The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-02-02
Tho Raflroad SU.Erain Fire Am PENN
sNivamia---ssnc Hundred Cars De-

Tic Rai.road GD-Ersin Fire Am Penn
sNivamia---ssnc Hsnntirct Cars DC.
strOycsl.
1t appears that the conhagration which oc.
CURED on Saturday night last at Conenlauch
| one Of the principal inspection stations and
dcpots Of the Pennsylvania railroad. about
eighty miles from Pittsburgh, Pa, was much
more disastrous than reported by telegraph
Concmaugi, is qnitea thriving little town, OF
Cambria county, few miles cast OF johnson.
town. and depends almost entirely on the
pennsylvania railroad and its employees for its
business. The trains on the road are there
inspected and regulated, and freight trains
are made np and dispatched east and west
White the main tracks arc kept clear for pas.
scN@cr trains. the others are generally filled
with heavy, long trains Of freight cars. The
traffic in crude and refined petroleum over
t,is railroad IL very great, Of course.
On Saturday evening about 8 O'Clock col.
liS0n occurred OH one of the tracks, by
which two tank cars, containing each eighty
irrre|S oisgcidc oil, were wrecked, and the
oil l!owed over the ground for some distance
around. The GUjtCT-Ways between the tracks
were filled with petroleum. rs were also the
crcyicrS between the ties, and directly under
4 long train Of freight ears and a number of
Messenger cars. The ,iGjris Of the wrecked
lani> cars WAS cleared away hut the oil could
moi be we'll removed from ;hc ground. Ser-
rral locomotives passed Tie oily spot in safety,
out about IL o'clock q rcl-hot coal from a
RAISING locomotive fcl! from the ash-pan into
one Of these pools Of oil, and the consequence
'n1y readily be imagined. In an instant the
Gre IAN :inn. the ground Ike powder
train.
The train of freight cars took fire in sevo-
ral If!"Ccs along the line, and 2 scene OF the
widest confusion followed. The extensive
coal-tinu.cS in the immediate vicinity of the
| tracks. on which several thousand bushels OF
coal arc piled t. supply tic engines of the
road, were OH .:r1 several times, but was cN-
| iingu;ShcG ly the icrcuican Efforts OF tie
cmployts of the road and tic people OF the
| town. The round-houSc, used for housing
| locomotives, was 1t one time in Imminent
danger. but escaped the dcyollrin. element.
The cars OF the ,!ohnstown accommoda-
| ton, which had i,ctI thrown on one Of the
Sidings for the night, having made the daily
| trip from Pittsburgh, caught fire, and were
| fine paSScngcr coaches and hagga ge-Gar. 1t
is said chat the whole were 50 badly burned
| as 10 render them unit for anything but old
metal.
The tracks were badly damaged Ivy the
| fire, the heat being SO intense that the rails
were warped from their fastcniugs. As ncal'
as can DC :iSccrtaincd about one hundred cars
were destroyed and rendered unit for ser
vice. Many OF them were loaded with llln-
| Der, and the others with miscellaneous freight,
while large number were empty.
The officers Of the rGadat that station i'm
mcdiateiy tclcgraplcd to the east and west
tor locomotives, ana in less than two hours
! tic road for miles above aud below the sta
ton was filled with engines. The burning
ears were torn 10 pieces and strcwn along the
track ny th2 locomotives, and in this way the
lire WAS prevented from spreading.
filc loss 10 the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company cannot lc estimated at present, but,
IS will lie readily inferred, il is very heavy.
! The town is built up with framc-houscs,
and the Inhabitants were terribly frightened
at the prospect OF their town sharing the fate
OF Chicago. At the commencement Of The
confederation tie structures i'll the ncighbor
hood OF the tracks were III great danger, and
were only saved. q. above stated, by the op
noT.unc aid Of the TWO or three locomotives
which pushed tic burning ezra out OF reach
OF the hOU5cs.