Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1887 — A Thunder Storm in the Oil Regions. [ARTICLE]

A Thunder Storm in the Oil Regions.

A Lima, Ohio, correspondent of the Rochester Tribune tlnss describes an oil fire after a thunder a storm: On Sunday Inorning, May Ist, a thunder storm passed over this section of this country, and, after it was over, we looked to the south and saw an ojl tank burning. Further to the north, the derrick of a 200 barrel flowing well was struck and burned to the ground and the flowing oil set on fire. Just about half way between was to be seen a dense black smoke arising in the air. It was soon to be seen that one of the Buckeye Pipe Line’s large tanks had suffered a stroke of lightning. It was not long until they had their men on the ground at work, building an embankment of about 400 feet in diameter, around thb tank to prevent the-oil from getting [in amongst other tanks of which there are 36 close together. The embankments are made about three feet high/and as soon as they are completed, which takes several hours, th'ey fire a cannon ball into one of the lower rims of the tank. Just as they shot the tank, the oil had come to a boiling temperature, and the oil was forced over the top of the tank. The oil on the ground was thus ignited and the contents of a 3,soo'oaHel tank was floating in the resevoir, around the tank, in a mass of flames, _ u _ • J Straw hats at Hemphll & Henon’s.