New-York tribune., 1879-06-12
GREAT FIRE Ar PHILADELPHI4.
SHIPS AND OIL WORKS BURNED.

SHIPS AND OIL WORKS BURNED.
THE OIL AND OIL WORKS AT POINT BREEZE SET OK
FIRE BY LIGHTNING-FIvE SHIPS DESTROYED.
PHILADELPHIA, June 11.-During a thunder
storm about halt past 10 this morning. lightning struck
the pump house of the Atlantic Refining Company al
Point Breeze on the Schuyki River In the southern
section of the city. The works OF the company which
together with the works OF tie Atlantic Petroleum
Storage Company are both under the management OF
Warden, Frew Co., occupying with their various buds
ings and tanks about twenty-five acres OF ground,
Along the river front stored about $4,000
cases of oil, and the river by the wharyes
were number Of ships and bsrks loading or
loaded with oil. The pump house the
lightning struck Is long frame building In which was
stored mass OF machinery. In few minutes tho
flames communicated TO large filing warehouse where
the barrels are filed. This was soon enveopcd in
flames which then extended to the superinteudent's
office and residence thence to the cooper shopand
10 the long line sheds the wharf BY this time .
quantity or crude and refined oil was abaze Tho
burning oil was running in all directions and the long
ns Of bSx waar s me '0O the one city re
engines reached the scene five ships the river and
10000 barrels Of oil and the surrounding BUILDINGS we're
burning nercey for distance OF over thousand YARDS
and the heat had become intense that very litto
headway could be made against the fire.
The first Of the vessels In the river 10 catch hre was
the Fa Austrian bark loaded with 1900 cases OF
oil and t burned TO the waters edge The fire.
then communicated to ibe T. Rech. German bark from
LeghOrn, which empty the Giuseppe Quinton, an
Italian bark from Genoa which had reached the wharf
only about an hour before the fire started; sne
was also empty; the Iion, Russian bark
with about 1000 barrels Of oil on board and tie Hud.
SON a Norwe gian ship Of 900 tons. which nearly
ready for departure with 1000 barrels OF OIL All OF
these vessels destroyed; but others laying uear
by among them the Norwegian bark Magnurn, and tho
swedish ship Edward towed out OF danger By
tugs on the opposite side Of the river number OF
other vessels anchored which, owing TO the tide,
were unable TO get away. and great CONSERVATION and
confusion prevailed among the crews
Al about O'Clock the line drawn and the fire
spread 10 further but at 10 o'clock tonight the
which the IRE had covered still Of flames.
It will possibly continue to burn Till tomorrow at
least and probably for several days The loss is yari
onsy estimated at from 100000 10 $4,000 IL IS
the has insurance for this los
but that the Atlantic Company (Which Is controlled
by the Standard OIL Company participates
in an insurance fund which Is pooled by
the various oil companies. The hulis OF The
vessels burned were all insured abroad The
value OF the total cargoes destroyed Is estimated AZ
$4,000 The cargo I'm mono Of them was insured be-
cause they were not yet fully loaded, except the Fa,
which had an insurance OF $4,000 in the Insurance
Company OF North America. Although there were nu-
me rous explosions lives lost. and serious
injuries resulted to anybody but several narrow es-
canes were made. The lightning which started the nre
az the Atlantic Companys property struck three other
different establishments In the vicinity, Dut no serious
ossr resulted To tnem