The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-04-08
SIX MILLION
BARRELS0F
OIL BURNED
800 Acre Tank Farm of Oil
Co. in California Aban-
dOned To Flames
LIGHTNING Is THE CAUSE
Blaze Called Most Destructive
in History of CalifOr-
MIA Oil Industry
LIGHTNING Is THE CAUSE
TWO ARE KILLED

San Luis ObispO, Calf. April
S-(P)-A. II. Seeber and his son.
William F.. Seeber, were found
dead today about 900 yards from
one Of the large burning oil re-
servOirs If the Union Oil COM
pany.
The Seeber home, near the
burning tank farm Of the Union
company south Of here. was
blown to pieces by an explosion
early today when one Of the
blazing reservoirs boiled over.
Doris Seeber. \ daughter Of Will
liam r. Seeher. was slightly hurt.
The elder Seeber was q civil war
veteran.
The Seekers were the first
victims Of the great fire that
sprang up yesterday when light
ming struck the tank. The fire
continued to burn to-day. Hone.
of saving the 3OO-acre tank farm
was abandoned. Farms near the
scene of the fire ~> being de-
serted today.
Company officials refused to
: estimate the damage already
done. Unofficial estimates plac-
cd the loss at over $lO.00O,O00.
San Luis Obispo, Calf, April S.
R)-The 300-acre tank farm of the
Union Oil company a mile and half
south of here, at which was stored
some six million barrels Of oil, was
abandoned early today to the fire
which had threatened its destruction
since yesterday morning when two
underground tanks were struck by
lightning.
Four huge underground reservoirs.
to which the blaze had been confin-
ed all day yesterday and last night.
boiled over shortly before one O'Clock
this morning and flaming oil, sweep
ing over dyke that had been thrown
mp, carried the fire to two other re-
scrvoirs and ten surface tanks 9th
CT surface tanks were rapidly ignit-
ed
All WOrkmen Escaped
As it became apparent that TIE
property was doomed, the several
hundred men who had been fighting
the fire all of yesterday and last
night were ordered from the field.
1t was believed they all escaped. Two
motor trucks were abandoned to he
flames. AS the fire spread from
tank to tank it created "A flame a
mile long, with the blaze shooting
from SO to GO feet into the sky.
Damage will amount to an une sti :
mated number of millions of dollars.
Even before the flames spread beyond
the bounds of the four reservoirs, of
ficials of the oil company estimated
the loss at perhaps as high as $lO,-
100000 and described the fire as the
most destructive in the history Of
petroleum industry in California.
Visible For so Miles
The fire was started early yester-
day by lightning. Officials Of the
oil company, unable to understand
how the four lakes Of oil could have
been ignitcd by one flash, have reach
ed the conclusion that two bolts
struck simultaneously, causing two
of the storage lakes to explode and
throw their flaming board covers on
10 the other reservoirs.
The fire was SO intense none could
approach within 500 feet Of it. II
could be seen for so miles.
ANOTHER OIL. FIRE
SET BY LIGHTNING
Anaheim, Calf, April .-LP)-Two
100000 barrel capacity oil tanks of
the Union Oil company at Bera, {,
tank field six miles north Of here.
were struck by lightning and set