New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-02
A LAKE OF BLAZING OIL.
THREE LIVES LOST IN TIE FIERCEST FRI
KNOWN IN THE OHIO OIL FIELD.
NEAR FINDrAY-SEvERAL wORKMEN UPON
IT SWEPT ALONG by THE OIL WHICH
IL SOON IGNITED SIXrl.
FOUR OTHER HUGE TANKS
IN DANGER

FOUR OTHER HUGE TANKS
IN Danger.
Findlay, O., Scpt.I (SpcciaD.--A terrible acci
dent occurred about s 80 o'clock this morning.
at the great oitanks a mile west OF Oil Centre.
town twelve miles north OF this city. Tho
reports are very meagre, and it has been difficult
task TO ascertain the PARTICULARS as there is no
telegraph Office at Oil Centre; but from persons
who came down Oh the afternoon train on the
Toledo. Columbus and Southern Railway infor-
nation is gathered which is without doubt reli-
able as all the reports substantially agree.
Early this morning of the immense iron
tanks of the Buckeye Pipe Line Company, with
capacity of $500 barrels, and holding At tho
time 10000 barrels of oil, sprung leak. About
two dozen men were at set TO work calk-
ing the tank. some of them being upon scafrods.
While they were working, the tank suddenly
burst giving way at the bottom and the top
falling in The oil was thrown in every direc-
tion with great violence, carrying the men with
il. One man was hurled against another
tank with great force, and was badly
hurt but managed to escape. 1t was
every man for himself in the attempt to escape
from the rushing oil' All got away but threo
They became engufcd in the OIL and were ca-ried
along with it, In a mement the oil caught lire
from an open forge, and the unfortunate men wero
smotherCd in the flames No assistance could
reach them, the fire ragged most herceiy and
great waves Of flames swept for hundreds OF Feet
en- every side The smoke plainly visible
from this city, vast clouds rolling up to the sky,
where they hung like funeral pail. A call for
surgeons received about | o'clock, and
special train soon carried DIS. T. w Farmer and
F. w. Entrillen TO the scene When they arrived
at Oil Centre they found that they could do
nothing and Immediately returned.
The train that took the doctors also carried
to the scene OF the catastrophe Superintendent
O'Day and humbc- CT men from LIMA, who
came on special train the Lake E-ic and
Western Railway to this city and were hurried
on to Oil Centre TO assist in eXtinguishing the
flames Edward Crozicr driller. who was at
work near the scene of the fi=e and saw the
whole occurrence, reports that three men
were burned TO death, and that a number are MISS
ing, who, it is thought, are also victims Of the
fire The bodies Of three men have been
covered They were burned to crisp their
clothing being reduced g., ashes oven tic bittons
crumbl.ng at the touch. The skeletons Of cow,
hog and dog may also be seen where they were
burned
While the men were at work callng the tank.
about twenty others were engaged in digging
trench around IT, When it burst, all
fed, barely r~aplns with their lives.
five es siv os them having their
cloth us b.rned 'hc names Of those VINO perished
in the flames are James t. East. Charles Grace
and Rem rand, Ransom all married men
and former citizc OF Bradford. Penn. Beyond
this lttl. concern ~ them could he learned. al
though il is repor / that others than those above
named were lost IN the waves of oil and flame
which swept the doomed men away. IL is not
probable that this is trl'r. the payroll OF the
company tins evening bowed but three missing
men--those whose fate has been told.
The scene Of the catastrophe is a fearful one
even yet as the oil is still burning and large
Gangs Gf men are WORKING with might and main
to prevent the fame, from spreading to the ad-
Joining tanks of v-Aich there are sixty-fonr, of
equal capacity witt The one destroyed. and which,
if not prevented by the most heroic efforts. will
catch fire from the burning oil and make the
greatest cOnta grafton ever witnessed. Even as
it is the fire is tho greatest in the history Of tho
OHIO oil field in loss of both life and property.