The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-08-18
Great on Fire.

One the most disastrous oil cOnflag-
rations ever known in the State OF
Pennsylvania occurred Sunday. after
noon, in the Eighteenth Ward, Pitts
burgh, opposite the borough Of ShaTps-
burg, resulting in the entire destFuO.
I tiOn of the Eclipse oil works, and the
! partial burning of the Citizens and
three Others, and the destruction of
Sharpsburg bridge. The terrible con-
1 fiagratiOn was caused by the stimuli
taneous striking by lightning of two
( oil tanEs-OnebelOnging to the Eclipse
oil works. One life was lost. n
tsI THE CONFEDERATION.
About half-past two O'Clock the
| lightning struck simultaneously a
twenty thousand barrel tank belong
| ing to the Eclipse works, and one be-
longing to the Citizens works. The
burning oil from these set fire to the
| adjoining premises, and flowed rapid
I ly down to the bridge, setting fire to
all buildings that came in its way, and
soon the. bridge was envelOped in
| flames. 1t was but an instant and a
paH as black rs midnight settled over
the entire vicinity, and men were flee
| ing from the terrible scene without
scarcely being able TO see their way
rhe flames swept down upon the Office
where Mr.. n. B. Foster, the book
keeper of the Eclipse works, was sit
ting, and only a few charred remains
are left to tell his sad fate. 4.
a man named Valentine Holly
jumped from the second story of the
Eclipse works and was bruised; he
MAS followed by man named Patrick
Welch, and they endeayOred to assist
the family of DIR. Tweedle to escape.
A cooper who resides at Negley's Run,
was seriously injured in jumping from
the window, and had to be taken 10
She hospital. ift il
In a few moments the scene pre-
|sented was indescribably and awftIlly
grand. The spectators who stood up
on the hillside above the bridge could
Obtain complete view of the dread
ful cOnflaGration About fifteen acres
of burning tanks dwellings and build
ings lay just below them. From each
tank came boiling up immense col
umns of dense smoke, and ever and
anon the flames would leap skyward
rs if anxious to follow the pillars of
III iAAAAA ADm GOuAEGs EAhE
huge columns Of black smoke marked
the points where oil tanks were burn
ing, and the dwelling house of DR..
Tweedle and the buildings of the
Eclipse refinery filed in the iRterven-
ing space with lurid flames. Beyond
this, clearly cleaning through the
smoke, the Sharpsburgh bridge was to
be seen, clearly defined, and blazing
and cracking about to fall. Soon it
fell, on each side OF the high pieces
the woodwork fell into the river and
serpent like floated Kissing down the
current. Sd 5.a ii' -i'--i.- ..t
Just then there arose from the burn
ing mass of the Eclipse ruins the
screeehing Of the six large boilers, and
the crowd drew back in momentary
expectation of an explosion. The
valves whistled and screeched in a
tone that sounded like the mourning
some unknown monster over the
awful spectacle.
.. The confiagraiion extended along
the river bank for about half mile
and the ties Of the Allegheny Valley
Railroad were set on fire and the rails
warped into almost every conceivable
shape.
The air was filed with burning chr
ders, and some of the first struck and
ignited tank of crude oil belonging
to Forsythe Brothers, and also set fire
TO the settling and agitating house of
the National Refining and Storing
Company, over q quarter of mile be-
low the place where the fire first broke
out. The Astral works of Mr.. John
b. Bell were also partially burned. A
large nUmbtr of tanks fortunately es-
capped. At the National oil works the
Independents saved tank near the
building by throwing steady stream
of water. The Anchor Refinery, Dill
worth Brothers owners, was also
slightly damaged. 80