Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-08-10
Total Damage BY Fires
VIII Exceed 100000,
Estimates Show.
NO WATER TO COMBAT
WEST TULSA FLAMES
Officials of Factory Put
Loss at $4,000; Gulf
Is Heavy Loser.

I IGHTNING, during the severe
IL electrical storm which passed
over this section last night, caused
conflagratlons which did approx
mately 100000 damage,
The plant of the Tulsa Boiler Man
ufacturing' company in West Tulsa
was struck shortly after o'clock, en-
failing a loss which has been esti-
mated at $4,000. At Cleveland, an
oil town fifty miles northwest of this
city, two 55,00O-barrel tanks and two
batteries of 16,0O0-barrel tanks,
ReVen or eight tanks to the battery
belonging to the Gulf Pipe Line COM
pany, were burned with a loss esti-
mated from $4,000 to $l50,00O.
So far as had been learned early
this morning no fatalities accompan-
led any of the fires Throughout the
county and adjacent counties light
ming was said TO have struck several
small buildings, but the losses in
these instances were insignificant.
Entire Plant Destroyed.
The plant of the Tulsa Boiler Man
ufaCturing company was one of the
largest of the kind in this section of
the country. The fire started at one
end Of the large building following
n flash of lightning. The flames
spread so rapidly that. in spite of ef-
forts of persons on the scene to eX-
tinguish them, they had enveloped the
entire structure.
Realizing the building was doomed
and that it would be impossible to
save much Of the heavy machinery,
attention was given the office where
all records Of the company were
stored. Although there was much
danger in effecting entrance to the Of
flee owing to its proximity to the
burning building, several employees of
the company and others broke the
windows and doors and succeeded in
carrying practically everything Of
value to safety.
Frcmcn Were Helpless.
Although the fire department was
quickly on. the scene, its members
were powerless, except for aiding in
removing office material and pre-
venting nearby buildings from ignit-
the intense heat and flying sparks.
There is no adequate water supply for
such emergencies in West Tulsa, and
the feeble streams played into the
flames seemed only to stimulate
them.
Within an hour after the fire
started the entire building lay a
smOuldering mass oon the ground.
Practically all of the valuable ma
Chinery had been made useless by the
heat and spattering of water. The
structure was Of wood and sheet iron
the former making excellent fuel, the
later, owing to intensity of its heat
making extremely difficult the ap-
proaCh of those engaged in combat
ing the flames.
Officials Of the company who
reached the scene last night esti-
mated the loss at from, $50, 600 to
$4,000, although it is possible final
figures will be in excess of these es-
Inmates. A box car on the Frisco
railroad, which was on a siding near
the manufactory, was destroyed and
Its contents ruined.
Fire in Oil Fields.
The first fire at Cleveland oC-
occurred about $3.50 o'clock while the
storm was passing over that place.
Two 55, ,000-barrel tanks of the Gulf
Pipe Line company were first struck
and in an instant were q mass of
flames. Before this fire had been
under way many minutes the bat
teries of 16,000-barrel tanks also
were struck. These fires were typical
Of the oil fields and no effort was
made TO eXtinguish them.
For a time It was feared several
other tanks in the vicinity also would
be struck, but the storm abated with
out further damage. Officials Of the
pipe line company last night esti-
mated their loss at $13S, 400, but it
probably will exceed this. as in ad-
dition to destruction of the oil in the
tanks. the tanks themselves were
levcled from the intense heat.
Near Fisher, in Tulsa county, sew
cral small buildings were struck by
lightning. A barn of considerable
proportions was among these, but
late last night It was impossible to
ascertain to whom this structure be-
longed.
The lightning did no damage in
Tulsa proper.