The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-05-18
lightning Strikes Oil.

Last Friday morning, while a fierce
thunder storm prevailed, lightning
struck an oil tank at the works of the
National Storage Company, at Com
munipaw, causing the most disastrous
fire that has been seen in many years.
The tank struck stood among a num-
Der of others, and, when smit.en by the
bolt, exploded with deafening roar,
scattering the oil in all directions.
The burning petroleum poured forth in
a fiery stream and flowed down toward
the river Three huge tanks, each
holding 10000 barrels of oil, stood in
the way, and as the burning fluid
reached them they exploded simulta-
neously, with report that was heard
many miles away. Pieces Of iron were
thrown far across the river, and the
flames ragged with ferceness that
promised to destroy the entire works.
Tank after tank was fred by the
blazing oil, and dense black smoke
arose, enveloping the city and attract
ing thousands of spectators to the
scene. The storehouse, an immense
brick building, was soon wrapped in
flames, and after it the engine house,
the oil and water pump houses, two
underground tanks, the machine shop,
carpenter shop, two warehouses, and
the cooper and blacksmith shops were
attacked. The tracks of the Pennsyl-
vana Railroad, which run close by the
| works, were soon on fire, and several
oil tanks on cars were only saved by
the expedients of covering them with
a thick layer of dirt. A long trestle,
belonging to the railroad and running
to Black Toms Island, was entirely
destroyed, and the surface of the bay
was covered with burning oil.
The fire departments were quickly
upon the scene of the fire, but few
minutes work sufficed to show that
nothing could be done toward extin-
gushing the flames, and all efforts
were turned to preventing their spread.
While thus engaged near to tank No.
7, it exploded with deafening report,
and blazing oil was thrown for a great
distance in every direction. The Chief
Engineer and number of men were
within ten yards of the tank when it
exploded and were only saved by the
fact that the burning oil passed over
their heads. They succeeded in escap-
ing unharmed, but six men, who are
supposed to have run toward the river
when the explosion occurred, were
caught by the flames.
The loss, as we'll as it can be esti.
mated at present, is about Sl,O0O,OOO.
Ten tanks, eight containing oil and
two naphtha number of buildings,
five lighters loaded with oil, 10000
empty barrels, and several hundred
tons of coal were consumed. For.
tunatelY the flames were confined to
the South side of the railroad track
Had the tanks on the North side
caught fire the loss would have beer
enormous. The National Storage
Company lose on the buildings and
tanks, on which they estimate theil
loss as about 100000, fully covered
by insurance. The oil was owned by
different parties, and some cars which
were burned belonged to the Pennsyl
vania Railroad
The works were the largest of the
kind in the United States, and covered
forty acres. Half of the space was
burned over. 1t is not thought tha
the bodies of those burned can be re
covered, as they must have been utter
ly consumed in the intense heat.