Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-22
Big FIRE AT POINT BREEZE
Was Started Monday Night by a
Lightning Bolt.
THE FLAMES BURNED FlERCELY
The Loss May Reach a Million
Dollars.
Five Persons Have Perished, and Two
Bodies Are So Badly Burned That 1t is
Impossible to Tell Whether They Are
Those of White or Coiored Men.

Impossible to Tell whether They Are
Those Of White or Coiored Men.
Philadelphia, Pa, Aug. 20.-Fiye
persons are known to have been killed
by the explosion Of the big benzine
tank at the Atlantic Refining Go. g oil
works, at Point Breeze, at midnight
The dead are: John McCulom Of
Engine Company No. 40, james Falls
OF Engine Company No. 40, John
Dougherty OF Truck Company No. Q
and fireman and an employe of the
refining company too badly burned to
be recognized.
N When the explosion occurred, the
4 flremen Of Engine Company No. 40 and
employees of the Atlantic Refining Co.,
In all about 90 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 demol-
ishot. The firemen who had been play
ing streams on the other tanks then di
rooted their attention to the rescue of
ths men who had been imprisoned In
the pumping house. 1t was nearly an
hour before the men could be reached.
Meanwhile, score Of streams of watar
nolo BputiuK upuu buo Ful0h OI LIB
pumping house. The promptness with
which the tiremen turned their atten-
tion to the rescue of the men undoubt-
edly save score of lives. As quickly
as the men we're rescned from the
ruins, they were cent to the hospitals
in the lower section of this city. Five
bodies were recovered and sent to the
morRue, but only. three of them could
be identified. Two bodies we're roasted
to crisp, and were SO blacksned that
1t was almost impossible to tell whether
they were those of white or color ed
msn. 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 we're able to
leave the hospitals.
The pumping house whore the explo-
sion occurred was midway between the
two rows of burning tanks, and the fire.
men were endeayorinR to confine the
flames to one row, by drawing off the
oil, at the time Of the explosion. There
ara 100 tanks in the big oil plant, and
more than dozen of them are ON fire.
AT the time of the explosion the wind
was blowing from the east and carry
ing the flames directly toward the
the wind shifted to the southwest, and
there is q probability of saving the
ipther tanks from destruction. The fire.
was burning fiercely at 10 O'Clock this
morning. The wind was blowing in q
direction that carried the heavy,
sitting black smoke directly over the
central section of the city, almost OBJ
securing the sun g rays. At the time of
the explosion, two big German tank
steamers, Gut. He'll and Marie, were
loading petroleum at the Atlantic Oil
wharvea, but there were towed down
the river to place OF safety.
Various theories are advanced as to
the cause of the explosion in the pump
house where the iremsn lost their
lives. According to fireman of
Engine Company No. 46. which was
pumping out the oil from a burning
tank, the huid was allowed to get too
low, and drew the fire with it. The
explosion occurred as the men were
pumping, and wonder is expressed that
all In the building did not lose their
lives. Another theory is that the oil IN
,.ank No. so oyerflowsd, and the burn
ing oil spread to the pump house where
the tiremen were at work, causing the
oil there to explode. There was
rumor early this morning that large
gang OF employees OF the company were
buried when the explosion occurred.
Since early morning, the flames have
spread to five additional tanks making
lS that have been destroyed.
The lire Is by no means under con-
trol, and, although most of the tanks
not yet on fire are isolated from those
that are burning, there is constant fear
OF the flames reaching some OF those
that have thus far escaped. The almost
exhausted tiremer are paying no atten.
tion to the burning tanks, deyoting
their endeavors to an effort to save the
tanks and another property not on fire.
The heat is so fierce that they have
been driven away from the hose. A de-
vice is used that will hold the nozzle
stationary aud in a position to throw
water on the sides of the tanks, and the
fire lighters have retreated to sa 70
j distance to observe their machines at
work. There is, Of course, danger OF
another explosion that might spread
death and ruin, and the men have been
ordered not to expose themselves un.
necessarily. Meanwhile, the oil in the
tanks nearest those on fire is being
pumped to the most distant tanks, and
there 10 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 extneuished before the
structure was much damaged.
AS usua. the officials of the COM
pany refuse to give any estimate of the
loss. Those in posi- ion to know esti-
mate it at from $500, 0C0 to 81. 600, 600.
AS the Standard Oil Co., which con-
trolls the Atlantic Refining Co, does
its own insuring, the loss will fall on
the insurance fund of that concern.
The Point Breeze oil works have been
devastated ty fire ON several occasions.
Eleven years ago. a ire started which
burned fiercely for three days, destroy
5 Ing much property and causing heavy
y loss. Seventeen years ago, there was
another fire, which defied the efforts of
the fremen for six days. The fire
fighting force OF the city was not able
to cope with this outbreak, and aid
was summoned from nearby places. On
both of these occasiops, the heavy
smoke hung over the city, completely
obscuring the light Of the sun.
The fire was started by a lightning
bolt. ED. The Gazette.
Resort for Gamblers.
sa hok q.