The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-24
A GIGANTIC GAS-BURNER
THAT REQUIRED A DEAL OF WORK
TO SHUT OFF.
How the Murraysviiia Gas Flame Wa
Snufied Out After Burning Several
Days and Threatening Great Confil'
gration-A Melange of Mishaps.

Days and Threatening a Great Coniia'
gration-A MeIange of Mishaps.
PITTsBuRG, Pa, March "A. The fire whicl
las lie n holding untrammeled sway al
Murrysville for some days was conquered
Monday The struggle for the supremacy
was long and terrible. The element seemed
I'm ontrolable and yet it succumJ ed to the
efforts of the valiant workers at a moment
when it was least expected The scheme OF
turning the flames into a huge elbow pipe
was unsuccessful, as the terrible pressure
simply threw the ton of iron aside AS pun
Of wind would feather The same expert
ment was tried Monday mornng with
ali elbow-pipe, one end of which had been
widene out into funnel The reSu I was
the same. The plan finally resorted to
was to 81 high stack o, eT the tai in of
the mill and cause the flames To run up it,
1t was then propos Vi to upset the stack sud
den y AMI put the bla e out ly the Sudden
dIaught At II O'Clock in the mornm
tue huge stack was rea ~ for the
operation with great care it was pushed
toward the mouth of tie we'll Then Ly
means of improviSed delricks the ell fur
hhSi away itoh was l.t'i'ittltN
hoistel As soon as the pipe assumed an
angle the angry flames Ii kei up its inter
ior, and the roar in 'reasad to such tremen
dou> tumult that the working force was APP
palled. There seemed to be danger of the
flame running through the stack and strik
ing the men, and the ass mbled multi
tude held their breath in anticipation OF
another disaster The men themselves stoc /
by their work'like heroes, however and as the
stack approached psrpendicuarity, the poi -
increasing in direct ratio with the an e.
When the pipe had reached about II
degrees there was a sudden puff The men
jumped back from the derrirkS, kecpin
their hold on the ropes, and loo g / for tine
flam's to appear at the top Thu putl wa,
the last A fierce current of gas rushed
through the pipe with reverberations like
thunder and the v lotity OF n cyclone The
air could not keep up with the volume of the
volatile liquid and the fire went out TO,
want of ali. IL was strangled The people
breathed easier once again The pallor
viii h had indicated fear of further horrors
on many faces retired and MurrySville was
joyful once again. Only the funeral bells
of Sunday sounding the knell over the
burial of the innocent victims, remained to
mar the general happiness The distgured
forms of the living and suffering ones, too
cast gloom on the community. Mrs. Tay
lor accord ling to her physi lians has slight
hopes of recovery, but ii she does live her
life will lie a bapless one 1t is considered
necessary for improving her chance TO am
putate both arms
sunday storm at Murrysyile is the sub
ject of discussion among local scientists
An engine said: 1.-The heat was 50 great that
upward current OF air virtually sucaed the
outward atmosphere at the scene The
wells of air rushed into the Sacunm created
and meeting, formed the cyclone which
eau ed the devastation | think it i the
first case on record whore a fire produced
such heat AS TO bring about this result 81