St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-01
FIVE ACRES OF FIRE.
An Awful Scene Presented to Ken
tuckianS.

An Awful Scene Presented to hen-
tuckianS.
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 list of the casualties:
ANDREW Med aged twelve. badly
burned about the breast and face, but Will re-
cover.
JOHN MCDONALD, aged fourteen, liter
ally roasted alive, can't live but short time.
DAN O'NEILL, aged twelve, burned almost
to a crisp and will die.
JOHN KLINE, aged twenty two, fright
fully burned all over the body and cannot
recover.
SEVEREN SKENE, aged forty-one, ter
Fibly burned but will recover.
j. S. PETTICE, aged twenty-three, badly
though not fatally burned about the head
ARTHUR YoNKERs, aged eighteen,
slightly burned.
It was first reported that seven had
lost their lives. and later that three were
killed and thirty-five wounded, but the
above will cover the casualties. 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 Louisyill 81 Nash
vile track. but the tanks are
scattered along it on both sides.
last Saturday tank of crude oil came
III 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 con-
sultatien it was postponed in the
hope that the weather to-day
would be cooler. 1t did not prove to
be, however, and it became necessary
to run the oil out of the car tank, into
another one in the yard. Inspector
Severen 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 decided not to
open it, but finally changed their minds
and did so. In an instant
There Was a Dull Puff,
as the vapor escaped, filling the air all
around. The gas, as is known, is heav-
| Ter than the air, and it sank to the
ground, spreading out all over the To-
cality and moving with the wind. AL
most in a twinkliDg it reached one of
the sheds under which there was fire.
nlable yapor ignited, and I'M
tremendous explosion. The tank was
blown to pieces, and the hundreds of
gallons of burning oil were scattered all
over the great works. A wall of fire 800
feet high and nearly 900 feet long 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 refined oil; the cooper
shop, carpenter shop, pump and
engine houses. the filling and lubricat-
| ing houses, the storage houses, the paint
and glue houses and 900 feet of plat
| form were all ablaze and burned furi-
ously. At the first intimation of the
| 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-
gaished until he had been
Frightfully Burned.
Three little boys, Dannie O'Neill,
Andrew and John Mcdonald, were
walking along the railroad track when
the explosion occurred. They were
slightly 10 the east of the tank, and the
Wind blew the blaze directly down upon
them. Shrieklng with pain, they impul-
siyely 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 blaze streaming after them. AS
soon as the bystanders recovered from
the horrifying shock occasioned by their
awful condition, they pursued the three
boys. Covering them with coats,
they soon extingulshed the flames,
and laid them under tree
near by. When an attempt was made
to remove O'Neill's clothes a great
piece of his flesh peeled off his face and
body at the slightest touch. He was
conscious, and never uttered a cry. The
buildings and stocks so far as burned
will be total loss. There is no insur-
ance, according to the statement of Ed
ward Goodwin, vice president of the
| Standard Oil company.