The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-14
A Big Kerosene Tank
Springs A-leak.
THREE NE N SOAKED.
Hillside Social Club Score
Another Social Success.

Clinton, Jan. 13.-William S. Murnhv
Thomas Cav, and Michael German had
fierce struggle with a stream of kero-
sene flowing under pressure this morn
ing at II o'clock. The flow lasted seven
minutes. 1t cost William S. Murphy
something more than $1O0, as he esti-
mated it.
Mr.. Murphy deals in oil. Yesterday
he received a shipment of 5000 gallons
in tank car. The car was pulled onto
q siding at the Boston and Main de-
pot. Mr.. Murphy goes to it with his
barrels, filling them until the tank is
empty. Yesterday he drew off per-
haps thousand gallons
This morning he went to the car to
continue the work Mr.. Murphy went
to the top of the tank at the center,
and turned the gate down. Then he
went under the car and unscrewed the
cap, that closes the hole in the bottom
Of the tank. After this he screwed on
his connection, which terminates in a
piece of hose about two inches in dia-
meter. This hose is inserted into the
bung hole of the barrel to be filled.
When the connection was made, Muir
ply opened the gate There was
rush, and the connection was carried
away The oil ran at the rate of more
than hundred gallons a minute from
the opening in the bottom of the tank
The stream had the pressure of 5000
gallons of kerosene behind it. 1t rush
ed with sound like the roar of escap-
ing steam, the oil striking the ground
beneath the car and flowing between
the tracks in a respectable stream. Re-
alizing that 1t would take but a few
minutes to empty the tank, Mr.. Muir
ply abandoned his crutch, which he or
dinarily uses, and made haste to the
gate. He turned it downward but it
would not work. Something was the
matter with it.
Thomas Cav and Michael German,
who are sometimes employees of Mr..
Murphy, sprang to his assistance. They
tried to make the gate perform its duty,
but it wouldn't. Several minutes pass
ed in this useless struggle. 1t looked to
a crowd of 40 or so bystanders that had
gathered, as if every drop of the oil
would be lost. Advice was freely prof
fered from the crowd, but only German
had a practical idea.
Lets screw on the can" he said to
Cav.
TdN 1OOhGu DIT lus IuSlllll5 SllNeAiiy
then at the fiat cap, which would have
to be screwed on against the stream
of oil, then at suit of new clothes
he was wearing.
"All right" he said; lets"
German took the cap firmly in his
right hand, and, with Cav, approached
the flowing oil. German is plumber
by training, and he realized that 1t
would be no easy matter to put the cap
on. The men had to work in crouch
ing position under the car. AS soon
as the cap interfered with the flow the
stream became a fountain, IN Whlch
Cav and German were deluged
One of them held the thread of the
cap with all his strength against the
thread in the connection, while the
other screwed the cap in.
1t was desperate work. Ihe OH
sprayed into their eyes and their ears.
1t filed their mouths and ran down
their backs 1t almost drowned them'
After the struggle had endured Tor a
minute and a half the thread caught
the cap turned into its place and tne
5000 or 1000 gallons of oil remaining III
the tank was saved.
Daw and German were sick looking
men. They had swallowed some of the
oil, enough to make them feel as SICK
as they looked Their oily clothes were
clnging to their bodies as if they had
Just been picked out of the Nashua
river. While they received the con
gratulations of the bystanders for DONG
a disagreeable duty well, dry clothing
was brought them. They changed IN tne
gate house nearby and went TO thelr
homes. This evening German and paw
were apparently none the worse Ior
their unusual bath.
One of the most successful affairs OF
the season was the concert and dance
of the Hillside Social Club in town hali'
this evening. All of the young people
prominent in Catholic society We're
present. The dance was preceded by
concert and entertainment, me concert
began with an overture, played py tae
Family Circle orchestra, eight pieces.
Messrs. Gordonnier and Mahan gave
musical sketch. Miss Rosetta Mc119usn-
lin sang a solo and was much applaud
ed. Cartwright Bros. played duet.
using a cornet and trombone. Miss Rose
a pretty Leominster girl,
sang a song, and the Hillside Club trio,
Messrs. Connors, Joyce and Borlan,
sang a song. A specialist mailing from
Fitchburg, and starring as Joaquin,
showed what man with no bones can
do. Mr.. Albert Cartwright played
lIOmDona solo. MISS EVA iHHelty "e'9
the accompanist.
The hall was prettily decorated with
palms. The grand march began at 10
O'Clock. 1t was led by Patrick ]; Glib
bons, president of the Hillside Club, ana
lady.
Mr.. Gibbons was manager Of the floor.
He had for assistants James *. Steele
and Standish T. Grady. The following
We're aids: Gregory NJ. Borlen' John J.
Mulroy, Michael J. Flanagan, Walter
Lawson, William Mcnamara, Thomas
herrigan, Joseph Moran, Emory D.
Narcotic, James MeNulty, Whllam
Sonnors, Thomas #. Ryder, Patrick
quinn, James r. Gibbons, owen L.
y Toole, John T. Ward Henry hast
lhgs, Michael Hoban. Patrick O'Malley.
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