The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-05
EXPLODING NAPHTHA
In q Philadelphia Chemical Works
Caused a Dangerous Fire.
slrIFTEEN ARE SEVERELY BURNED
Thirteen Of the Victims FIrcmen-Tho
Walls of the Refining House Blown
Out and Eighteen Thousand Gallons
of tho OIL In tho Yard Explode.

Thirteen OF the victims sFlrcmen-Iho
walls of the Refining House Blown
Out and Eighteen Thousand Gallons
of tho OIL In tho Yard Explode.
Philadelphia. Aug. 5.-A naphtha ex-
plosion in the chemical works of the
Barrett Manufacturing company. in
Frankford, yesterday. caused dan
gerous and disastrous Are. Thirteen
flremen and two employees were badly
burned and scalded.
Two men at work in the building.
Robert Celtic and John Garrish. first
observed the danger from six large
naphtha tanks in the room. Celtic
pointed out to his companion that the
oil in two Of them was boiling to the
} bubblng point and likely TO explode.
The men started for the door. Hardly
had they reached 1t when the two
tanks In rapid succession blew up. and
the entire building containing them, a
brick structure 100 feet long by tS feet
deep, was a mass Of flames Both were
frightfully burned and scalded.
The flames spread with fearful rapid
fly, but notwithstanding the danger
InaL tLTpGlenGu tHe titHc bioSh VI
buildings, the flremen believed that by
heroic exertions they might succeed in
conf1ning the more destructive blaze
to the structure In which the explosion
took place. Fifteen fire companies were
On the ground, and the fireri1en were
+. distributed around the plant in such a
way that their combined efforts would
do efficient service. In the yard at
4aehed to the refining house were $50
barrels of naphtha, each containing 100
gallons, and it was their immediate
effort 10 prevent the flames from reach
Ing them.
The walls had been blown out Of the
refining house, however, and the blasts
Df flame shot out in every direction.
The fiery rlvets were rushing along
lhe ground and licking around the bar
fels of explosive oil In the open space.
II was not in human power to check
this flood Of liquid fire, and the fire
men beat retreat Many of them
were unhappily too late. One after an
Dther the naphtha barrels blew up.
Each explosion was like the discharge
G cannon. As the force accumulated
lhe barrels exploded In batteries.
Most of the firemen managed to es-
cape, but many who had been in the
storage yard among the barrels. and
who were rstreating from the pending
Explosions. were caught In the darting
Names and struck by tho flying iron
Sn6 stone and brick work that followed
zach explosion. Their companions
carried them to places Of safety and
had them conveyed to the hospital.
hfter the explosions had ceased and the
Hanger therefrom abated. the firemen
succeeded in combining the fire to the
Immediate vicinity of the refining
house.
The names Of the burned and injured
bremen are as follows: William Nc
Dade, Samuel Cook, Samuel White,
Fred Hampshire. Aaron Knight, James
Eevling. John Duffield, James Ridg-
~ way, Charles D. Myers, Charles Mil
er. John Malr, Thomas O'Dair. Jacob
Leonard. None are expected to die.
but several may be disfigured by the
burning Gil. The loss is estimated at
b3u,QC0