The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-04-09
Oil Tank Steamer Calling At Key West
Recently Collides With Dutch Vessel
MILLIONS OF BARRELS OF OIL BURN
in CONFEDERATION in CALIFORNIA
6By Associated Pres.p

April 9.-Men today continued
their two-days battle against
flames that were consuming
about 100000 barrels of oil
stored by the Union Oil Company
on two tank farms in California.
The fire near here apparently
had ceased to spread, but officials
of the company said it would be
three or four days before the g.
000;090 barrels of petroleum in
the field were completely burn
ed out. At Brea, $50 miles south
east of here, 5000 men were
battling the flames to save three
huge reservoirs and number of
surface tanks that were threaten
ed. The damage done by the fire
was estimated at SIS, 200, 900
which officials said was largely
covered by insurance.
Two Lose Lives
Two lives was claimed by the
disaster here when a reservoir
exploded yesterday. A miniature
storm generated by the heat tore
apart the farm house occupied by
the victims.
Hope raised by favorable
change in the wind. here during
the night that the remaining seven
or eight small tanks of $4,000
barrels capacity each may be
saved stirred little enthusiasm
among the weary fire-fighters,
who had been beaten back in a
steady retreat before the lake of
flames.
Along the length of the two
mile area, successive boiling over
Of the six great storage reservoirs
of from 10000 to 1,250,000
barrels each, and the smaller sur
face tanks had spread flames that
destroyed farm houses and lines
of trees along the landscapes.
The workers have bent their
force to patrolling this area,
stemming the rush of the flame
that threatened to cut off the
main highway through the valley
and warning persons away from
the danger area.
By early morning oil men de-
clared that reservoirs four and
seven were virtually burned out,
while numerous boilings over by
reservoir number two of 1850, 900
barrels capacity, had almost ex-
hausted it, and its contents spread
over the burning field were lick
ed up greedily by the flames.
Parts Of the districts appeared
today as if struck by a tornado.
At least two houses were wreck
ed. The roof of the one in which
the two persons met death was
torn off, the porches demolished
and the furniture inside broken
and scattered. The barn, was a
heap of broken timbers, but "a
smaller building 100 feet nearer
the fire was untouched. Tele.
phone poles and trees were blown
down.
In Brea 100000 barrels Of
refining oil were burning in three
reservoirs.
Waves Of Flames
In the lee of the burning re-
servoirs, there flowed waves Of
flames as the reservoirs boiled
over and erupted. The remand
er of the tank farm lies to the
windward, where it was protected
by the stiff breeze and by dykes
of sheet iron and earth. A new
method of fire-fighting was given
a trial when 20 artificial wind
machines were rushed to the tank
farm to keep the draft away from
the remainder Of the storage.
The wind that held steadily
through the night proved more
satisfactory. however, than its
mechanical aids.
The protection Of the remand
er Of the tank farm has been at
the sacrifice Of the area in the
direction Of Brea, however. Ten
cottages that formerly housed en-
ployes of the tank farm and sew
eral acres of orange and lemon
orchards were destroyed carly to-
day.
Company officials directing the
battle against the blaze near Brea
succeeded in having all Of the
smaller surface tanks, in which
the more volatile oil was stored,
pumped out. thus iessening the
danger Of the spread Of the fire.
While the loss in the fire Is