Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-06-13
Nearly 100000 Gallons of 0iI
Gasoline and Naptha is De-
Stroyed in Spectacular Blaze
Yesterday Evening,
EXPLODING TANKS
MENACE BYSTANDERS
Panic Has Nearly Fatal Re-
SuItsi Unexplained Fire
Thirdin Three Weeks Causes
Loss of $4,000,

The ignition of a small can of gaso-
line in the storage warehouses of the
Continental Oil company at the corner
of North First street and Marble
avenue at o'clock last night pre-
cipitated a disastrous fire which de-
slroyed the entire plant of the 'om,
pany with the exception of the Of
flee building. devoured between 5000
and 100000 gallons Of coal OIL linseed
oil and gasoline and naptha and caus-
ed loss variousuly estimated at from
$4,000 to $4,000, The fir in spite
of the most strenuous efforts of the
city fire fighting department burned ali
night before all the inttamma bic fluids
were destroyed
The fire was the most spectacular
one ever seen in Albuquerque, eXplo-
sion after explosion of the big storage
tanks sending vast volumes or inky
black smoke and binding flames hun
dreds of feet in the air. The first and
most terrific explosion occurred at
u bout 5:45 p. m, and only by mir
acle did the hundreds of speCta YRS
massed perilously close to the blaze
escape with their lives. As it was
panic resulted. a dozen horses attach
ed to buggies bolted and a number of
people were painfully bruised. One
girl, whose name could not be learned
last night stood 50 clos, to the fir
that her dress was burned half off
before bystanders eXtinguished 1t,
Happily she was not seriously burned,
This is the third disastrous fire eX-
perienced by the Continental Oil com
pany in the last three weeks. the first
a. w R1ngpd
the death Of the agent of the company,
being followed week ago by a SIM
liar blaze at Carlsbad.
The alarm was turned in at
o'clock. According TO the story of en-
ployes of the plant a can which was
being filled from a tank Of gasoline in
the warehouse for a customer ignited
I'm some mysterious way, Immediately
spreading to the other receptacles. 1t
spread with frightful rapidity and
burned fiercely untn long after dark
At an early hour this morning the
blaze had not entirely subsidized,
The gre department strung lines OF
hose and worked strenuously for sew
eral hours. but could do little but
prevent the spreading of the flames.
The big explosion was that of a
lG. 600 gallon tank which was said to
contain about 10000 gallons of en-
gine naptha. The tank was heated to
redness before the manhOle at the top
let go and sent an immense volume
of blazing gas fully five hundred feet
in the air.
The heat was terrific and pan re
suited in the crowd which had Ga ncr-
ed close ahont The fire Al lest a
dozen horses bolted women we're
rhrown down and Miss A1vina I,et,rte
onn or thn b,etopdare was rup over
no q frigbtaned horse heing iniured
nainfullv but NOT seriousIv. she was
al once taken to her home on South
Second street
The niIIar of fame sent mn nv the
bie exnIoeior was seen an over the
civ and FOR miles mn and down the
vailev and ont an tbe mesa The
great railing volume of black smoke
almost dllad rho EASTERN sl,v for hours
and several caue came in over the
qyiro from as far south as Relen thIr-
tv rnilos auov eayino the emol,e was
vieibIa ara ael,ing for nartlcuIars or
tha fire.
The eraater mantit, Of the inHpn
nahIe Iionids woe stored in battery
of four iarge borizontai tanks. three
of which eTpIoded the fourth and
largest with a canacitv or 20. 600 gal
Ions and naarly fnIl Of coal oil burn
ing slowly a. tho valves and through
an aecona nine vithont evnIoding al
thouob tba damas licked the tank for
hourS How If escaped exploding Is
a mystery
The tyyo smaller tanks that eypIod-
ed were eoid IN contain one about
: oO0 eauons of gasoline and the other
4 similar Gnantifv of Iinseed oil In
each case he manhoIe at the top of