The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-08-20
'HAY0CBY 4
- 5. THE STORM

I Philadelphia, Pa. Aug. 20.-Dur.
ing the heighth Of the storm light.
ming struck several tanks. OF refined
oil al the Point Breeze works OF the
Atlantic Refining Company, destroy.
ing half million dollars worth Of
oil, while several costly buildings
narrowly escaped des truction.
Lightning played havoc in the
Northern Liberties, where two seper-
ate and distinct bolts did execution.
Eleven persons were severely shocked
one narrowly escaping electrocution,
and several buildings were partly
damaged. The injured are:
Felix NJ Cam, waiter, Of Orianna
and Brown streets; injured In saloon
ut Third and Brown stree is; taken to
st. Joseph's Hospital in a serious con-
dition.
Gerge Steele. bartender, Of Third
and Brown Streets, injured in saloon
but revived by tremen.
Mrs. Camilla kisner, of No. lO6
Brown Street, struck when sitting in
+. rear of her home; paralyzed about the
legs
John Begley, gasiltter, Of No 1l3
Brown street, struck when sitting in
rear Of his home; paralyzed about the
legs.
Michael Begley. of No. 1l3 Brown
Street, street, shocked when lying On
lounge: will recover.
Nellie Begley, Of No. III Brown
street, shocked when in kitchen;
slightly paralyzed; will recover.
Boyd Edmenson, Of No. 107 Ellen
street, shocked while seated at win
dow; left arm paralyzed.
At o'clock a holt of Zig htning
struck tank No. 81 Of the A tlantic
Refining Company's plant at Point
Breeze Two minutes later a terrific
explosion was heard, volume of
flame shot upward and the iron cover
Of the vast. tank was hurled high in
the air. Superintendent Joe Lewis
ordered out the company's own fire
department and at the same time a
Waterman turned il an alarm over
the city's wire. This was followed
by three other alarms
In less than Is minutes three ad.
joining tanks, Nos. II, 81 and 80,
had cacght fire, and the flame and
smoke was seen all over the city.
Each tank contained 10000 barrels |
of refined oil SO that In all 10000
barrels of oil were ablaze.
The city Fire Department respond.
ed promptly and the men saw at
once that the only thing to do was
to keep the adjoining tanks cool by
throwing water on them and they
confined their efforts to that work.
Just southeast of the burning tanks
was the big barrel factory and inn
mense storeroom filled with oil bar.
rels, lumber and machinery. This
building was threatened constantly,
and the tiremen did good work IN
preventing the flames from gaining
hcadway IN that direction. In spite
of the efforts Of the tiremen, two out
houses and portion Of the, pum ping
plant were damaged.
Immediately after the fire was lis.
covered the company's employees
tried to draw Off the oil from the
bottoms of the tanks with escape
pipes, precaution which is always
taken when a fire starts, but owing
tc the extreme heat the pipes burnt 4
and as a result the oil had to be left
in the big tanks to burn.
In spite of the vigorous efforts of
the tiremen, the flames spread about
D O'Clock to tank IS, containing 250OO
barrels Of partially refined oil, and
the fifth tank was soon in ruins like
the four others. Shortly after this
two benzine tanks Of 5000 gallons
each blew up with tremendous re.
port Near these two tanks were
two other small oil tanks which were
being pumped out as rapidly as pos.
slble. Each contained about 5000
gallons Of oil. The two small tanks
we're also reached by the flames and 4
we're ablaze about 1890 o'clock.
General manager N. W. Hardness,
Of the Atlantic Refining Company,
was unable to give any detlnate csti-
mate of the amount OF oil and bcnzinc
lost. but he was heard to say that the
total amount of the loss may not be
over $3.50, 900.
This low estimate may lie account.
I'd for if all the tanks we're not full.
A foreman of the company, however,
stated when the fire started that all
nad their full capacity of oil, which
1t yesterdays quotations for refined
oil would make the loss nearly $500.
300. At midnight the oil was still
burning.
In spite Of the heavy downpour of
.ain, great crowd Of people assem-
)led 10 the vicinity and remained IN.
il q late hour watching the flames.