Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-27

4 playing the STREAMS iuio tue oee'"
ing masses OF flames.
one stream was played on the tres
tie to keep IL from burning and the
tank from falling and another stream
was Dlayed on the tank TO keep II as
cool as possible The other two
! streams were played directly across
/ The end of tho tank at the point
where the stream OF oil was pouring
out 10 feed the raging fire. CHER
Stow figured that IL he could keep
, the tank cool and cut of the stream
of oil by the two powerful streams
of water. he could extinguish the
blaze and he and his men won after
a stirring battle OF half an hour.
Immense stream Of Fire.
When the crowds began arriving
on the scene and before the firemen
could get their long lines of hose laid,
n stream of flames fifty feet long was
shooting out from the south end OF
the tank. The circle OF flame was.
iuet the size of the end of the tank
and at first the crowd thought that
the end of the tank had blown out
and the fire was eating inside or the
immense steel tube. The stream OF
firo reyoiyed around like smoke COM
ing from the funnel OF q ship wheh
under forced draft and II shot Out III
a straight line for fifty feet with ut
lie streams of fire darling out here
and there and breaking into smoke.
Great Volumes OF smoke poured
from the flames ana We're swept
southwark over the central part Oh
the city.
The grass, fence and oil on the
Ground ell around the tank were burn
ing fiercely adding to the heat OF the
flames from the end of the tank. IL
was into this inferno that the hrener
gradually advanced with their power
ful streams of water. Slowly, but
surely the firemen went forward I'M
III they we're within the enclosure
around the tank. The full force OF
two streams was directed across the
face OF the tank at the hole through
which the oil poured. The stream
os oil was cut OF once and the hre
ceased. but the oil burst our again
and the fire started anew. Thrlce
this occurred before the heat around
the tank had been reduced to mini.
mum and the flames on the ground
and around the trestle work had beeh
extinguished. Then the stream OF
oil was cut OF again and the fire was
out.
Expeetec Tank to Explode.
Hundreds of those who gathered on
The scene expected that the big tank
would explode and many OF those
standing on the Thirty-fourth street
bridge express ed fear for the safety
Of the crowds gathered in the field
near the tank. An explosion OF the
tank would have been almost impos-
sible as the man holes in the top are
sufficiently large TO allow all OF the
gases generated by the burning OF the
oil to escape
When the firemen first began fight
ing the blaze with water. hundreds
of the spectators laughed at their et-
forts. but after the ladies had won
against the flames, the people VINO
had watched the fight were outspok-
en- in their praise CT the nremeh,
many declaring that 1t was the most
remarkable exhibition of fire fighting
they had ever seen
7 DAMAGE Estimated at $500.
AT this time il IL almost Impossible
TO estimate the exact damage entail
ed by the blaze, but G. b. Houston,
local agent for the National Oil Com
pany. says that he places the loss
at about $4,000 He does not know
whether his company carried any in
surance on the tank and its contents.
II is estimated that there were about
1000 gallons of oil in the tank when
the blaze began and probably three
four,hs of that amount was consumed
by the names. Considerable more
ran out on the ground before the ire
men could chock the hole in the tank
with bagging and prevent the escape
of oil.
Tank Is Sadly Damaged
Agent Houston says that the tank
Is very badly damaged, being cracked
in two places. All Of the valves and
inner piping are damaged and the
pump used to pump the oil from the
cars into the tank is practically ruin
ed. All of the tools in the store shed
also are ruined and a large quantity
OF feed kept in the shed for the team
worked here by the company also was
destroyed.
A survey of the tank will be made
tomorrow by representatives OF the
oil company anG they will estimate
the exact amount Of the damage.