Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-01
SETTLING FLAMES.
Five Acres of Fire Destroys an
Oil Refinery,
AND BOASTS THREE YOUTHS ALIVE

Asu arkabIe Origin of the Disaster-Gas
Let Loose Quickly Ignites, Causing an
Explosion and a Terrific Confiagration
Three Boys Caught in the Flames and
Roasted While Running Away-One Man
Fatally Scorched and Two Others Seri-
ously So.
LOUISVILLE, July IA remarkable fire
broke out in the Standard Oil refinery, at
Fifth and c streets, yesterday morning at
S:45 o'clock, and in a short time five acres
of flame was licking up the valuable prop
erty. The refinery is on the east side of
the Louisville and Nashville railroad
track but the tanks are scattered along
il on both sides On last Saturday tank
of crude oil came in on a fiat car from
Cleveland, and it was to be turned into
the refinery watts Some of the workmen
thought the iron tank WAS too hot for
such a thing to be done with safety.
After consulate on it was postponed in the
hope that the weather would by Monday
grow cooler 1t did not prove so, how
ever, and it became necessary to run the
oil out of the car-tank into another one in
the yard
Let Loose a Volume of Gas.
Inspector Skene took John Pettigo and
another workman, whose name could not
be learned, with him and they climbed on
the car. They mounted the manhead and
were about to unscrew the cap when they
felt that there was a tremendous pressure
from the inside against it. At first they
lad nnf "a - l,,. S. L.
changed their minds and did so. In an
instant there was dull puff as the vapor
escaped, filling the air all around.
Blows the Tank to Pieces.
The gas, as is known is heavier than the
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 inflamma-
BILE vapor ignited, and Immediately after
there was a tremendous explosion. The
tank was blown to pieces, and the hun
dreds of gallons of burning oil were scat
tered all over the great works
Rapid Spread of the Fire.
A wall of fire 800 feet high and nearly
500 feet long, moved with lightning rap
idity to the other buildings In less time
house, filed with thousands of gallons of
canned oil, the cooper shop, carpenter
shop, pump and engine houses, the filling
and lubricating houses the storage houses,
the paint and glue houses, and 800 feet of
platform were all ablsZe and burned furi-
ously.
Caught in the Seething Flames.
At the first intimation of the existence
of the fire all the men who could started
to run. Johnny Kline, however, stumbled
and fell and his clothes caught fire The
men brsvely returned to his assistance,
but the fire that enveloped him could not
ne extinguished until he had been fright
fully burned.
Three little boys, Daniel O'NeiI Andrew
and John Mcdonald, were walking along
the railroad track when the explosion oc-
Cured They were slightly to the east of
the tank. and the wind blew the blaze di-
rectly down upon them.
Horrible Race with Death.
Shrieking with pain, they impulsively
jumped backward and into the clear space
on the western 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 tbe bystanders re
covered from the Mortified shock occa-
stoned by their awful condition, they pur-
sued the three boys Covering them with
coats, they soon eXtinguished the flames
and laid them under Il tree near by. When
an attempt was made to remove O'Neils
clothes great pieces of his flesh peeled off
his face and body at the slightest touch
He was conscious, and never uttered cry
The List of Casualties.
The following is list of the casualties:
Andrew Mcdonald, aged Ia badly burned
about the breast and face-will recover;
John Mcdonald, aged IA, literally roasted
alive, can live but a short time: Dan
O'Neil, aged IL, burned almost to crisp.
and will die; John Kline aged -. fright
fully burned all over the body. and can't
recover; Severen Skene. aged Al, terribly
burned, but will recover; J. 5. Pettigo,
aged A., badly, though not fatally burned
about the head and breast; Andrew Yon-
kers, aged IS, slightly burned.
The money loss will be between $50 900
and $4,000.