Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-08-27
AN OIL FIRE.
IMPRESSIVE AND VIVID SCENE.
A coNFLAGRATIoN THAT WILL LIVE LONG
IN THE MEMoRY-GRAPHIc DE-
scRIPTIoN OF AN EYE
WITNESS.

A correspondent at Parker, writing
about the fire at that place on the 18th
informs the Pittsburgh Telegraph, as
follows:
To one who has never seen great
petroleum fire IN the Oil Region such
a conhagration is incomprehensible.
People who have lived in the oil
producing country for any length Of
time are very much afraid of these
fires, for they are not only unquencha.
BILE, but they are so treacherous and
carry destruction so wildly, that it is
difficult TO say when you are safe N
the vicinity OF one of them On Satnr.
day morning, shortly after the explo-
sion Of Grant, Weller 4 Co.'S twenty.
two thousand barrel tank, elambered
up the steep hill above the Allegheny
Valley road with view to going above
and around the confagration. | did
not know anything about the geogra.
ply Of the place, but | soon reached
the basin in the ravine where the great
tank stood that caught fire on Friday
night. A large crowd stood near,
watching the burning tanis, which was
still half full of oil, at the edge of the
basin, and within twenty-five yards
OF the tank, were. two small frame
dwellings. The occupants had remov-
ed all their household goods and had
gone to place of safety-at least all
had gone save the heads of the two
families. With a tin pail and small
cup they carried the water from a
spring hundred yards away and dash.
cd it on the sides Of the buildings.
Wishing to see what there was to see,
| went as close to the tank as possible
in company with on old oil producer,
who had seen many an oil fire and who
thought be knew all about them. The
thick iron plates at the top OF the tank
were crumpled and waved and wrink-
led backward and forward like an old
shirt on clothes line in September
breeze. Abou. half way up from the
ground TO the surface of the boiling
oil, was u deep black rim. This told
the depth of the oil that remained un-
burned. Presently there were mum.
ber of rapid, sharp reports, like shots
from revolver 1t was the swapping
OF the heavy rivets which held some OF
the plates together Then the upper
part of the tanking curled over grace.
fully into the fire for about foot and
a half-being white hot it fell of its
own weight. As soon as this occurred
there was grand stampede by the
crowd and frightened yell of "There
she goes Look ont Take care Run,
run. She's boiling over again |" Sure
enough the tank was boiling over
again. The oil came streaming over
the iron boundaries that had previous
ly held it and it spread in every direc.
tlon. The wind was blowing directly
up the hill, and it carried the flaming
oil and dense smoke with it for over
a hundred yards. My companion and
started for fresh pastures as soon as
there was any sign of "movement"
in oil. II was more exciting than try
ing 10 catch the last tram home from
camp meeting when IL has fifty yards
start on you. The hill was covered
with brush, fallen timber and huge
rocks, and it would have taken a good
mountaineer half an hour to get down
the place that we went up in hall a
minute, with that Internal bubbling,
swapping flood after us. We got on a
high bank at last, and sat down to get
our breath. In q few seconds the
smoke was carried off from around us
by the wind, and 1 saw the most re.
markable sight. The oil had run down
upon the river and had almost crossed
to the Parker shore. From the outer
edge of the fire line on the water. to
the top of the mountain on which we
we're theirs hung one huge cloud Of
smoke---blacker than shoe polish. The
woods to our right, the river the base
Of the bill, the houses in Parker on the
bluff, and the sky itself were all hid
den from sight by thissublimely death.
like canopy.
IL seemed as though q terrific tbun.
der storm was in progress. The great
black columns Of smoke twisted and
fought each other, and now and then, az
they would get tangled and coiled to
gether, q flash of fire would shoot up
through them and die away. Occa
sionally the wind would shift the
clouds and the top Of some tall tree
all ablaze, could be seen standing oui
bright against the background. The
most remarkable incident which cam,
under my observation was Just before
the smoke began TO pass away. a
stranger puff Of wind than usual struck
the outside Of the smoke cloud anc
torc hole right through it. Straight
in front Of me was an opening abouf
thirty feet wide, through which coulC
see house and the steeple Of churcl
on the Parker bluff. The sky was al
blue sapphire as sand perfectly cloudles
beyond the stceple, and shrouded as !
was by the inky frame of the smok
II was beautiful beyond the DESCRIPTIVE
powers Of man. As the clouds cam
quickly together and shut out the Iii
tie picture, n pointed peak OF fam
could be seen on the extreme uppe
cdge Of the smoke. II did not shoe
up from the base Of the clouds and
I n A Ill 4