New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-15
4 TANK STEAMER BLOWN UP.
SIRuCk ~ LIGHTNING IN A FKENCH
HARGDR
FIFTEEN uy,s Lo.r-pAM,GE DoyE By FIRE

FIFTEEN LlYts LO>T-DAItGE DONE bA FIRE
T. CHER VESSEL. NEAR by.
DoricauX June Ian appalling acciIen'' by
vhi,h ffc,r p.IsorS lost Their Ives. occurred To-Day
jusi ont -Gc .l,c harlor of Blaye. on The hl'cr u"
icpdc twenty four miles northeast OF tins CIV Lying
of the hnrbor was the British steamer Pctio.a cap
tain Iiulback. which had arrived at the port on June
lo. with petroleum from Philadelphia \ thuilei
storm was nging. Tho usual routine work was be
ing performed on bourd. when suddenly there was
fash. trcnIcndOus was heard, ana the NcsSel
wns blown to pieces. she had been struck by ight-
ming Huge FRAGMENTS OF the deck and Lighthouses
were carried upward to great heigh'' ihe SHOCK
OF the explosion alarmed the town, and hunircdS III
pcrsons rushed to the wharves discover the cause
of The noise brng thought by many that The mag
aznc of one OF the fort, defending Blnye had blown
up.
Tho river was strcwn with tao vreclage from the
retrola. Burning Gl was floating on the water
THIS dnftcs with the tide md. ioatnc against several
vessel, l~sg at nnchor near by, set them on hre'
Two or tHw other vessels were lcntcd DIV Dnfnih2
oil that fell on their decks taTred rigging. The
Petrola burning triollsv and the heat was 50
Intense that Il dangerous for the MANY small
boats that were launched TO approach near her.
Dense volumes ., smoke hung ovcr the burning
steamer. some o. the boatmcn heard cries FOR heip
and rovcd as clnGclv as possible 10 the Pcroa. Thev
succeeded In picking up sixteen Of her crc" three Of
her engineers md the second Oilccr. some OF the
rescued men we're severely burned. They said that
there were a dozen others on board the vessel when
the explosion occurred. and an unavaing
searh made in the vicinity Of
the steamer for them.
Tie crews II the other vessels that caught fire dll
their utmost b. quracr the flames but their efforts
were frulcss mud Of the crlft. mostly veSScif
engaged In the liver and coaStng trade, were burned
to the waters edge. The lighters that were near
the PctroIa snkn In few minutes after the cNplo-
sIon and three men who aboard OF them were
drowned The FIR. communicated by the burning
oil TO the landing stage. which soon a mass 81
flames The woods along ths banks of the river
GirDndc were also fire and "a large quantity OF
valuable timber was burned. The damage done is ex-
tcnsivc
Philadelphia, June 1.-THE tank steamship Pcrcia,
which IS reported destroyed By an explosion In th7
harbo. Of Bayc France sailed from this port on May
20 with a full cargo Of 937,525 gailors Of crude
pefr 1leum valued Mt more than s22, 600. The cargo
WINS loaded here by Arnold katz. but the shippers
were Muller schnll & TO-, Of New York, who con
signed 10 Blaye f LIST OF the crew IS not
ohtanabe hers. n most Of the officers and mon were
shippcd in England. on tie vessels arrival here.
however eight Of tire crew deserted and tn. following
were shipped in their places: Flrcm'n-Anfrev
lInniincn samuel Foster, John Buon. John Bryan
Fred Axelson: ,camcr-AutOOn ROgicr and Charl ;
MnnniOn Captain Ilubback well and favonblY
known here and f1rmcrh commanded INC steamer
r.guar line running from This port her tonnage
whs l5l6 MT. length. 2a2 feet inches; breadth
81 zee, inch depth, Is feet inches She wa.
London and owrcd by the Petroleum shipping Com
pany. Limited Of London.