The Chickasaw Oil Works sat on the southwest corner of Keel and North Front and was the first building to burn. As the vapors found an ignition source and ignited back to the tank car which was in front of the oil works, burning brands and radiant heat set the Moore and McFarren Lumber Company just west of Chickasaw on fire. The L A Croix cattle yard and Cochran Box factory located on Keel east of N. Front were burning also. All of the homes on the west side of N. Front numbered 887, 889, 895, 893 were on fire as all of the homes on Andrews Ave. (now known as Looney) and many acres of grass.
Re: “The Memphis Gas Explosion of 1921”
The Chickasaw Oil Works sat on the southwest corner of Keel and North Front and was the first building to burn. As the vapors found an ignition source and ignited back to the tank car which was in front of the oil works, burning brands and radiant heat set the Moore and McFarren Lumber Company just west of Chickasaw on fire. The L A Croix cattle yard and Cochran Box factory located on Keel east of N. Front were burning also. All of the homes on the west side of N. Front numbered 887, 889, 895, 893 were on fire as all of the homes on Andrews Ave. (now known as Looney) and many acres of grass.