The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-07-20

white heat a few minutes after ~
O'Clock, and this caused its SIDES 10
give way. Immediately the blazing
oil spread in all directions and great
tongues of flames shot hundreds OF
feet into the air Puffs of wind
sent the spray of blazing fluid to-
ward South street, and the already
heated walls of the dwellings lgnited,
and the flames were fed by the down
pour of refined oil which was run
ming from No. 104 tank. about 80
yards from the crude oil receptacles.
Residents of the zone endangered
bv the fire had been ordered by the
Fire Commissioners to vacate late IN
the afternoon. They frantlcally
went about salvaging their house
hold effects. Women became hys-
terical and children lost sight OF
their parents and ran screaming
among the firemen and the hundreds
of spectators. Trucks, vans. wagons
and carts were pressed into service
and were used to transport mattress
es, tables, chairs, stoves and other
household necessities to a region
which at that time was thought not
to be in danger. Within few hours
the roads had become elogged and the
movement of fire apparatus was ser
iously handicapped.
Throughout the night chaotic con-
ditions continued, and were height
ened by the great burst from tank
No. 1913 Many families had been I'M
able to procure sufficient food, and
went about the little community beg
ging and borrowing. The most serl-
Gus of hunger cases, which concerned
children mostly were taken into st.
Albert's Church and fed from the
meagre and hastily assembled emer-
gency store.
The United States Asphalt and Re
fining Company occupies large site
in the heart of the oil district at
Wagner's Point, which extends also
to Fairfield Tanks on the adjacent
property of the Texas Oil Company,
which had contained thousands of
gallons of gasoline, took fire late in
the night, but not until most of the
fluid had been drained from them.
The properties of the Prudential
Mexican and Interocean Oil Com
panies were menaeed for several
hours, but a change in the direction
of the wind saved them.
The fire started in most spec
| tacular manner. A gang of repair
men and painters had just crawled
down from the roof of Tank No. 1913
when the storm broke A vivid flash
of lightning occurred and one of the
steel plates of the tank was seen 10
emit fountain of sparks. Within
| three seconds the bolt had caused
| the roof of the tank to rend, and
without warning a great mass of
| flames shot out from the top. The
workmen, had they remained on the
tank two minutes longer, would have
persisted.
The flames spread rapidly. The
tank contained $1,000 gallons of
| heavy crude oil. Officials of the
company attepmted Immediately 90
drain the oil but found that the
collapse of the roof had caused the
| debris to clog the drain pipes. At
| tempts were quickly made to cool
| tanks 102 and 104 The firemen
worked heroically at this task for
| several hours, using water pumped
| by the lone fireboat. Squars of fire
men were also delegated to keep the
walls of the dwellings ON Fourth and
Third avenues cool. This work con
| sumed most of the afternoon.
The meagre supply of water was
discouraging, and the flames contin-
ued to spread until flames were
spouting and curling from all three
tanks. No. 104 tank contained So
| 600 gallons of light refined OIL, and