments the scene presented was
indcscribably and nw'fu1ly grand The spccta-
tor who stood upon tho hillside abors the
,aai ~ sas,.1a,s.a.;a ~, ctt y. .41
,,-q';n. .onI saii;,,r,., 49,, i',1t,t., 50 - y. =
just below him. From each tank came rolling
up immense columns Ut dense smoke, aud ever
an4,n,s - fo,i"1r -. n;,a4s ~ n,ot ~ 49, IT,
,,,se.J o,,x' ~ - l,,,aa oa,,,a - ti.s,
apmfau af.o eo. A., uue euna IL t. y. olaeh
n;e NJ ,I H. s.ran;r ~o'G [, " .as "G.e
9g Huin!ag. an ana L., re :'s, asen1ng 10 houss or DI.
a a"euuet n',a al9 lue " puuus ~ .ue Eeup6s te
tiam3a t'' natnnd ~ th;s cenrIr thraa1,
t|,c rrnotc lin Sha17sInroh orriIDs sy,s n Re
sae,' .Taari 1ognaJ 80 h,-;r. - t. ~
otor;, ~ ~, 80, = fa'i e,.e 49, -
i,;e'. ;-. ~ % t,,a o1r III -. eito ~ y. .a.e
and aerncn, Ike f1oated b;aainr down lie cnp-
rent. e11N~ N-N''>@ 's' ~'>N
Just then there arose from the burning masa
OF the Ec1inse r1ins tho screech1nr of tha
| steam e.rotin, from tho larra hnilera md
tI,c crowd frcy hack in r,onsntarr eTnact,. -..
ton Of an explosion. The valves whistled and
ecreecl,ed in a tone that sounded like the
mourning OF some unknown monster over tLe
awful spccsaclc.
| The cou1acration extended along the river
hank for nbout half a mil. and w. tes ~ t,,o
Allegheny Valley Railroad wc.e set on dre
and the rails warned into almost eTery CON
| ceivable shape.
The air was fi1led with burning ciudcrs. and
| some of the frat str7,ck and icnitetl A tank al
crude oil belonging to Foreythe Bros.. and also
eet fire to the tet,iinr and aeitatinr hnnse ~
the National Reii1,ing nd Stoniny Company.
over quarter OF milo below the place where
M. John r, Rail. we're also nart;alIv burned.
A large uun,ber al tanks. fortnnatrIT. eacane,1.
| Al the National }Torls the I1dcnnndanrc sarni
il tank near The burning hu,l5inr hy tbrowinc
a steady strcam Of Water. The incLor Re,
| fincry. Duworth Bros.. owners. wan also
sIrhf{v ;niured
| Nr. Tweddlo esi;na.ea the total 1oss at 1s
n1ace at about S:ssN nm ~ wh;ci, 10 hau q ~
insurance Of sso'00 His ioss IN I'm buiid-
| ings and oil MACHINERY was about al00. 900. and
| on oil $50. .0OO and on naraffine and machinery
| 800, 600, The loss at tie Citizens Works was
estimated Mt :2c nm oar1g last eTetinc. bnt +
was mt imnrohoh h]o tbst thr;r hnid;ng19, nnic,,t
be- destroyei. This coTnn,nr ;a ,,reffv fI9}iV
insured. The 1oss 81 For,Sfhe Brea' H. h,,rn.
iur Of a tank il estimated Il s15 f)00 m Which
| there ia no insurance. The Astrnl bI works
| ioze sh0 mn. sliaht ;nsnranca Tha t,.. al
D1funrfi Eros, II nrnbai1r M, NV, ~ 9o1
| Thc 1os5 ~ tha National works. vii i;ta1y h.
inward ~ so, fl0D Fiobt cara ~ c--,Io " oG
| 5tandinc IN fhn trark nf fha aiiephanr Va,,ar
| Eailroad in front Of tho C;tizens o;i raf;na1sy
| we've burned, and also tho same number At oun
nf tba ref;neriea hc1ow Tha ahaT,a',rs111' Hs ~
bridge was insured for AN ifG' '' t''0'N-s -
ne most Of the property DESTROYED WAS m
snred in Eastern Companies. Ereat deal Of Il
| though tho agency Of Sweatioeen l. LIcCan-
| dless.
One Of our reporters conyersed with Mr..
| William Delnirger, a Young man employed in
! the Eclipse works OF DR.. Twetldle, and who.
with the manager Of tho works, WIS standing
il boat houso on the nvcr bank, Immediately
Valley railroad, when the tank was struck.
and from him learned the following account Of