Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-07-04
The Gas From an Oil Tank Takes
Fire and Spreads through
the Works.
In all Instant Thousands of Gallons
of Oil We're on
Fire.
Several Persons Covered with the
Blazing Oil and Burned
to Death.
A List of the Casualties,

LOUISVILLE, KY, June 30.-Five acres
of fire was the awful sight witnessed at
the Standard oil refinery at Fifth and G
streets this morning. The immense
structure was blazing at every point and
the heat was so intense that even 200
yards away persons were overcome. The
following is the list of casualties: An
drew Mcdonald, aged II, badly burned
about the breast and face, but will re-
cover; John Mcdonald, aged IA, liter
ally roasted alive and can live but a short
time; Dan O'Neill, aged IL, burned al
most to a crisp and will die; John Kline,
aged %, frightfully burned all over the
body and cannot recover; Severn Skene,
aged Al, terribly burned, but will re-
cover; J. s. Pettice, aged %, badly,
though not fatally, burned about the
head and breast; Arthur Yonkers, aged
IS, slightly burned. The fire broke out
at S:45 o'clock and was in many respects
a remarkable one. The refinery is on
the east side of the Louisville & Nash
vile railroad track, but the tauks are
scattered along it on both sides. On last
Saturday a tank of crude oil came in on
a flat car from Cleveland and it was to
have been turned into the refinery watts.
On opening it to-day in an instant there
was a dull puff, as the vapor escaped,
filling the air all around. Gas, as is
we'll known, is heavier than air and it
sank to the ground, spreading out all
over the locality and moving with the
wind. Almost in a twinkling it reached
one of the sheds under which there was
fire. There was a flash as the inhamma-
BILE vapor ignited and Immediately after
there was a tremendous explosion. The
tank was blown to pieces and hundreds
of gallons of burning oil were scattered
all over the great works. The wall of
fire was 300 feet high and nearly 900 feet
long and moved with lightning rapidity
to the buildings. In less time than it
takes to relate it, the canning house,
filled with thousands of gallons of re-
fined oil, the cooper shop, car
penter shop, pump and engine
house, filling and lubricating houses
storage houses, paint and glue houses
and 900 feet of platform were all ablaze
and burned. At the first intimation of
an explosion all of the workmen who
could do so started to run. John Kline,
however, stumbled and fell and his
clothes caught fire. The men bravely
returned to his assistance, but the fire
that enveloped him could not be extin-
guished and he was frightfully burned
Three little boys, Dannie O'Niell, An
drew and John Mcdonald, we're walking
along the railroad track when the oxplo-
sion occurred. They we're slightly to the
east of the tank and the wind
blew the blaze directly down
upon them. Shrieking with pain they
impulsively jumped backward and into
the clear space on the western side of
the track. Their clothes we're on fire
and they ran down the track with a
bright blaze streaming after them. AS
soon as the %bystanders recovered from
the horrifying shock occasioned by their
awful condition, they pursued the boys.
Covering them with coats they soon ex-
tinguished the flames and laid them un-
der a tree near by. When an attempt
was made to remove O'Neills clothes
great pieces of flesh pealed off his face
and body at the slightest touch. He wss
conscious and never uttered a cry. The
buildings and stock SO far burned will be
a total loss. There is no insurance, &C.
cording to the statement of Edward S.
Goodwin, vice-president of the Standard
Oil company.