Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-08-21
BIG FIRE FOLLOWS
BENzNE EXPLOSION
Eighteen Oil Tanks Burned
at Philadelphia.
FIVE WORKMEN KILLED

Ing C0mpaBy's O1A WORKS at EoAht
Bveexe-F4re Is Still Raging-Loss
May Reach 81, 900, 600.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 20-Five per
soRs 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:
Jehn McCullom, engineer 49.
James Fails, engine company 49.
John Dougherty. truck company No.
0, and fireman and employe of the Re-
fning company too badly burned to be
recognized.
When the explosion occurred the fire.
men of engine company 40, and en-
ployes of the Atlantic Refining com.
pany, in all about 90 men, were at work
in the pumpinghouSe drawing off ell
from the burning tanks The flames
shot high in the air and the pumping.
house was almost completely demOl-
ished.
Heroic Work of Firemen.
The firemen who had been playing
streams on the other tanks then directed
their attention to the rescue of the men
who had been imprisoned in the pump
inghouse. It was nearly an hour be.
fore the men could be reached. Mean
while a score of streams of water were
pouring upon the ruins of the pumping
house. The promptness with which the
hremen turned their attention to the
rescue of the men undoubtedly saved a
score of lives.
AS quickly as the men were rescued
fre1n the ruins they were sent to the
hospitals in the lower section of the
city. Five bodies were recovered and
sent to the morgue, but only three of
them could be identified. Two bodies
were roasted to a crisp and so blackened
that it was almost impossible to tell
whether they were those Of white or
negro men.
None of the II injured men taken to
the hospitals 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 pumpinghouse where the explo.
sion occurred was midway between the
two rows Of the burning tanks, a1d the
6Femen were endeavoring to confine the
flames to one row by drawing off the oil
at the time of the explosion. There are
100 tanks in the big oil plant, and more
than a dozen of them are on fire. At
the tlIne Of the explosion the wind was
blowing strong from the east and carry
ing 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.
At the tiae Of the explosion two big
German tank steamers, Gutheil and
Marie, were loading petroleum at the
Atlantic oil wharfs. but they were towed
down the river to place Of safety.
Probable Cause of Explosion.
Various theories are advanced as to
the cause Of the explosion IN the pump.
tnghouse, where the firemen lost their
lives. According to a fireman of engine
company No. 46, which was pumping
out the oil from a burning tank, the
fluid was allowed to get too low and
Drew the fire with it. The explosion
occurred as the men were pumping and
wandsr is expressed by the men that
every one in the building did not lose
their lives.
Another theory is that the oil in tank
Ne. 30 eyeraowed and the burning oil
spread to the pumphoHse, where the
tiremen were at work, causing the oil
there to explode. There was a rumor
early this morning that large gang of
employees Of the company were buried
when the explosion occurred.
Since early morning the flames spread
to five additional tanks, making 8 that
have been destroyed.
At 10 o'clock the fire was still beyond
eontrel, and although most of the tanks
not yet on fire stood apart from those
burning, there was constant fear of the
flames reaching them. The almost ex.
hausted fFemeR paid little attention to
the burning tanks, devoting their en-.
deavOrs to an efRert to save the tanks
ana other property net on fire. There
was constant danger Of another explos.
toH that n4ght possibly spread death
and ruin and the paen were ordered not
10 expose themselves unnecessarily.
Loss May Reach 81, 900, 900.
Meanwhile the Gil in the tanks near.
est those on FIRE was pumped to the most
distant tanks in the hopes that the tanks
liable to catch fire may be emptied. This
cooper shop was on FIRE at one time, but
the flames were extinguished before the
structure was much damaged. The off,
c1a9s of the company refuse to give any
estimate Of the loss. Those in position
to know estimate it at from $500, 600 to
81 100000 AS the Standard Oil com.
pany, which owns the Atlantic Refhina
Company, does it's own insuring, the loss
Will fall on the insurance fund of that
concern.
The Point Breeze oil works have been
devastated by fire on several occasions.
Several years ago there was q Aerce fire
Tor three days, destroying much proper.
ty and causing heavy losses.
Seven years ago there was another
FIRE, which dsfsd the efforts of the fire.
men for six days. The fire fighting
force of the city was not able to cope
with this outbreak, and aid was sum.
moned from nearby places.
On both of these occasions the heavy
smoke hung over the city, completely
obscuring the light of the sun.
Rockingham Company Incorporated.
RIEDsvILLE, n. O., Aug. 20-The
Rockingham company has been moor.
porated with capital stock of 800, 600
and privilege of increasing to $500, 900,
for dealing in lands, mineral rights, wa.
ter rights, providing power, etc. The
iucorporators are B. Frank Mebane, J,
S. McAllister, w. r. Walker and A. E.
Miller.
Railroad 1SlacK3lnlJns meet.
DENVER. Aug. 20. - The National
n ! TDI