Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-20
OIL IN CANAL ABLAZE
Banks of Smoke Cover South
Washington.
FROM LEAK IN PIPE LINE
Three Hundred Gallons of LIQUID
Fuel Mysteriously Fired.
GRAVE DANGER OF EXPLOSION
Averted by Chief Belt, Who Pre-
verted Firemen From Spreading
Flames With Water and
Used Earth
FROM LEAK IN PIPE LINE
GRAVE DANGER OF EXPLOSION

A conia grafton. more spectacular than
damaging. but OF mysterious origin. was
discovered near the plant OF the Standard
on Company in South Washington about
1o o'clock this forenoon.
Dense volumes of black smoke ascend
ed sky~ard and overspread the atmos-
phere like a PAIL and in some places
almost smut of the light OF the sun.
The bank of smoke could be seen for
long distance. and gave rise to reports
that most destructive fire was ra ging.
The blaze originated from a leak In a
kerosene pipe line about midway be-
tween the receiving plant OF the Standard
Oil Company at Half and X streets south
east and the storage plant at Half and
* streets southwest
Kerosene and gasoline is brought to
this City in barges and placed in the re-
ceiving tanks on the eastern side OF the
line of the old James Creek canal. Two
lines OF two-inch pipes cross the bed Of
the ancient canal and convey the oil to
the storage plant on the west side The
pipes are laid about three feet below the
surface of the ground and extend along
the line Of the curbstones.
About midway between the two plants.
in the bed Of the partially filled James
Creek canal. is dump which workmen
have been filling with sheets of asphalt
concreting that have been removed from
the streets in the course OF repairs ana
resurfacing. At the dump Is quite Q o.
preston. The dump is in charge OF an
aged colored man.
Leak Discovered Yesterday.
The discovery was made yesterday aft
ernoon that there was a leak in the
Kerosene pipe Immediately over the dump
and depression. Oil was seen bubbling
from the leak
Officials of the company were notified.
telegram was sent to Baltimore for
workman to come to the plant and repair
the leak.
Men were trying to stop the leak this
morning. When the repairmen left their
work to go TO breakfast this morning
they cautioned the colored Waterman not
TO allow any one to approach the leak
with a lighted pipe or cigar. nor to allow
any fire to be lighted nearby.
As the repairmen were returning to their
work they observed that the leaky place
was ablaze. Then. the leak was en-
larged by the action OF the fire and oil
poured into the depression in the bed OF
the canal, flames and great volumes OF
black smoke shot upward.
AS soon as possible the flow of kerosene
was cut off at the receiving plant. the
cocks being closed At first il was be-
the thousands Of gallons. This afternoon
officials of the Standard Oil Company
stated that the loss would not exceed 800
gallons.
When Chief Belt Of the fire department
reached the scene there was much con-
fusion and excitement. IL was feared that
the fire would reach the big storage plants
and result in a terrific explosion. which
would cause a widespread confederation
and shake the city
The fire chief found his men throwing
water in the blazing oil. causing the blaze
to spread and immense clouds of jet black
smoke TO rise. He ordered the firemen
to desist. Soon he had workmen throwing
earth around the blazing pit-like depres-
sion, to confine the fire to the smallest
area.
Mai. Sylvester. chief of police. was
quickly on the scene. He directed his
men in keeping back the throng Of excited
spectators. many of whom were school
children
The Cardoza and Randall public schools
for colored children are near the scene
enjoying their forenoon recess when the
fire alarm was sounded. They at once
rushed to see the confiagration, which
had become blazing furnace. The po-
lice had their hands full in keeping the
little ones out of the fire zone.
The constant fear of the multitude OF
people who had been attracted to the
scene by the spectacular columns OF
smoke. from which tongues of flame Jet
ted, was that the heat would reach the
oil plants on either side of the bed Of
the old canal.
The plant at Half and X streets south
west. formerly occupied as the Home OIL
Company. by Nicolai Brothers. seemed to
be in danger. The northeast wind was
carrying the intense heat in that drec.
ton.
Chief Belt directed that the structure
he drenched with water as a precaution-
carried into effect. eliminating danger
from that direction.
Fire Soon Under Control.
The fire was soon under control. al
though the flames continued to blaze
fiercely in the depression in the canal bed.
into which about 200 gallons of oil had
poured. making the place a pocket of roar
ing fire.
1t was said that had there been an ex-
plosion of the tanks the frame buildings
of the National Mortar Company row
of two story dwellings, along the canal
bank. the structures of the Standard Oil
Company. and perhaps the two school
buildings for colored children would have
been destroyed.
Officials Of the company feared the heat
from the fiery pocket might follow the
line of pipes into the plants. Chief Belt
allayed their fears and kept his men and
apparatus on guard until all danger was
past.
The police are endeavoring to discover
how the blaze was started. There is said
to be considerable mystery surrounding
its origin.
John F. Harvey. a dump watchman,
said there were a number of small col.
ored boys on the dump in proximity to the
leaky pipe at the recess time. They were
gathering scrap iron. he added. He did
not any fire started by them.
Joe Buchanan, colored driver for the
mortar company. whose home is close tc
the kerosene and gasoline plants, said lie
had a dream several nights ago that his
house was consumed by fire and his fam.
lily cremated So, when he saw the great
clouds of dark smoke rising from the
direction of his home this morning. he
rushed frantically to the house. believing
his dream had been verified. When ht
reached the scene of the conf1agration ht
was breathless and excited.