A.G. Lilly

On December 26, 1926 this vessel exploded at the Shell Oil Refinery in Burrard Inlet while taking on a cargo of 5,500 gallons of gasoline for Victoria. Captain James Orpana and his brother Oscar were the crew. Oscar started the engine and there were a series of explosions. Oscar was blown onto the dock 30 feet away breaking his legs and arms. The blast blew the Captain out of the wheelhouse landing near his brother burned and stripped of his clothing. A third explosion sent burning wreckage in all directions narrowly missing the employees of Home Oil on shore and fuel storage tanks resulting in a rain of fire on the dock. A thin fall of snow held the fire in check while the refinery foreman, R.G. Woolsey rescued the brothers and firemen extinguished the fires. The vessel was a total loss and only partially insured. On November 6, 1927, as the A.G. Lilly, while owned by the Victoria Petroleum Co. This vessel was destroyed by fire to the waterline at the Government Wharf at Sturdies Bay on South Galiano Island, at Active Pass BC Canada.