, 1870-07-02

xsM ,La!ss nishs exhausted IS n'y reasonably bs
X spnesrs that yeaterdsy was the birthday
of Mt. TVeddie's little son, and small party
OF uttle folks was being given BY VI: Twed-
dies family, two Of Nr. Lockhs1ts little girls
onf Tsn i;c1n 10 the river and tuuoled INTO
and oI empty hat boat. fortunately escaping.
The servant gir1 OF DR.. Tweddlo becams
much alarmed at the lightning and took ref,
uee in the cellar: soon after she vas iotce1
bv tie burning oil to leave thst locality, ana
narrowly escaped. L. ..-t, 49,
Western Crion Telegraph ONCE about tha
time it struck tie tAul. aud it y stated tnat
the instruments were burned. Tue operators
fed fer dear life across the Sharpshass onise;;-
Some Of the Residents Of S1arpsbnIE stasseu
tie lri.ee were NC: by > sAee: Of flame taat
caused ,Een, to turn back hur1iealy.
TIE fireman, A!oi,zo Kennedy, Wis behiau
the boilers situated at the lower end OF tho
lot next the river, aljsising the Office Thers
Nr. Foster vas locsted- and about 40o 1oet
from the tank which ignited first. The ahocs
Of the tightening knocked him down, aod IS
coon as be recovered, the burning oil WAS al
ready sweeping down the lot and through the
boileI-house and other buildings. His was
doubtless the most narrow escape OF anr, rs
he emerged from one door Just as the Aames
entered the other.
Our reporter also conrersed With Mr.. John
Moreland, who found tho charred BODY of Mr..
Foster, and he stated that the remains were
found just where Mr. Foster, who was book
keeper Of the firm, was likely to havs been.
that Of AIr. Foster, by the finding of his pocket
knife and other articles near the charred re-
mains. tho articles being recognized by Dr.
Tweddle, last evening. Mr. Morelana, tho
telegraph operator Of the Western Union Tele-
,4$I$ $n -, ~,
building with III. Foster, stated that when he
left the office, but i few minutes before tho
fire, Mr.. FoBter WAS there. 1t appears that
Mr.. Foster had been IL town about II O'Clock,
but Lad returned shortly before the dre. 1t
Is not improbable that he vas knocked down
by the shock Of the lightning, and failed to re-
cover in time to make his escape.
At Ill events, Alderman Joseph 4. B1tlcr.
also Fire Marshal, in the absence Of tho Cozo-
ner. lmpanneIed 3 jury and had them view the
body, which was taken ont Of the ruins short
time before our reporter left the scene. aud
then adjourned the inquest until this n1ofniug,
nt 10 o'clock, at the Coroner's Office.
Mr. Foster was brother to the late Stephen
Foster, and most worthy and estimable citi-
zen. He resided an tho Afneninesida Eoad. and
Iesves = w1fe and several children Jonas IL
Butter6eld, member Of the Pittsburgh bar. is
son-in-law Of deceased.
An employe Of the Citizens Oil Refna1y. it
ia stated, observed the flash OF lightning, and
saw it strike the tank alluded to- He also felt
the shock produced By it, and came near being
rushed frant:cally to window IN the second
story, and 1eaped out By this time his
brother and several other persons employed in
the refinery, who also felt the shock, had run
upon the bridge, and the immense volume Of
flame and smoke which Immediately thereafter
entered the opening on this side Of tho river
caused An exciting chase over the bridge, tho
brother on this side Of the river, and who WAS
the only persou who saw them run On to the
bridge, being frenzied in regard to their SAFE
ty The time consumed in the burning Of the
bridge was only eight minutes, and We can
imagine the feelings OF these men On the
bridge WHO, having once entered it, we're ter
ritied at heholding the burning oil sweeping
after them, with velocity almost double
what they could run.
A car Of the Cltizens' Passenger Railway,
well flied with passengers, had just turned
the curve in the road leading to the brldge
when the lightning struck the tank and sent
the burning oil Aign In the air, aud the driver
barely had time to checkthe car before getting
into the midst Of the dre, as there is very
sleep grade hero. Had it reached its usual
stopping place there would have been little
hope for the passengers, fora number Of them
would either have been On the bridge, cross
ing. and possibly all of them would have sought
shelter in the bridge, slight rain prevailing
at The time, Or been in the office OF the Eclipse
Oil Works, where alr. Foster wss located, ns it
was generally used as the waiting station Of
the passenger railway by those acquainted
with Mr.. Foster, whose geniality won for him
many f7ends- In any event, these passengers
would have been hemme. in On all eldea by
the fire, and escape would ha7. been next to
impossible.
just acove the place where the tank belong
ing to the Citizens Oil Refinery was struck.
the company had $50, 900 worth OF empty bar
rels stored Fortunately these wcFe ali saved.
1.,, l. 1>r}I r..
untouched at last accounts. The1e was not q
very large amount Of oil in either of the two
tanks burned.
The sun, when looked at through the dense
columns of smoke, Lost Ill OF its power to daz-
xle, and could be observed with thc naked eye
~ occasions.
The goldfish in the little pond in front of
Dr. TWeddle's house were all killed, and mauy
Of them looked As though they had BEEN
cooked in boiling water.
valuable horse, belonging to Dr.. Tweddle,
was burned in the stable, and the flame spread
so rapidly that mono Of the fowls about tile
premises we're able to escape Several houses
on the upper side Of the road were saved by
the exe1hons OF citizens.
Mr.. George Abree who WAS On trip to
Llaremont, saws TINT he saw heavy clouds
arising from all points Of the compass. Heavy
continued rolling and crashing thunder, with
/ sharp cham lightning, all around, II began to
rain, md soon came in torrents. In the mean-
time 1,e took the train between Ross and
sharpsburg stations. The up train reported
sha1psbrIG bridge on fire. On the river side
Of Forests Wc counted, within line stretched
half milo, seven trees twisted oH-one to
three feet from the ground, and i've with the
bark stripped, stretched, and Inabs cat OF, -
we presume By the lightning. Following this
excitement, tie black volumes Of smoke at
trccted cur attention. Soon the flames from
the Citizens Oil Company works beean to risa
and 2o,oo0 gallon tank OF oil farther back
caught on tire, and rats Of fire we're floating
down tic river Then tue SLaIpsburg bz1dse,
i'll its w!solc length, breadth and height, SET
tied into mass Of burning and flaming coal,
with just the framework visible, Just entering
sltarpehurg. Tie Pittsburgh span fell; in 4
short srace Of time the second fell, and then
the third. The train could not pass on ac-
connt Of the heat, and stopped Finally, the
fourth span fell.
It Was one OF the most grand, awful, Jet
painful sights ever Witnessed. the river under
the bridge WAS marked by bright burning tm-
hers; below an oil refinery was in blaze;
Afessrs. Forrythe's works were on fire, an
nthpF rAfirprr and ona ,ora haIo1v ,rnr,