Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-31
THE REFINERY FIGHT.
Opposition to the Rebuilding of the
Miller Establishment.
LARGE MEETING In MANCHESTER.
Resolutions Passed Appealing to the Ale
gheny Councils.
FUNDS SUBSCRIBED FOR THE FRAY

Less than 100 persons were present at the
meeting held in the Sixth ward schoolhouse
last evening to protest against the rebuild
ing of the oil refinery of A. D. Miller &
Sons which exploded and burned ten days
ago. Mr.. Miller and his two sons were
among those who were present. Mr.. S. S.
d. Thompson, President of The Armenia
Insurance Company, was called to the chair
and DIR. w. j. Riggs was elected Secretary.
William D. McGill, the Secretary of the
Armenia Insurance Company, spoke of the
refinery as being menace to property in
Manchester and advised the appointment of
committees to attend to the matter.
DR.. Riggs moved committee Of five to
draw resolutions. The motion pa ssed, and
Mr.. McGill, s. j. Patton, William NJ.
Flahavan, Attorney L. N. Patterson and K.
c. Oehmler, manager Of the Germania Life
Insurance Company, were appointed the
committee. DIR. Riggs, in speech, de-
nounced the refinery, and said that the firm
has several times violated the law by build
ing additions to their works. This was
promptly denied by Mr.. Robert Miller.
On this point Mr.. Thompson, the in
surance man, was apparently posted. He
read the ordinance of 1869 forbidding the
building of extensions to refneries. and for
bidding rebuilding ii one-fourth of a refinery
should be destroyed by fire. He then
quoted from surveys of re6neries made since
that date, and claimed that Miller's
had added to their establishment q
cooper shop, q barrel storage build
ing, a barrel tramway, stable,
stave dryhouse, an agitating house,
a stave factory, dry kilnsan engine house,
two tar tanks, two receiving tanks and
other tanks. To this Mr.. Robert Miller re-
piled that all those structures had been built
prior to 1862. A few of them had been re-
moved from one location to another.
DR.. Riggs plainly insinuated that Mr..
Miller was misrepresenting the facts.
The committee on resolutions presented
the following report, which was adopted:
WHEREAS, Miller & Sons oil refners, have
made various extensions to their works since
the passage OF an ordinance by the city OF Ale
gheny prohibiting such extensions and
Whereas. The said oil refinery Is y nuisance
to the neighborhood in which 1t is located, and
Standing menace and danger to the city. and
ing of August u. take fire, thereby causing ex-
plosions of very dangerous character, and
Whereas, 1t is proposed by the owners to re-
build the works and carry on the manufacture
sive articles; therefore be 1t
Resolved, By the citizens of Allegheny in
public meeting assembled, that we call on all
citizens to work tn prevent the rebuilding and
operating of the said works: that we ask the
Councils of the city to take legal action to pre-
vent such rebuilding and to punish the owners
thereof for former violations of the ordinance
prohibiting extensions Of oil refneries.
Resolved, That we pledge our hearty support
to all measures that may be taken by the city
officials or by the citizens to prevent the re-
building and operating Of the said works.
Chairman Thompson said that money
would be needed to make the fight, and he
promised to give 5000. DR.. Riggs added a
pledge for 500, and other sums were prom
ised to the entire amount of about 81, 900.
DR.. Riggs read petition. which will be
presented to Allegheny Councils. requesting
them to prevent the rebuilding and to direct
the City Solicitor to prosecute A. d. Miller
& Sons.
The following Executive Committee was
appointed to look after the campaign against
the refinery owners: s. S. D. Thompson,
w. d. McGill, Fred Gwinner, Joseph
Schoeb, DIR. R. H. Clifford and john
Berger. The meeting adjoured subject to
call by the Chairman.