Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-25
Damage Estimated at About Six Hundred
Thousand Dollars
ANY LARGE TANKS ARE DESTROYED
Amount of Oil Consumed Over Two and
Half Million Barrels
MEN AND MULES HtMMED IN BY FLAMES
Made 90 Conhne Fire to
one Track, but Il Extends to
Others-Wud scramble
for safety,

HOUSTON, Tex, july 24.-The fire In the
Humble oil fields which started last night
is still burning hercey. but Il remains
confined to the tanks OF the Texas company
While no names are ascertainable 1t Is
believed that twelve persons lost their lives.
So far as can be learned these were all
negroes who were employed in trying to
prevent the spread of the flames. Forty
three mules are known 20 have perished.
The managers Of the Texas company state
that the tanks contained approximately
2,5OO,0OO barrels of oil, which was valued
at about % cents per barrel. and that none
of the oil will be saved. In addition they
say the big pumping plant at the tanks
was entirely destroyed, making total loss
of more than S6OOOO0.
Today the efforts of the fire fighters have
been confined to throwing up earth of the
embankments between the burning tanks,
of which there are eleven, and those in
which 100000 barrels of oil belonging to
other companies are stored. These tanks
1900 and 4OOO feet away from the field.
but the water which covers the field as a
result of the rain of Sunday has hoated
the burning oil to the irst level and sud
den boil over" may send the burning fluid
to the second embankment which would
place the other tanks in greater danger.
The fire is not spreading toward the pro-
ducing field. and It is not expected that 1t
will. Hundreds of men are engaged tonight
strengthening the levees, building them
higher and in throwing up additional ridges.
Scores of people have lost their temporary
homes in the fields. Many of these have
already come to Houston TO seek shelter.
Among the companies who had oil stored
| i'm the Texas tanks are Antl. 10000 barrels
Brooks & Co.. 10000 barrels Landslider
& Co, 125,OOO barrels.
Due to the Humble fire sharp advance
occurred in the oil market and still further
advances are ordered f. o. H. oil is
! quoted at from % to 25 cents today, an
advance of about cents.
Eleven TaRks Burnins.
HUMBLE. TEX, July AL-coverinE an
with a great canopy OF smoke covering
two square miles, the oil tanks of the
area of three-qdarters of a mile square.
Texas company continue to boil and bubble
| under the great heat of the burning oil,
| the fire having burned all night. When 1t
can be extinguished is problematical Ger
! tainly not until II has burned all OF the
oil in the eleven big tanks, which held
35OOOOO barrels. when lightning struck
them Sunday afternoon.
1t is now known that FIVE negroes per-
ished. There are hundreds of people home-
less. They were living in tents and shacks
in the oil field and fed for their lives 70
the town. All their belongings have bOoa
DESTROYED by fire. During the whole Of the
night there was a heavy aewnpour of rain
and this covered the ground with sheet
Of water. coated with thick Aim OF OIL.
Men and Mules Caught.
Shortly after the big tank began to blaze
|
hurried to the place to throw up earthen
embankments to conflne the fire to the
tank where it originated. Suddenly the oil
gave an upheaval bubbled and lifted a
great mass of burning fluid bodily from
the tank and the fire was communicated to
three other tanks.
The burning oil caught the men and
mules and hemmed them in. There was a
wild scramble for safety, men dropping
their scrapers and reins. Some OF them
mounted mules and got out but at least
forty of the mules baked and were cre-
mated. Five negroes were seen TO go down
and it is not believed possible they could
have escaped. While all of the men have
not been accounted for, these five are all
that are known 10 have perished.
At O'Clock this morning fire broke out
in the steel tanks of the Texas company
at the pumping station, a mile from the
original fire. What damage was done can
not be ascertained, yet, because It is i'm
possible to reach that part of the held.
At 10 o'clock the fire was still raging, with
no prospect of its immediate control It Is
believed. however. that the flames will
eventually be confined to the tsnkage dis.
trict There are about 100000 barrels OF
oil in these storage tanks, all OF which
will be destroyed. The losses are already
estimated at 10000 barrels or more, with
practically no insurance. Reports OF fatal.
ties have not been verified. although d
number of men are missing.