The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-26
NAprnA TASK STRUCK BY LlonrNINo
At Marcus tiook-The Fluid stir Burning
Y Heavy Loss.

During the severe electrical storm which
passed over this vicinity about 5. 80 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, a bolt Of lightning
struck naptha tank, No. OF the Bear
Greek OIL Works ut Marcus Hook. The
cover was ripped of and the naptha
caught fire. The fire, while 1t ragged, was
an hourly expense OF 1900 to the COM
pany.
II was about g. 40 o'clock when William
Oakes, an employee while In the vicinity
OF what Is known as agitator, heard the
lightning strike something. Casting a
hasty look around he noticed slight
namo arising from tank No. g. He quick
ly gave the alarm and made q rush for the
tank, Others were before him however,
rs the agitator is situated some distance
from the tank which was struck.
No sooner was the alarm given than the
works We're alive with employees, who en-.
deavorcd to do everything in their power
to quench the flames. There efforts We're
OF noayall, as there was d steady gain,
and In short time the cover OF tho tank
had entirely melted of and the tank was
q mass Of flames The tank contained
1000 barrels of naptha, valued at about one
dollar per barrel and while the Co. was
Rble TO save some OF this by pumping it in.
to another tank, the loss will reach $1,000
At midnight gang Of men under the
direction OF superintendent j. Il. Will
liams, worked hard trying to max connec
tions with tank No. 8, in order to save as
much of the oil as possible, for as soon as
the fire started the pumps were put put at
work pumping water watei into the tank
from the bottom, in order to keep the fire
ct the top OF the tank.
At the rate 1t was burning this morn
ing the fire was burning tho naptha at
tae rate OF about SEQ an hour. Superin.
tendent Williams placed he loss ut about
$4,000 but this Is conservative estimate.
As soan rs the fire started plug stream
was started and played continuously upon
the ground in the vicinity OF the burning
tank.
This was needed, as in spite Of the water
which was poured upon the grass for dis
tance of about fifty yards in every direc.
ton, was burned to crisp. The men who
played the hose had to DO relieved about
every fifteen minutes, SO intense was the
heat.
When the fire first started there was a
great deal Of apprehension in and about
Marcus Hook lest the flames should DO
communicated to the surrounding tanks
and an explosion result. The efficiency Of
the fire department CT the oil works pre-
vented This, however, aud there was not
hhe slightest cause for alarm.
The blazing tank is situated in the far
southeastern corner Of the oil works prop.
Brty, just over the Delaware State line,
and about one hundred yards from any
other building or tank Surrounding the
tanks is an embunkmcnt which, should
The tank boil over, would fully protect tho
surrounding property.
The steamer ''Du1lield" which was ly-
ing at the dock, cast of and anchored in
midstream. About 1870 o'clock u tug
boat arrived, containing fifteen hundred
feet OF OF hose and during the remA nder
of the night several streams were employ
ed in saving the surrounding property ana
KEEPING the grass wet down.
The contlagration presents no serious
danger and unless some means arc secured
to pump por ion Of the napthu from
the tank, it may last for several days.
The contents Of the burning tank were
to have been shipped away to-day, us IL
barge arrived last evening to loud with II
cargo Of it.
The fire at tho Marcus Hook oil works
was raging at noon. From tho Court
House COud be seen the flame and the
heavy clouds Of black smoke which us,
cended. The loss, it is said, will reach
$4,000. The probabilities are that the
fire will rage during the afternoon,