HEROES OF A GREAT OIL FIRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 96, 16 January 1918, Page 8

HEROES OF A GREAT OIL FIRE

SUPERINTENDENT WHO FACED! CERTAIN DEATH.

A story of gallantry and self-sacrifice which cost one of those who look psib his life is told in a recent issue d the London "Gazette," which records the award of the Albert Medal m f.nld to Mr. Robert Loiper Lindsay, htc superintendent of the Tembi Pumping Station of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, and the Albert Medal to Mr. James Still, his assistant, for their services at a disastrous fire which destroyed part of the station. On July 9 one of the oil-pipe vilves, burst at'a point where the μ-essiire' was 7001b. to the square inch, and a great fountain of oil was thrown to a great height and in all directions. The. burst occurred within thirty yards o£; the open and glowing, furnaces of the boilers, and it was obvious that disastrous fire, involving the whole sta-; tion and compound, which was popu-, lated by nearly 300 natives, was a, question of seconds. The only moans of averting a cisas-") ter was to turn off the oil fuel supply) to tho furnaces, thus extinguishing them, and to stop tho pumps, tlms cutting off the shower of oil. Mr. Lindsay was near the furnaces ,' but to reach 'them it was necessary to. pass through the oil shower, and tlms arrive at the furnace doors soaked and dripping with oil. To do so meant almost certainly a terrible death, butt, Mr. Lindsay did not hesitate. Shouting to his assistant, Mr Still, to turn off: the pumps, he dashed through the oil, and had succeeded in turning off the first oil-cock when the whole atmosphere burst into flame. He stag-* gered away, but died from his injuries; some hours later. .

Meanwhile Jlr. Still had succeeded ia turning off most of the pumps when the fire hurst out. He was cut off from all doors, but managed to escape by <t window, stupefied by heat ni.d smoke. He then sought for and found Mr. Lindsay, and having removed him returned to do what he could to limit the damage. Thanks largely to his efforts a now pumping-house, which had just been established, was saved.