Evening journal., 1890-07-01
THREE BOYS IN FLAMES.
Frightful Explosion at STAND
ard Oil Refinery.
THE AIR WAS FILLED WITH FIRE

Two Of the Victims Are Dead aud Five
Others Were Terribly burned Gasoline
vapor Caught Fire from Boiler over
Fifty Feat Away.
LOUISVILLE, KY, July 1-Five acres Of
flame was what the fremcn encountered al
The Standard oil company's works Mon
dny The fire was eaused By the explosion
of an oil tank car Seven person. were in
ilred, two Of them fatally Their uamca
e.e AS followss
Kurtz. William, slightly burned and
bruised,
Mcdonald Andrew, y years Old; injuries
may result fatally
Mcdonald, John, IA years Old, fatally
burned; diod last night
O'Neil Daniel II years old; fatally
hurned died last night
O'Neil, John, q years old badly burned.
pedigo John, face and han ds burned
skene, Seth, burned about the body.
a Frightfui shock.
An immense column OF thick, black
smoke was seen to shoot into the air after
the explosion, followed BY great sheets Of
flame The shock from the explosion
broke every window ia the neighborhood
and shook the houses and residences six
squares away The flames made great pro.
gress and a number Of tanks were ablaza
before the tiremen got to work.
Thirteen Cars Burned
There were seven railroad tank cars on
fire ae one time. These tanks averaged
ai1 barrels Of fifty gallons each, on over 49,
00l gallons 70 the tank. Besides these an
immense upright tank, called an agitator,
took fire ,ad burned furiously, The hames
leaping 70 "a height Of 100 feet Thirteen
ears, including number OF OrdinGry box
cars, were burned.
This Deadly yapor Fired.
The fire had a curious origin The tank
which exploded had been Delayed by the
iailroad .irikes and was two weeks on the
| road Il contained naphtha, and the ex-
posture TO the hot sunshine oi the past few
/ days had generated d large amount Uf gas.
The men were getting ready 20 pump out
tile oil. and Niiiiam Kurf1 and John Ped
\ iso had gone upon the tank 70 open it. As
tney did 50 they discovered the gasoline
yapor and Pedigo jumped down. In a mo-
meut the column OF gusoline vapor had
reached fire under one 81 the boilers over
dfty feet away aud the explosion followed.
The oil was scattered in every direction.
kurtz and Pedigo were picked mp as soon
as possible and taken home. Inspector
Skene was taken TO his home, where he is
receiving medical attendance
Three Little Boss Abtnxe.
Thrive little boys, Dunny 0'Neiii and Az
drew and John Mcdonald, were walking
along the railroad track when the explo-
sion occurred. They were slightly 70 the
east Of the tank, and the wind blew the
blaze directly down upon them Shriekine
with pain, they impulsively jumped back
ward and into the clear space on the west.
ern side Of the track. Their clothes were
on fire, and they ran down the track with
the bright blazes streaming after them
AS soon as the bystanders recovered from
the Mortified shock occnsioned by theil
awful condition they pursued the thres
boys Covering them with coats they soor
extinguished the flames and laid them un
der a tree near by. When an attempt wal
made to remove O'Neill's clothes a grea
piece Of his flesh peeled of his face ans
{ body at the slightest touch. He was con
scious but never uttered a cry.