The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-19
ROASTED In BURNING OIL.
Horrible Accident in an Oil Refinery at
Philadelphia Yesterday.
A Number of Employees Burned to Death and
Others Terribly Injured Through the
Explosion of a Tank.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov 1s.-An explosion of a
pany's works, at the foot of Moore street this
morning, resulted in the death of a man, the
probable death Of boy, the seriously injuring
of four others, and the partial destruction of the
establishment The victims are
Alexander Banks, aged forty years. residing
at liz Mlff1ln street, burned to crisp He was
superintendent of the workmen and had re-
Gently come from Pittsburg
Charles Marshall, boy, aged twelve years,
cannot be found
Joseph Robinson. of Delaware, aged thirty
hVe years; entire body terribly burned; cannot
possibly recover.
Patrick Boyle. aged twenty-six years; head
trunk and extremities frightfully burned; will
die.
Charles Mclean, aged twenty four years;
burned about head and extremitles; will prob
ably die.
Arthur Grueber. aged twenty. eight years; en-
tire body terribly burned will die.
For some time past the works have been run
ming to their full capacity, and early this morn
ing gang of fifteen men were set at work to re-
pair stone foundation under large iron STILL
which contained 800 barrels of crude oil The
repairs had been partially completed, and several
of the were engaged in plasterins up
the interior walls, when the man-hole of
| the still was blown off, setting the oil on fire.
| fitting over the STILL and causing the burning
oil to fall on the men below. The explosion
was followed few seconds later by a second re-
port and dense volume of smoke, and the ut
most CONSERVATION ensued among the work
men. Considerable time elapsed before any of
the fire apparatus reached the scene, by which
time the oil which still remained in the tilted
tank, and the portion which had flowed to the
ground was burning fercely.
Within few minutes after the explosion the
work of rescuing those who had been injured
was commenced An elderly man. whose name
was not learned, was found lying across the
fence which surrounds the works. about seventy
five yards from theexploded tank He was uncon-
| scious and was terribly burned. Joseph Rob-
| inson was discovered lying on the ground close
to pool of burning oil. His clothing was sat
urated with the oil, portion of which had been
burned off He was terribly burned and when
picked up and carried to the companys works
a portion of the flesh of the right leg came off
while surgeon was engaged in cutting off his
pantaloons.
Joseph Robinson and Arthur Grueber died
this afternoon.
Alexander Banks was working Immediately
under the tank when the explosion took place
While the rescuing party was searching for the
Victims his body was observed, as the wind
carried the smoke away lying on the ground
close to the foundation wall, and surrounded
with blazing oil. One of the men, named Mike
Cavanagh, volunteered to rescue him, and not
wlthstanding the protests of his companions,
crawled along on the ground after one of the
firemen had saturated his clothing with water
When within reach of the unfortunate man he
grasped his right foot. and when he made an
effort to draw the body out the mans foot
parted from the body. Cavanagh dropped it
| and hastily reached place of safety leaving
TIE body to the flames His face and hands
were badly burned. A few minutes after Cava-
nagh's retreat the tank fell and Banks body was
hid from view.
Charles Milan and Arthur Gruber were also
found lying close to the burning still, the former
being unconscious, and both terribly burned.
Several other men, who were working close to
the still at the time of the explosion, were also
burned. but their injuries were comparatively
slight The injured taken to the Perm
svlvania Hospital, where their wounds were
dressed
The loss will reach about $50, 900; insurance,
$1,000 The body of the missing boy, Charles
Marshall, was finally recovered from the ruins