The staff of the Commanding General ordered the
Pandacan oil depots "requisitioned by the U.S. Army." The orders stated: "Any action deemed necessary for the destruction of this property will be handled by the U.S. Army." An engineer in the employ of one of the companies was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers to facilitate this design. On December 26, he received orders to prepare the facilities for demolition. Orders directing the destruction of all remaining petroleum products and the vital parts of the plants were carried out.
At 5:40 p. m., December 31, 1941, while Japanese troops were entering Manila, Army personnel completed a successful demolition. All unused petroleum products were destroyed, and the facilities were rendered useless to the enemy.
Much of the petroleum products found its way to a tributary leading to the Pasig River and eventually burned putting much of Pandacan in flames. The citizens evacuated the area and my mother felt sorry as she left her piano while the town was burning.
A legend among the residents of Pandacan puts the blame on a boatman who supposedly lit a cigarette while all the petrol was pouring from the depot. I believe otherwise: the army engineers wouldn’t leave all that fuel to the hands of the enemy.
The staff of the Commanding General ordered the Pandacan oil depots "requisitioned by the U.S. Army." The orders stated: "Any action deemed necessary for the destruction of this property will be handled by the U.S. Army." An engineer in the employ of one of the companies was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers to facilitate this design. On December 26, he received orders to prepare the facilities for demolition. Orders directing the destruction of all remaining petroleum products and the vital parts of the plants were carried out.
At 5:40 p. m., December 31, 1941, while Japanese troops were entering Manila, Army personnel completed a successful demolition. All unused petroleum products were destroyed, and the facilities were rendered useless to the enemy.
Much of the petroleum products found its way to a tributary leading to the Pasig River and eventually burned putting much of Pandacan in flames. The citizens evacuated the area and my mother felt sorry as she left her piano while the town was burning.
A legend among the residents of Pandacan puts the blame on a boatman who supposedly lit a cigarette while all the petrol was pouring from the depot. I believe otherwise: the army engineers wouldn’t leave all that fuel to the hands of the enemy.
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