Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-11-19
BLAZING OIL.
Terrific Explosion at a Lubricating
Works In Philadelphia.
MEN DELUeED WITH BURNING FLUID.
Workmen Blown Through the Air and
Killed or Terribly and Fatally
Burned.
HoRRlfYINa AND CHASTITY DETAILS.

HoRRIFYINa AND CHASTITY DETAILS.
PH1LADELPHIA, November l8.-At S:45
O'Clock this morning an oil tank exploded
in the Philadelphia Lubricsting Works, at
Swanson and Moore streets. The explosion
was terrific, the report being heard TOR
half O mile around, and six men. working
on a scaHold near the still were blown
through the air. Aleck Bank, one Of the
workmen, was instantly killed. The other
Eve men, terribly injured, were removed to
the Pennsylvania Hospital, Thirteen men
and boy are missing. Several Of the in-
iured were taken to the University Hospi-
tai on an engine Of the Pennsylvania Rail
road
An alarm OF IRE was struck immediately
after the explosion, and engines soon re-
sponded and began TO pour heavy streams
of water upon the flames. A thick cloud
of black smoke from the burning oil tanks
doated north as far as KeDsington, and an
immense crowd o. people gathered in the
vicinity. 1t ia said that the fire caught
from q manhole in one OF the stills being
left open while the fires were lighted.
Several stills full Of oil. heated to nearly
red heat, kept the crowd away but many
OF the 6remen. carrying long lines Of hose,
penetrated through the line of fifteen taDAs
and threw water upon the danes.
The smoke was so dense among the
stills ths, the tiremen there at work had to
be relieved every few minutes in order to
get breath Of fresh air. Every ambulance
in the city went to the scene OF the explo.
sion, and, although the flames rose higher
every minute aud the danger of other ex-
plosions increased, brave firemen kept up
a search in the red hot debris for wounded
men.
The fire spread so rapidly that danger
of the explosion of Thirty more tanks was
imminent but at 1890 clock the ire was
under control.
A boy named Charles Marshall, aged II
years, is missing, and Is supposed TO have
been burned to death. The force az the
works being large, and everything in con-
fusion, facts were hard 10 obtain.
FULLER DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.
4 later dispatch gives the following De
tails of the disaster: The victims are
ALEXANDER BANKS, aged 10, residing al
No. ll9 Mifiiin street; burned to crisp
He was superintendent of the workmen
and had recently come from Pitsburg
CHAs. MARSHALL. q boy aged II, cannot be
found.
JOS. ROBINSON, Of Delaware, aged % years,
entire body terribly burned, cannot re I
cover.
PArE!cE BOYLE, nged 26, years, head, trunk
aud extremities frighIfully burned; wall
die. /
CHAs. N'LEAX, aged "a years, burned
about the head and exEremitiesi will
probably die.
ARTHUR GRuEBER, aged - years, entire
body terribly burned: will die
For some time past the works have been /
running 10 their full capacity, and esrly
this morning a gang Of fifteen men were
set at work to repair stone foundation
under large iron still which contained
l50 barrels Ct crude oil. The repairs had
been partially completed and several OF
the men were engaged iu plastering up the
interior walls when the manhole OF the
still was blown of. setting the oil on tire
fitting over the still and causing the burn /
ing oil TO fall on the men below.
The explosion was followed few sec
onds b7 a second report snd dense vol
ume OF smoke, and the utmost consterna.
ticn ensued among the workmen. Con
siderable time elapsed before any OF the .
FIRE apparatus reached the scene, by which .
time the oil which still remained in the
titled tank, and the portion which had
flowed to the ground, was burning hercely. I
Within a few minutes after the explo-
sion the work of rescuing those who had
beer Injured was commenced. An elderly /
man, whose name was hot learned, was.
found lying about the fence which sur
rounded the works, about Is yards from
the exploded tank He was unconscious
aud terribly burned. Jos. Robinson was
discovered lying on the ground close to the
pool OF burning OIL His clothing was sat
urated with the oil, portion Of which had
been burned of. He was terribly burned, I
and when picked up and carried to the
compauYs works, portion Of the tiesh OF
tie right leg dropped of while surgeon
wss engaged in cutting of his psDtaloons
HORRIBLY.
Alexander Banks WAS working immedi.
stely under the tank when the explosion
took place, While the rescuiDg party was
searching tor the victims his body was OBJ
served as the wind carried the smoke away
living on the ground close to the foundation
wall and surrounded With blazing oil One
Of the men named Michael ksysnsugh vol
unteered to rescue him, sud notWithstand
irg the protests of his companions, crawled
sion on the ground after one OF
the 6remen had saturated his
,lothiug we'll With water When
within reach OF the unfortunate man he
grsspsd his right loot, and when he made
an an effort TO draw the body ont the
foot parted from The body. ksyansgh
dropped it hastily and reached place OF
safety, leaving lhs body to the flames.
Ksvansehs face aud hands we're badly
burned. A few minutes after Ksvsnsgb
escaped the tank fell aud Bank 8 body was
hid from view. Chas. Mclean and
Arthur Ggusber were also found lying
close to the burning still, the iormer being
unconscious and both terribly burned.
Several other men who were working close
to the still at the time Of the explosion
were slso burned bat their injuries were
comparatively slight The injured were
taken 10 the PenpsJ lvsniA hospital, where
their wounds we're dressed. The loss will
reach sbou! $4,000; Insurance.. Sl7 900