Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-07-05
FIVE ACRES OF FLAMES
Terrible Fire and Oil Explosion at
Louisville, Ky.
A Tank Torn 10 Pieces Three BIen Fa-
tally injured and Others Badly
Hurt-Works Destroyed.

J tally injured and Others Badly
Hurt-works Destroyed.
| Five acres of fire was the awful sight wit
messed at the Standard Oil Refinery, at Fifth
and c streets. The immense structure was
| intense that even two hundred yards away
persons were overcome, The following is
list Of the casualties:
Andrew Mcdonald, aged twelve, badly
burned about the face and breast, but will re-
cover.
| John Mcdonald, aged fourteen, literally
roasted alive; cannot live but short time.
| Dan O'Neiil, aged twelve, burned almost to
a crisp and viii die.
John Cline, aged twenty-five, frightfully
burned all over the body and cannot recover.
Severn Skene, aged forty-one, terribly
| burned, but will recover.
| J. d. Pittigo, aged forty-five, badly, though
not fatally, burned about head and breast
| Arthur 1onkers, aged eighteen, slightly
burned
1t was at first reported that seven had lost
their lives, and later that three were killed
and thirty-fiye wounded; but it is now be-
| Iieved the above will cover the casualties.
| The fire broke out at S.i5 o'clock, and was
in many respects a remarkable one. The re-
finery is on the east side of the Louisville and
Nashville track, but the tanks are scattered
along 1t on both side, On last Saturday atank
Of crude oil came in on fiat car from Cleve-
land, 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 consultation il was post
poned, in the hope that the weather to-day
would be cooler 1t did not prove 70, however,
and 1t became necessary to run the oil out of
the car tank into another one in the yard. In
speetor Severn SkcGe took John Pettig0 and
another workman, whose name could not be
learned, with him, and they climbed on the
car They mounted the manhead aud were
about to unscrew the cap when they felt that
| there was a tremendous pressure from the in
side against it. AT first they decided not to
open it, but finally they changed their minds,
and did SO. In an instant there was dull
pull as the vapor escaped, filling the air all
around. The gas, as is known, is heavier than
the air, and sank to the ground, spreadingout
all over the locality and moving with the
wind Almost in twinkling it reached one
of the sheds under which was a FIRE. There
was flash as the inilammable vapor ignited,
and Immediately after there was a tremendous
explosion. The tank was blown to pieces and
the hundreds of gallons of burning oil were
scattered all over the great works. 4 wall of
fire three hundred feet high and nearly nine
hundred feet long moved with lightning rapid
ity to the building. In less time than il takes
to relate it the canning house, filled with thou
sands 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 nine
hundred feet of platform were all ablaze and
burned furiously.
At the first intimation of the explosion all
of the workmen who could do SO started to
run. Johnny Cline, however, stumbled and
fell, and his clothes caught fire. The men
bravely returned TO hisassistance but the fire
that enveloped him could not be extinguished
until he had been frightfully burned.
Three little boys, Denny O'Neill and An
drew and John Mcdonald, were walking along
the railroad track when the explosion occur
red. They were 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 were on fire, and they ran down
the track with the bright blazes streaming after
them. Assoon as the bystanders could recover
from their horror, they pursued the three boys.
Covering them with coats, they soon cxtin-
gushed the flames, and laid them under tree
near by. When on attempt was made to re-
move 0 Neil clothes, great pieces of his flesh
peeled of his face and body at the slightest
touch lie was conscious, and never uttered
cry.