The times., 1890-07-04
SETTLING FLAMES.
Five Acres of Fire Destroys an
Oil Refinery,
AND RoAsFs THREE YOUTHS ALIVE

Remarkable Origin of the Disaster-Gas
Let Loose Quickly Ienites, Causing an
Explosion and a Terrific Confagration
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 G streets, yesterday morning at
s:45 o'clock, and in a short time five acres
Of fame 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
It on both sides. On last Saturday tank
Of crude oil came in on fiat car from
Cleveland, and it was to be turned into
the refinery vats. Some of the workmen
thought the iron tank was too hot for
such a thing to be done with safety.
After consultatio 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 Volume of Gas.
Inspector Skene took John Pettigo and
another workman, whose name could not
We 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
decided not to open it, but they finally
changed their minds and did so. In an
instant there was a dull puff as the vapor
escaped, filing 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
put all over the locality, and moving with
the wind. Almost in twinklingit reached
one of the sheds under which there was a
fire. There was fash as the infamma-
hle 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 300 feet high and nearly
500 feet long, moved with lightning rap
idity to the other buildings. In less time
than it takes to relate it, the canning
house, filled 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 ablaze 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 bravely returned to his assistance,
but the fire that enveloped him could not
be extinguished until he had been fright
fully burned.
Three little boys, Daniel O'Neil, 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 the 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 tree near by. When
an attempt was made to remove O'Neil's
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 IL, badly burned
about the breast and face-will recover;
John Mcdonald, aged "A, literally roasted
alive, can live but short time; Dan
O'Neil, aged 12, burned almost to crisp,
and will die; John Kline, aged 90 fright
fully burned all over the body, and can't
recover; Severen Skene, aged Al, terribly
burned, but will recover; j. S. Pettigo,
aged As, badly, though not fatally burned
about the head and breast; Andrew Yon-
kers, aged Is, slightly burned.
The money loss will be between $30,000
md el0 OnO