The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-20
Benzlne Tank ExpIOdes, With
Disastrous Results.
Besides the Dead, IL Persons
We're Injured.
OIL TANKS BURNING.
Flames Still Resist All Efforts
of the Firemen.
Rumors of Much More Extensive
Loss of Life.


Philadelphia. Aug. 20.-Five persons
are known to have been killed by an
explosion of the big benzine tank at the
Atlantic Refining eompanys oil works
at Point Breeze, at midnight.
The dead:
JOHN MCULLOM. engine company
JAMES EALLs. engine company is.
JOHN DOUGHERTY. truck company
No. 9.
Fireman and an employe of the Re
timing company too badly burned to be
recognized.
When the explosion occurred the fire
men of the engine company 40 and em-
plOyes of the Atlantic Refining COM
pany, in all about so men, were at work
in the pumping house drawing OFT OIL
from the burning tanks, the flames shot
in the air and the pumping house WAS
almost completely demolished. The fire.
men who had been playing the streams
on the other tanks then directed their
efforts to the rescue of the men who
had been imprisoned in the pumping
house. 1t was nearly an hour before
the men could be reached Meanwhile
a score Of streams of water were pour
ing upon the ruins. The promptnesa
with which the fremen turned their at
tention to the rescue Of the men I'M
doubtedly saved score of lives. As
quickly as the men were rescued 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 We're roasted to a coal ana
so blackened that it was almost i'm
possible to tell whether they were those
of white or colored men.
None of the II injured men taken to
the hospitals is seriously injured They
We're suffering chiefly from burns and
bruises and after having their wounds
dressed nearly all We're able to leave
Z A.. +nl-
where she explosion occurred was mid
way between two rows of burning
tanks and the fremen We're endeaVor-
ing to confine the flames to one row by
! drawing off the oil. At the time Of the
explosion there were 100 tanks in the
big oil plant and more than dozen OF
them were on fire. The wind was blow
ing strong from the east and carrying
J the flames directly toward the other
tanks, but early this morning the Winu
shifted to the southwest and there is a.
probability of saving the other tanks
from destruction. The wind carried the
heavy shifting black smoke directly
over the central section of the city al
most obscuring the suns rays. At the
time Of the explosion two big steamers
Gus-Heil and Marie were loading Pc
troleum at the Atlantic 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 fremen lost their lives
According to q fireman Of engine COM
pany 46, which was pumping out the oil
from a burning tank the fluid was all
lowed to get too low and drew the fire
with it, The explosion occurred as the
men were pumping, and wonder Is ex-
pressed by the men that all In the
building did not lose their lives.
Another theory is that the oil in tank
No. so overfowed and the burning oil
spread to the pump house where the
firemen We're at work, causing the oil
there to explode. There was a rumOr
early this morning that a large gang
of employees of the company were bur-
led when the explosion occurred.
Is TANKS DESTROYED
Since early morning the flames
spread to five additional tanks. making
IS that have been destroyed. At ~
O'Clock the fire was not yet under con-
troll and although most of the tanks not
yet on fire were apart from those
burning there was constant fear OF the
flames reaching them. The almost ex-
hausted firemen paid little or no att
tentiOn to the burning tanks devOting
their endeavOrs to an effort to save the
tanks and other property not on fire.
There was constant danger OF another
explosion that might possibly spread
death and ruin and the men We're or
dered not to expose themselves unnec-
essarily.
Meanwhile the oil in the tanks near
est those on fire was being pumped to
the more distant tanks in the hope that
the tanks liable to catch fire may be
emptied before the flames reach them
The big cooper shop was on fire at one
time but the flames were extinguished
before the structure was much dam
aged
The officials Of the company refuse to
give any estimate of the loss. Those in
position to know estimate Il at from
$500 900 to s1,000,000. As the Standard
Oil company, which controls the Allan
tic Refining company does its own i'm
suring the loss viii fail on the insur-
ance fund of that concern.
The Point Breeze oil works has been
devastated at be fire on several occa-
sions- Eleven years ago a FIRE started
which burned fiercely for three days.
destroying much property and causing
heavy loss
Seven years ago there was another
fire which defied 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.
Town Destroyed by Fire
Paris, Aug. 20.-A dispatch from
Basse-Terre, Island Of Guadeloupe.says
that the town Of Grand Boure. Island
of Marie Galante, in the French AM
titles. has been destroyed by fire. The
town has a population Of $4,000.