Evening journal., 1918-02-16
OIL TANK blaze
damages BAbDT
COMPANY PLANT
Blazing Fluid Communicates
TO Five Frame Buildings,
Causing $I3S,OOO Loss
EORKMEN PENNED IN
have NARROW ESCAFE .

Fire thought 20 have originated from
spark from a locomotive set fire 90
large tank OF fuel OH at me Baldt
plant OF the Penn seoboard steel Com
pany at New Castle at 70 30 o'clock ihls
morning and before the blaze was
brought under control. 20 had ignited
another tank at the plant and this with
a number Of buildings. were destroyed.
The loss Is estimated by J. Eassom.
manager OF the plant. at 100000 partial
ly covered by insurance In addition
10 this loss, S3s 900 worth of machin-
cry awaiting 10 be shipped 10 sweden,
whi ich was stored In buildings at the
plant. was destroyed and a large Of
flce building used by British army In
spectors and chemists also were con-
sumed. The company has munitions
contracts
The fire caused considerable excite
ment In New Castle. as the danes lick
ed up the sides of the tank and caused
10 10 explode with report that shook
the houses In New Castle and Tor miles
around. The residents thinking that
a serious Ore had occurred at the
Bethlehem shell loadine plant 40 River
side. left their homes, but their fears
were soon allayed as the heavens were
Illuminated with the tongues of fames
leaplng high in The air frQm ihe burn
ing tank.
The Good VIII Fire Company oi
New Castle responded 90 an alarm
which was preceded by the shrill
whistles og the plant Word WAS also
sent TO this city and the Fame Fire
Company responded The nremcr were
/ hampered from the start because O
the lack OF water. but the Ohem'ca
streams were used io good Qdvantag
IN preventing the spread of thf nre .
the frame building, formerly used b
the New Castle Construction C0mpanl
! which were used as headquarters "a
British Inspectors. guards at ihe plan
and for storing the machinery whic
is being held for shipment TO -weder
AZ O'Clock this morning, ii appear
cd as III the flames were under con
troll. the wind veering 20 the west
shortly after : o'clock. however. th'
wind changed. endangering the other
I tank. which held 10000 gallons Of oil
twice the capacity of the bufning one
This tank ignited ai o'clock and at
45 O'Clock 20 exploded with a report
that was heard In this city, rocking
houses here as II a powder mill had
/ exploded.
The fire then assumed more dan
gerous aspect and hundreds of em-
ployes in the offices Of ihe cOmpan,
/ located considerable distance from
/ the burning tank, rushed from The
buildings. 4 dense cloud of smoke
/ ssconded from the tanks and the burn
/ ing oil, released from the steel tank,
rushed like a sea n flame 10 the frame
/ buildings nearby
In the ofnce OF the British officials
| at the time were Lafayette McChesncy,
/ William kucbler Edward llushebeck
and William j. Lenahan These ofi-
cials had been at work collecting their
I reports FOR Just such an emersencv and
as the burning fluid reached the frame
structures, the men leaped up the sides
Of the buildings
The officials IN the British laboratory
were penned In by the flames and 10
was necessary for them 20 leap from
the windows Of the building In doing
! this Hushebeck was burned about the
face and Lanahan was cut about the
head and face. he was treated by DR..
Julius Dodd. Of New Castle
The spread Of the FIRE caused another
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