Arizona republican., 1919-04-19

 than before the hundreds of spectators within close range tof the blast broke into what came near a riot, everybody running frantically away from the de- struction behind. Outside of numerous falls and collisions, however, no one was injured.
 Burns For Hours
 The fire reached it's height just after the explosion and the Union Oil plant presented an awe-inspiring mass of flame surmounted by the mile-high pail of black smoke. The fire kept on for hours, however. though there were 10 more explosions of importance. The crowd was nervous after the first blast, and most of the people in it expecting a second one, a rumor hay ing gone around that there was still an underground tank. At every harsh swish of the flames the crowd would jump and there would be much scur- rying about.
 Late in the afternoon the fire had burnt itself out and nothing remained but pile of debris where the oil plant had been. On the tracks beside it stood the remains of two railroad tank cars that had been waiting to be filled and that had burned with the rest. The stockyards to the east were only damaged and not very heavily, while the plant of the Finnigan- Brown hide and leather company nearby was D total loss with not wall standing.
 Bremen hi iured
 The worst injury of the fire, so far as reported, was that received by Jake Earhardt, a fireman who happened to be standing near the house at Fifteenth and Jackson when the portion of tank went through it. Earhardt was knocked unconscious and suffered several minor injuries in the wrecking of the house, but returned to action after having his wounds dressed at the sta tion. Two other firemen, Massey and Duncan were also reported injured. both being overcome by the heat as they fought the flames at close range. Both will recover, it was said later.
 It was at 2:15 when one of the 20,o00 gallon gasoline tanks "went-up'' shak- ing the entire city and causing thous- ands to fear that an earthquake had come. Out of the seething maelstrom of the fire came hurtling huge black object. with a cometlike trail of smoke and fire following it.
 Right across the railroad it sailed, cutting off telegraph pole as it came, struck the around in the middle of Fifteenth avenue, rebounded, then leaped the ditch alongside the road and crashed through a house as if there had been nothing in it's path-and lay smoking. It was the end of the big tank, made of heavy sheet steel, and weighing not less than F tons.
 The crowd stood paralyZed for an instant, and then there was a wild scramble for safety. Luckily, the po- lice had forced them back a full block just a few minutes before the explo- sion, else a number of persons would probably have been killed People 1 shriehed, sirens, i1ooted.
 From the middle of the fire rose magnificent column of flame, rolling lip and up to a height of fully 1000 feet. The heat from it struck through the still air like the blast from a vol cano,- scorching the faces of people hundreds of yards away.
 Tank Hits Automobile The other end of the tank, pro i pelled by the irresistible force of ex- ploding gas, sailed out. over some bis cottonwood trees, struck in field, rolled along the fence. and at a dis tanee of fully 300 yards from where it started, vaulted an irrigation ditch and landed on top of an automobile. i This end weighed over two tons, and 1 barely missed hitting 8 big crowd i standing in the road. r ] Several odd features attended the ! destruction of the house, which was | occupied by Ed Sierfogel, a returned ] soldier, and his wife. It was totally ! destroyed with the exception of one wall. On this wall hung the young 1 mans army uniform and against the wall leaned his rifle.
 When the cometlike end of the tank had passed through, scarcely thing in the house was left undamaged-- but the United States uniform and rifle stood just where they were.
 Paints and House Goes
 About two minutes before the ex- plosion of the tank and the consequent destruction of their home. Mrs. Sier- | fogel said to her husband. Ed, our ! home is gone. 70, mo-" replied the husband. the fire will never get over there.' '''But its gone insisted his wife, and then fainted. It was just al that instant that the explosion oc- cured, and the. tank plowed it's way through the house they had left but d. few minutes before.
 The city came very near to losing its big La. France pump when the tanks let go. It had been placed just across the railroad track, but it got so hot that it was deemed the part of wis I dom to move it. The move had no more than been completed when, the tank came hurtling across the space ! the big. truck had occupied, shearing 1 off the pole by which it had stood. and destroying the Sierfogel house. | Smoke Closures Sun l A curious feature of the. big fire was that it provided shade and com fort for hundreds, as we'll as heat and discomfort for hundreds more. The air was still, The enormous column Continued on Page Eight)