Bishop England High School - Miscellany Yearbook (Charleston, SC)

Page 11 text:

,aa Wxflf-mix' ' ..., H ma ,,, gas explosion follows within 41 hours Charleston area residents, still shaky from the howling passage of Hurricane Gracie were rocked out of their beds Thursday, October 'l at 5 A.M. by an explosion of a two million gallon high octane gasoline tank at the Esso Standard Oil Co. There was no breeze at the time of the blast. However shifting winds grew as the day progressed creating additional problems. The winds blowing the licking flames around, forced school buses and parents delivering their chil- dren who lived in North Charleston to detour around the north Ashley Bridge and through St. Andrews Parish. Some of the flames leap- ing up to 200 feet in the air were visible from BE. Some parents called at the school to se- cure their children after the area occupants were ordered to evacuate. Persons as far as lO miles away felt the tremor of the exploding tank. Ten persons were reported injured by the blast but no fatalities were recorded. The mountainous flames consumed an estimated S275,000 worth of gasoline in two days. Firemen had feared that the walls of the tank might collapse sending hot, blazing gaso- ling spewing toward the other tanks. Had this happened, the entire city and inhabitants would have been destroyed. This, fortunately was avoided. Foam was shipped from Atlanta and Charleston Air Force Base in hopes to quench the blaze before it did too much dam- age. On Friday October 2 the fire was reported to be under control and no longer a threat. Brave volunteers and enlisted firemen work- ing hard and long extinguished the fire on Saturday, October 3rd around noon. Page Seven

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i About noon September 29 a howllng hurricane named Gracie hut the Charleston County Coastal area leavmg 18 dead and an cst mated damage of seven mnlluon dollars All naval shlps were moved further up the Cooper River and aurcraft were transported to dlstant bases IU precautionary efforts t prevent destructvon to these vessels This sev enth hurricane of the season caused Islanders to flock to the cuty and safety shelters School was closed for three days as Charles tomans went without electrlclty and cleaned up Gracue s mess Councudentally on September 29 l938 exactly 21 years ago fave tornadoes swept across Charleston County wuthln an hour lullmg 32 and damagnng three mllllon dollars worth of property If Cars were unable to reach either of the beaches because of the extremely hugh tudes recorded at one tame to be 94 feet above mean low water Falling trees carrying power lanes down wnth them put about 75 per cent of the county un darkness at one tnme or an other All of the trees behund the annex were felled by the powerful wands causlng them to almost smash the buuldmg The most apparent vlctlms of Gracne were College Park and John son Hagood Stadium as she tore down por tlons of thelr walls Hurricane Gracue was re ported to have been the most devastatung hurrtcane that has ever hut Charleston SAFE BY INCHES from Gracles wrath was BEs new annex Here Tommy Gerlun Leon Brux and Ray Comar eye the distance between the building and the fallen tree ini is 'QW A Q. x 1 N ix Page Six ' 'Na' if wifi I C I hurricane gracle huts coastal area . - e O . - . - it J ' .Ig sg . Y ' ,3-if vw tl' 5 4 , 7-Au Q 'L ' 'lf lx.. , mga ff X' ,L 5 A f ,,,. 4 I Q 1 - -' c. if 1 -ff ccca P-x 'J' , is S M ttt .L A Xxxt ah 5 6 s Q N Ni t Q ff A'

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