The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-03
OIL WORKS BURNED.
BLoDGETT, MOORE 81 CO.'S FAC
TORIES TOTALLY DESTROYED.


The Estimated Loss $1,000 and In
surance SI2ooo-The Works to Be
Rebuilt at Once.
Blodgett, Moore & Co.'S lubricatiug oil
works and barrel factory fronting the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western yard north Of
Gwinnett street burned last night The
loss is $1,000 with s12, 600 insurance.
The fire started few minutes before
O'Clock, and in an hour ami a half the three
Suildings composing the works were burned
to the ground. The fire burned with great
nerceness. The heat was intense, and had
not the early part of the night been
calm one, no energy exerted by the firemen
could have averted an extensive c)ntiagra-
ton, as the buildings on Heradon, G win
nett and East Broad streets. in the neigh
borhood OF the oil works, are frame
buildings and many of them with single
roofs. Il required hard work on the part
of the firemen to save these buildings, and
at one time there was danger that the heat,
or flames. would cause an explosion OF the
gas of tie Mutual Gas Light Company's
tauk to the north, and that the fire
would communicate with the gasoline
stored in the brick warehouse of the gas
company between the burning buildings
and the gas reservoir. The firemen kept
the brick building and the gas reservoir
wet, and while portion of the force was
keeping the frame buildings well watered.
the rest of the department played on the
burning buildings.
THE OIL WORKS.
The burned property consisted Of an oil
works, where lubricating grease was man
ufactured, and barrel factory for the man
ufacture of turpentine barrels. The oil
works proper we're on the east side of a rail-
way track, which runs from the Savannah,
Florida and Western yard into the factory
yard. South of the oil works was CORFU
gated iron storage warehouse, 100 by IS feet,
and on the west side of the track was the
barrel factory. The fire started on the rail
way track next TO the oil works, and aim st
in moments time it had communicated TO
the building. The works were in operation
and the hands endeavored to control the
fire with hand hose, but it spread rapidly
into the building. An alarm was sent from
box No. 46, at Price aud Huntingdon streets.
The tiremen got to work In few minutes,
but the fire was hard to get at, and a second
alarm was sent, in calling out the reserve
force.
SHUT IN ON THREE SIDES.
The works are reached by narrow lane
from East Broad street and were surrounded
on three sides by frame dwellings, the
1Wus anu DhCkAuk up W Tue
oil works buildings. The oil works proper
burned first and the fire then connected to
the barrel factory and the iron warehouse.
The walls of the warehouse being of cor
rugated iron did much 20 cOntine the fire,
but when the metal melted under the intense
heat, the fire went up in an immense column
which lighted tae clouds, and the fury with
with which the resinOus and oleaguous
matter burned created a draught which
carried SPARKS for half mile to the
southwark. In the warehouse and barrel
factory were 900 manufactured turpen-
tine barrels and 5000 barrels ready TO be
put together The barrel factory contained
the operage machiaery and engines, and
tho oil works proper a large amount of
stock aud material used IN the manufact-
ure Of lubricating greasss.
SAVING THE RAILWAYS PROPERTY.
Supt. Fleming, VITA a large force of men
protected the property of the railroad In
the yards, aud small pumps were
used to keep the stock of ties and timbers
piled in the yard wet. When the oil works
had been about half burned the melted oil
began 10 spread like a wave to the east
ward in the direction of the net work of
tracks ia the yard, bat the progress Of this
wave of fire was checked by the railroad
employees who, with snovels, fought the on
coming mass vita dirt, and filed the ditch
banking up the earth uatil it was barrier
TO the progress of the fire, and the tracks
were saved. Supt. Fleming telegraphed
north that the railroad company had es-
capped without loss. The incoming north
bound express was held half an hour below
the Bolton street crossing until the flames
had died down, and then il shot into the
depot, and after transferring baggage
pulled out past the fire without damage.
TWO CARS BURNED.
Two loaded cars standing on a gida track
between two of the burning bull dings were
burned. Supt. Fleming was unable to say
last night whether the cars were the prop
erty of the Savannah, Florida and Western
or the Central. Yardmastar Knight said
that an engine started TO go to the rescue
of the cars but the flames spread so rapidly
that it was not deemed prudent 10 peril the
engine and men in the effort TO get the cars
out.
A locomotive had just pulled out of the
factory yard, two cars loaded for ship
ment, and was going back for another two
cars when tho fire started. One theory of
the fires origin is that it was from a spark
from the locomotive.
The impression was that general con-
fagration was inevitable, and the people
moved out of their houses on East Broad
street from Gwinnett street north to Hern-
don, ana on 10th sides of Gwinnett street
from the railroad to the west side of East
Droao street,
THE STREETS FILLED WITH FURNITURE.
The streets and lanes and the open lots
near by were packed with household goods
hurriedly removed, and the crowds at the
fire seemed to exceed those at the big April
fire. The fumes Of the burning oil were
almost sitting, and the tiremen, to save the
houses west and south OF the burning
buildings, had to get between them
and the fire where the heat was intense, vet
they stood their ground and saved the con-
tiguous block, which, had it taken fire
would have carried the flames across Gwin-
nett street and devastated all the buildings
as far south rs the Coast Line depot. Ii was
nearly 10 O'Clock before the danger point
had been passed, and half an hour later the
people began to move back into their
deserted homes.
All the rear fences of the yards around
the oil works were either burned, or were
town down to prevent the spread of the fire,
and the shingle roofs of several houses
took fire, but the prompt action of the fire
men prevented their burning.
Mr.. Moore said last night that the firm
will rebuild the works at once on a more ex.
tensive scale. In the meantime a tempo
rary location will be secured, and Mr.
Moore hopes to have both the oil works anc
barrel factory in operation again within
the next two weeks. The burned building,
were owned by Blodgett, Moore g. Co, aac
were formerly Harmon, Saussy g. Rems
harts mills.