Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-23
BENZINE BLEW UP.

The Iron City Roof Paint Company's Plant
Destroyed-Panic in the Neighborhood-
Two Men Seriously lnjured-The Pan
handle Railroad Tied Up for Two Hours.
The building occupied by the Iron City
Roof Paint Company, on Greenough street
and Gas alley, was completely destroyed by
FIRE yesterday afternoon. While not large
fire it was difficult to handle and caused great
deal of terror IN the neighborhood owing to
the proximity of an immense tank containing
over 100000 feet of gas belonging to the Pitts
burg Gas Company. Before the fire was well
under way people living in adjacent rows OF
tenement houses were moving out their goods,
fearful that the intense heat would explode the
gas tank and wreck the houses.
1t was Just about o'clock when two work
men named Charles Arnold, single man, aged
25. whose home is at Charters, and Louis
Lance, married. aged 81. and living in the rear
of Maddox alley, were Just getting ready to dip
OUT 200 gallons of paint from two kettles In
the establishment
Barrel of Benzine Exploded.
Suddenly there was an explosion of an open
barrel of benzine that stood near the kettles.
The men jumped back, but the substance in
the kettles caught and flashed up and burned
them both about the head and body. The stuff
few all over the works communicating to all
benziue to explode at once, which threw the
roof ont into the air several feet When itiset-
tied back it crashed through the building, and
in an instant fire was darting from every corner
of the place. The workmen in the meantime
had rushed out of the building. and the few
spect ators, employed at various establishments
about the works, went to their assistance, send
ing them first to Emanuers drugstore, on
Grant street. and later to the Homeopathic
Hospital.
The watchman at the Pittsburg Gas Works
sent in an alarm from box 81, and when Chief
Evans arrived he sent in a signal calling out
two additional districts. This was done on ac-
count of the proximity of several large estab-
lishments, notably Rea Bros large pork pack
ing house and the gas tanks Of the Pittsburg
Gas Company.
Left Nothing but the Walls.
The fire, however. was confined to the Iron
City plant, and not a yestige of it save the four
walls of the building was left. The total loss
will not exceed 1000 OF that amount S. UJ0 is
by the paint company, which is owned and
operated by North West q Co., of ia Water
street. There was no insurance. The build
ing is owned by the PitUburg Gas Company,
and Is 40 feet front by 90 deep. 1t was an old
structure, one-story hi,h, of brick, with iron
door and window frames. There was no insur-
ance on IL.
The men who were injured are resting easily
at the hospital, and neither of them is danger
ously burned,
ue IldlllOdu was UlOCkeQ LOT Two
hours during the fire by lines of hose laid
across the track. The superintendent how
ever, opened it up by calling on crew OF
laborers. who dug out sluIce way between
the ties and transferred the hose beneath the
rails, when traffic was resumed.
Mr.. West, the proprietor of the works. was
very anxious Tor the firemen to get through and
get out of the place, as he said he intended to
put temporary roof on the four standing
walls last night and go right ahead. He had
some large orders that he wanted to fill.
The fire was the dIrtest the men have had to
contend with for many months, as the tar
rosin and oil utterly ruined their clothes be-
yond repair.
Firemen Do Some Needless Hustling,
An alarm was sounded from box 81 last night
because a box of matches exploded at No.
Taggart street, Allegheny
Yesterday afternoon a man struck a match
in front of the ruins of the Germania building
and slight explosion of gas followed. He
found the leak and escaped uninjured. An
alarm was sent in all the same.