Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-20
Result Of Explosion of Benzine Tank
at Philadelphia
-FOUR OF THEM CITY FIREMEN
Were Fighting Flames Which Had
Started Previously.
WORKS ARE STILL BURNING

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, August 2O.-Five
persons are known to have been killed by
the explosion of the big benzine tank at
the Atlantic Refining Company's oil
works at Point Breeze at midnight. The
dead are: John McCullom, engine company
40; James Ealls. engine company 40; John
Dougherty, truck company, No. Q, and a
fireman and an employe of the refining
company, too badly burned to be recog-
nized.
When the explosion occurred the fire.
men of engine company 40 and employees
of the Atlantic Refining Company, in all
about fifty men, were at work in the
pumping house drawing off oil from the
burning tanks. The flames shot high in
the air and the pumping house was almost
completely demolished. The fremen who
had been playing streams on the other
tanks then directed their attention to the
rescue of the men who had been impris-
oned in the pumping house. 1t was nearly
an hour before the men could be reached.
Meanwhile a score of streams of water
were pouring upon the ruins of the pump
ing house. The promptness with which the
firemen turned their attention to the res
cue of the men undoubtedly saved a score
OF lives. AS quickly as the men wefe res
cued from the ruins they were sent to the
hospitals In the lower section of the city.
morgue, but only three Of them could be
identified. Two bodies were roasted to q
crisp, and SO blackened that it was al
most impossible to tell whether they were
those of white or colored men.
Injured Not Seriously Hurt.
None of the seventeen injured men taken
to the hospital is seriously injured. They
were suffering chiefly from burns and
bruises. and after having their wounds
dressed, nearly all were able to leave the
hospitals
The pumping house where the explosion
occurred was midway between the two
rows of burning tanks. and the firemen
were endeavoring to confine the flames to
one row by drawing off the oil at the time
of the explosion.
There are one hundred tanks in the big
Oil plant, and more than a dozen of them
We're on fire. At the time of the explosion
the wind was blowing strong from the east
and carrying the flames directly toward
the other tanks, but early this morning the
wind shifted to the southwest, and there is
a probability Of saving the other tanks
from destruction.
The fire was burning fiercely at 10 o'clock
this morning, the wind blowing in a direc-
tion that carried the heavy, sitting black
smoke directly over the central section Of
the city, almost obscuring the SUMS rays
Tank Steamers Saved.
At the time of the explosion two big
German tank steamers. Gut-Hen and
Marie, were loading petroleum at the At
lantic oil wharves. but they were towed
down the river to a place of safety.
Various theories are advanced as to the
cause OF the explosion In the pump house.
where the firemen lost their lives. Accord
ing to a fireman of Engine Company 49,
which was pumping out the Oil from
burning oil tank. the fluid was allowed to
get too low and drew the fire with it. The
explosion occurred as the men were pump
ing, and wonder is expressed by the men
that every one in the building did not lose
his life.
Another theory Is that the Oil in tank No.
80 overf1owed and the burning oil spread
to the pump house, where the firemen were
at work, causing the oil there to explode.
There vase rumor early this morning that
a large gang Of employees of the company
were buried when the explosion occurred.