Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-05-29
rHH POINT BREEZE YxKB.
Furionsly Burning All Nixht-Ths
Par&mne Works Destroyed.


Tho paraiiine works consisting OF sew.
eral brick buildings have been destroyed.
They were located to the north OF the
refinery. Although the wharf property and
the refinery which is in close proximity to the
stills are in danger, it is thought that with
tho force OF men at work they can be saved.
II IL impossible at this time to estimate the
exact loss but will bo over $500, 900. The
last great fire at these works occurred five
years ago,
All oil property at Point Breeze is con.
sldered in danger. Application has been
made by the proprietor OF the Belmont oil
works, which are located between
tho Atlantic company's property and
the Point Breeze gas works to
the chief of police to put the steam tug
Stokley in service, no as TO aid the fire de-
partment from the river front. This has beon
done.
The same gentleman has made application
to Gen. Hartranft for detail of the Keystone
battery to blow up tho tanks of the Belmont
works, and thus save property and prevent
the fire from spreading to the gas works.
PnIIADELpuIA, May 24.-At noon IA tanks
OF oil were ablaze and several more were in
great danger. The flames now spread over
an area Of five acres and will very likely con-
tnue to burn for some days, at the same time
the fire is considered under CONTROL that is,
IL
under control.
Since this morning several explosions have
occurred, and change in the wind may spread
the flames. 1t is now said that the loss will
reach 100000
DRAWING OIL by CANNON BALL.
PHILApELpnIA, May PA p. mat this
hour the situation is unchanged, but there ID
no immediate prospect OF the fire spreading
beyond its present limit. The oil within that
space is burning iiercely, and the project OF
piercing twenty thousand barrels tank
by cannon balls to draw or the oil il under
consideration. Cannon have been placed in
position for that purpose, but the officials are
proceeding with much caution. The sur
rounding property, the Belmont oil works and
the gas works, are regarded AZ safe.
The coal oil confisgrstion at Point
Breeze, below Pbiladelphis, continued to
rage funously during Saturday night bu'
had nearly burned itself out Sunday and
at late hour Sunday night no furtn,r
danger was arprehsnd-d. The light
from the fire WAS quite noticeable in this
city on Saturday night and would have
been more conspicuous but for the almost
incessant flashes of sheet lightning
Between the flashes the are lighted mp
section Of the northeastern sky about l5o
long by from 30 to 100 in hight above
the horizon.
At 3 O'Clock the roof of tie talk blew
of aud a sheet of flame shot upwards to
an immense Light. The order was given
to fire, and Captain Weaver sighted the
Phrrott, but just at the moment
of discharge the carriage tilted and the
shot took effect too high to be of any
service. A l2.pound shot by ore OF the
Wabash crew with the howitzer struck
the tank about eight feet above the
ground, letting out volume OF burning
oil. Another ahot was fired from the
Psrrott, which tore a ragged hole in the
iron, and another by the howitzer, when
the burning oil flew out with such
velocity over the surface In front OF the
runners that they had TO make hssty
hight. In getting its gun down the en-
bsnkment the cs!son of Battery A ran off
the plsnks, overturned, threw OF the
gun aud broke one OF its wheels The
howitzer WAS got off without accident.
When the oil thus suddenly freed had
lowed over surface about 200 yards
| square, 1t found it's way to the low land
aud thence TO the ditch filled with water.
When the oil and water came in contact
there was sesthing, kissing sound, and
the air was filed with binding smoke
Along the banks Of the ditch the treei
were burned and blaokened by the fl lme.
and suoke. The railroad track, which
sci we'd as bulwark to the still. houses
was gnsrled and twisted by the inteps,
heat, which also affected the numerouI
iron pipes and taucets in front Of tn,
buildings. At s o'clock, 80 tanks haC
been destroyed, all on ths north side o
the railroad, leaving the main workinl
buildings of the works intact.
PRcGRRss OF THE FIRE SUNDAY,
AT O'Clock Sunday morning the OF
was still burning furiously, with explo
sions every now and then. These cause,
bright light at intervals which lie,
many to suppose that the fire was stil
spreading. This WAS not the csse, how
euer, the only fire being at points I
which 1t had been communicated esrly o,
saturday afternoon. 10 the hollow thre
tanks were on fire yesterday, one havin
caught about o'clock in the morning
Two of them caused no apprehension, a
they were too near the ditch and too ia
removed from the still-houses to eaus
any danger 10 the latter, but the third
which wss burning the most fnriously
was situated at the edge OF the deciivit
from the pleautesu, upon which wa
standing large 10000 barrel tank {
crude oil that had hitherto bssu III
scaihed. The top Of the burning tan
was on a line with the bottom ,
the :oImer, about so ieet dlstsut, and Ii
wind carried / g flsmes in its direc,io,
seven streams of ws.r were kep; p!a,
ing upon it on all sides, 20 that the il
tense hest would not ignite the can;znt
and the only danger that WAS i-sred VS.
that the top OF the burning tank ,tbrous
portions of which the flames we're ou
ing from vent holes, wou d blow eff, thr
sending the flames leaping over the {
yet uniIjufed tank. Should this TAX
hre II was felt that it wOuld he slmo
lmpossihle TO sssin save ihe still house
To effect what could be done to this IN
trenches were dug TO carry off the b!szir
oil toward the ditch, embsukmeuts wei
bni!t through the yart to keep it With
certain limits, aid four.inch ircn nj,
with connections a, the tank and
hss'ily-risged-up steam pump in s still
house wss laid, with e view TO pumpir
of SIS mueh Of the oil as possible befo,
IRE shouli, II it wouid. resch the tapl
THs PROPERTY DESTROYED.
10 all there were 20 tanks on n
ground, 81 large ones on the plateau an
20 in the "holloE" being destroyed.
new one iii tie ''hollos" Zoo. yet pu;
use) and sn empty one on the p stes
we're not affected by the h.mes. Thr,
others. inside triangular embspkmen
some distance from those burned, escape,
although enc in tleir vicinity. filed wi,
oenIine, tooE tire stoui O'Clock .Su,
day mor-irF, hut the fames Wei
smoiherej ty Robert y KuIght, fiiemsr
who welt up l.i'rr TO the mspho
90 top sud plAclus s vet blank
over the vent kept it there until a voiuu
OF steam vas Dl-ct-d into the spertar,
thus s'it.pR the burning vspor. elm
ar ieAt vas Performed the previous mig
oy Ls~is Y. LorisrbSck, another o, Il
afemen, Eho said thst two OF the bun
Ing tanks in ;he hollow could be treAte
IN the same way, were II not Tor the fe,
ihsi the oil might eicspe. and en-. OF r
iresi 10 the higher ground.
Nearly all Of the $50 employees OF Il
works remained . on duty. til! sund.
morning, when the sres;est dang,
seeued 10 b. ever, leaving aboui
hands hard a. work, who were relieve
ty sinilsr numbe' Sunday ni,ht. q.
Davis, general sup=riptelGeni, George
Perkius, general manager, and Josep
White, the engineer, were all on dut
coninu1usly, directing the mep. A
siitsni Bnsineers sisgsArt ard Smith hs
charge OF relays Of frenen, ard Lisutei
sni Wsrnsck aud sersesn, Martin OF Ii
police, who KEEP; the numerous visitors