The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-14
DESTROY
2 COSDEN STILLS
Fire Follows Explosion
in Battery No. 5; No
Employees Injured
NO DAMAGE ESTIMATED
Nj Officials Say Loss When
Checked Will Aggregate
Many Thousands

An explosion which rocked parts
4, West Tulsa and caused u fire OF
,sss,lmated damage but in which no
,oe was injured occurred at the
-osden refinery about 7:45 o'clock
-r,Aay night, when two high pres
wre stius exploded because Of II
'satv Guc. Hundreds of TulsanS
locked % vantage points on the
reh hll ON the east side OF the
iTsansas river to view the fire,
rhne long lines of cars iammed the
r,ffir along the bridge and foT
,,ocks on zach side of the river.
refinery officials were unable to
,s,iuate the amount of damage
regltirg from the explosion and
i rypquent fire but said that IL
fouId run into the thousands of
io.lars. Although half a dozen en-
,loyes. 10 was said, were only short
distance from the stills when the
1rst one exploded. none was injured
Give Cause of Fire.
The fine was caused officials said
" lcaky flue which allowed the
N 10 drip down onto the hot still.
ordinarily the oil would have va
9orl5ed, officials explained, but the
tlll was extremity hot and ignited the
gases In the oil.
Due to the quick efforts Of the
refinery fire department the blaze
gas soon under control. A blanket of
ytam. foamite and other chemical
Are extlnguishers was thrown over
he burning stills and adjoining
sills in the battrey. The West Tulsa
nre department was not called out
II.
The burning oil. Officials stated.
Trained As Fhc Fighters.
The refinery private fire alarm
ysem is such. officials explained,
~ when the fire alarm is sounded
wite every employe is called on
duty. The men are all trained in fire
fighting, officials said. and this en-
abled the company to get the fire
under immediate control.
The stills are all located in bat
teries, ten 10 a battery. The fire and
explosions Friday night were In
stills one and two of battery five.
The blaze from the burning stills
shot up hundreds OF feet in the air
and lighted the western sky. The
blaze could be seen in almost every
section Of Tulsa and West Tulsa.
Soon after the explosion traffic
policemen were dispatched to the
scene and regulated the traffic
30 that no accidents might occur.
They were stationed on the street
corners several blocks on each side
oi the river and continued to direct
The traffic for at least an hour after
the fire had been placed under con-
tToL
Relatives Anxious.
Immediately following the eX-
plosion hundreds Of anxious fathers,
mothers and sweethearts OF the re-
tneTy employees thronged the admit
ance gate Of the refinery anxious to
earn II anyone had bee ninjured.
They were reassured by the guards
a the gate and departed but hun
drtds came In their place and con-
linued to throng the entrance gate
long after the fire had been placed
under control.
The fire occurred at a time when
hundreds OF Tulsans were out riding
IN their cars and TO this tact is as
signed the reason for quick gather
ing OF spectators seeking vantage
4 points from which to view the blaze.
Nhile hundreds of spectators
uTonged the east side of the river
ana near the bridge hundreds OF
@hers could be seen dotting River
sde drive and Stonebraker heights to
he south
Refinery officials stated that 1t
would be at least two or three days
leIofe the actual loss sustained by
'ne IRE could be ascertained.