San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-17
THREE GIANT
OIL FIRES RAGE
UNCONTROLLED
Gusher and Two Storage
Tanks Burning Near
Houston.
$50 BATTLE FLAMES
San Pedro Shaken When
Underground Container
Explodes.

Three giant oil fires are raging Fri
day. two near Houston, Texas, the
third at San. Pedro, Calf.
With roar that. shook San Pedro
spontaneous combustion ignited u
massive underground storage tank.
The tank is threatening to boil over
and set fire to several others.
Two tanks Mt the Webster tank
farm. near Houston, are raging col
umnS of flame Friday as the result
of lightning Thursday afternoon. The
fire ragged unchecked all night. a crew,
of 100 men is fighting the conflagra-
ton.
The third great oil fire is burning
not far away. A great gusher, also
struck by lightning. is shooting col
umns of smoke and flame into the
air.
San Pedro, Cal. Aug. IA large
underground oil tank owned by the
General Petroleum Company explod'
ed here this morning at 0:2J O'Clock.
The blast. caused by Spontaneous
combustion. shook the entire city.
Approximately 100000 barrels Of
oil is burning.
Fears for the safety Of. three adjoin
ing tanks and a number OF nearo'
homes are felt as the tank shows sign'
of boiling over and running down inc
hillside.
Reports declare the loss will reach
several hundred thousand dollars and
may be larger if other tanks are "
nited.
Houston, Tex. Aug. 15-Two tank,
of the Humble Oil and Refining Com
pany at the tank farm at Webster, "a
miles south of here. are. afire today
and the Republic Production Com
pany's gusher on the Dolbear tract ID
the Hull field. % miles east OF here
is burning also, as a result of light
ming yesterday afternoon. So far tho
loss Mt the tank farm is estimated al
5000. 900 and to the gusher at SSO0o
At 3 30 o'clock yesterday Afternoon
lightning struck tank No. 1914 on th'
Webster farm. Last night this tant
boiled over and fired tank No. 100
Both are steel tanks holding approx
mately $1,000 barrels of crude OF
each.
A force of $50 men labored all yes
terday afternoon and night to contro
the flames. Another force of loo mel
is being assembled to rush to Webster
TO relieve the first crew, now spen
from its arduous labor and loss o.
sleep.
Efforts are being made to puml
the oil from the bottom o. the Durh
ing tanks. Sometimes as much as ~,
600 TO $1,000 barrels of oil is thu'
saved.
II is estimated that in the neighbot
hood of 2,75D,000 barrels of oil is II
storage at Webster, valued at close u
81 600. 900. The steel tanks are valued
at close to 81 100000. The actual los
by fire in the two burning tanks is
full 100000. partly covered by IN
surance.
Fire from the burning tanks ligttcC
the bay shore last night and attracts
spectators for miles around.
At 10 o'clock last night officials o.
the Houston Oil Company and the Re
public Production Company hurrie'
to the Hull field by motor car. ealle'
there by telephone message that TN
Dolbear No. IS was struck by light
ming.
This we'll blew in July 81 at deptf
of 24S0 feet, with drill stem in thu
hole, and making an estimated 12,Otj
barrels of pipe line oil daily. In th'
last ~ days this well has produced
about 100000 barrels of oil. value'
at about $325.000. Early in the weei
it gagged 6400 barrels daily.
Each "a hours this well burn
means the destruction of over $500,
worth of oil. 1t is hoped TO bring til,
fire under control before night. Al
other nearby wells have been shu
down to prevent spread of the fire.