The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-08-20

escape. Last Thursday morning, about
four o'clock Mr.. Shawkey was awak-
ened from his slumbers by some sus-
picious noises about the Jail, and i'm.
mediately dressed himself TO make an
investigation. He repaired TO. the hall
door of the jail and stopped, when he
heard Sanford calling for help Upon
examination he found the window cas-
ing of Sanford's cell to be on fire, and
so far had it progressed that it was
with considerable difficulty that the
fire was extinguished. Thinking
everything was all right Mr.. Shawkey
went back to bed, but was awakened
in short time by Jas. Swaverly, who
on passing The jail, had noticed smoke
issuing from the cell window An
examination showed that the building
was still on fire, and was making rapid
progress between the timbers and the
window casing. After waking his son,
Curt, and Luther Vought, who were
occupying room over Sanford's cell,
which was rapidly filling up with
smoke, they tore up some OF the floor.
ing, and 10 this way succeeded in get
ting water to the fire and extinguish-
ing it. Sanford had started the fire
with some paper and shavings which
he had Whitfield of bed -slat with a
case knife while eating dinner, and
could he have kept the Gre under con-
troll would have made good his escape !;
but it got the better Of him and 10
order TO save his own life he was
obliged to give the alarm. This is
Sanford s first attempt to escape, and,
while he didn't propose to attempt it
every morning, he was only waiting for
an opportunity, and make sure of
escape when he did try. Every at
tempt of this kind makes their keeper
more watchful, and lessons their
chances for escape. They will now be
obliged to do without their accustomed
smoke, as it was by this means they
got matches. Their cells adjoining
one another, one would light his pipe
and shove lightened paper through
a hole in the partition to the other
prisoner, giving him a chance to save
his match. In this way they accumu.
lated enough matches to start the fire.
Sanford said the next morning after
the occurrence that he expected at
that time to be free man, and when
asked if he would 60 off and leave his
partner in the lurch, he said he had
no fear but that Westen would get
away, as he was capable Of crawling
through a very small hole" They
will be closely watched in the future.
"A most terrific and disastrous
taGk explosion occurred ON the side
hill opposite Parker City last Saturday
morning. Lightning had struck a
tank on Thursday, setting it on fire,
the burning oil from which ran down
the hill and communicated the fire to
the tank in question, which contained
$4,000 barrels Of oil. 1t was kept
under control by stopping up all the
vent holes, and in measure smoth-
ering the fire, until Saturday morning,
when the gas generated by the heat
became to volumlnous and the tank
exploded with terrible force, and the
burning oil rushed down the hill,
across the railroad track, and into the
river, playing havoc with everything
with which it came in contact. Other
tanks were ignited and exploded, and
the loss of property is estimated at
$95000 Twelve men we're on the
root of the tank when the explosion
occurred, and strange to say, none
were killed, although three of them
were quite severely burned. We un-
derstand that Jud. Childs, a former
citizen of this county, was one of the
men on the tank when it exploded.
1t was by all odds the greatest oil fire
ever witnessed. Mondays Derrjck
gives a diagram and very full and
graphic description of the disaster.
DUTCH HILL, PA, Aug 16, 70.
Mr.. p, did not intend those few