FLAMES 300 ft. HIGH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 19, 10 June 1914, Page 2

FLAMES 300 ft. HIGH.

ONE MILLION GALLONS OF OIL ABLAZE. LOSS, £50,000. There was a tremendous blaze of oil recently at Hong Kong. News of the fire was brought to Sydney laat week. In forty-eight hours a huge tank of crude petroleum, holding one million and ,a quarter gallons, and owned by the American-Standard Oil Coy., at their famous Tui-chi-kok works in Hong Kong, went up in smoke, the loss being estimated at £50,000. The outbreak, which was supposed to have been caused by lightning, started two days before the Taiyuan left Hong Kong, and the oil was still burning then, although the fire had been prevented from spreading to other oil tanks, which were holding an aggregate of a further four and a half million gallons. Mr \Y. B. Gray, a Hong Kong resident, who is a passenger on the Taiyuan, informed a Daily Telegraph representative that the scene was most awe-inspir-ing. "The flames were frwn 300 to 400 feet in height," said Mr Gray, "and at night time the landscape was illuminated for miles, while the sky was tinged all over with a huge red glow. On the first night vivid (lashes of lightning, which played incessantly, added to the grandeur of the scene. The heat was terrific." . The presence of concrete coffer dams prevented the fire from spreading to the sea, and during the haze, 500 Punjabi soldiers shifted another 73,000 gallons of naptha and turpentine to a safe position to near the waterfront. There were no explosions, no lives were lost,- and the efforts of the fire brigades and helpers were eventually effectual in confining the fire to one huge tank. A TRTO OF ATTRACTIONS. Already the secretary of the sil'.'ow has nr: wcrcd. numerous enquiries i'rrm the country to the effect that the Walkure may be inspected at the berth nit Moturoa, and, in order to Hive friends the expense and trouble of telephoning, asks us to make this fact public. The "Walkure," the Winter Show, and ithe rep. football match make an irresistible trio of attractions. Exhibit irs are .rcmiadcui that miscellaneous pe.ts and cafe are- not required at, the show until Thuredav evening, Uth inst. '■'< i •