Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-05-12
TERRIBLE FIRE
rur GREATEST CONTINUATION EVEN
KNOWN IN THE OIL. REGIONS.

BRADFORD, Pa, May THE pas
few days Of dry weather have rendered
the forests in this section us infamma
ble as finder, Fires caught in Il mum
Der of localities, and communicating
with oil wells, aided 10y a strong wind
have caused the most wide spread sorle'
OF connagrauons ever known in the OF
regions. Near Rev City, eight mile'
southeast OF here, II man was clearing
up some brush about Fisher & Picketl''
well. He set fire to the heap about
noon and then went to dinner.
The flames crept among the dry
leaves TO the wel, and in u moment II
was in flames. This was starting
point, and burning oil from this well
ran down tho hill, igniting well after
well and tank after tank IN its course
The greatest destruction was caused at
Rev City. This was thriving oil
town of about 100 buildings, occupied
largely as stores. The FIRE ran up the
hillside, and every solitary building in
the town was burned. Telegraph lines
were all destroyed, and ommunication
was entirely shut of. The flames spread
with such rapidity that all efforts to
check them were utterly useless.
At the same time fires had ignited
various other places throughout the
Bradford region. At one time there
were eight different oonilagrations
progressing, and the sky on every side
Of the city was black with dense smoke
arising A mile east of the city il
burned q dozen derricks and | 900 or
more barrels of oil At one time the
town of Tarport was IN danger, but the
wind died down toward evening and
the danger was avorted.
Another fire broke out on Qnintuple
Hill, just opposite this city. and the
woods were burning fercely for time,
threatening the western end of town.
The entire fire department was called
out and succeeded in quencbing the
flames Near Luilerty several wells
were burned, together with consider
able quantity of oil. At Red Rock 1875
wells and several thousand barrels OF
oil were burned Besides the destruc
tion Of Rev City there were in the
neighborhood Of 60 rigs burned at this
point. At Degaler south Of here, half
a dozen we're burned. At Duke Cen
tro several were consumed, but definite
information is not obtainable. Each
rig includes a derrick, engine. house,
boiler-house, and tank, most OF which
latter contained from 100 to 300 bar.
res Of oil.
The nearest estimate of losses made
places the aggregate at 100000. This
300 wells and 80, 600 barrels of
oil. Among the largest individual losers
are Baker d Malone, of Cleveland, is
wells; Boullon Bros, of Oil City, Is |
wells; Ottman & Hy dc, II wells Nun
hall x Smithman, Pittsburgh, wells
Van Vleck, of Buffalo, Z wells, and
many other firms losing from one to
ten wells each.
The loss at Rev City in buildings is
placed at s5O,OOO. In consequence of
the bullish influence excited by the do |
tiuction Of so many wells and such
large quantity of oil, the market to day
advanced p cents.
BRADFoRD, Pa, May 10 p. m.-l
The fire is still raging in Tram Hollow /
and out the valley, aud bands Of men
are at work endeavoring to confne and
subdue the flames at these points. The
greatest number Of rigs and tanks of
oil were consumed in Foster Brook
valley, along the Harrisburg run, in
Kendall Greek valley, and about the
FIRES are also raging near
rarport and DeGolger The scope of
.hc territory in which fires prevailed
s twelve miles in extent. In Oil Val.
ey the greatest danger exists small
,ut dangerous fires are still burning in
I'll parts of the woods, but II is thought
hey will be controlled without much
urtber loss Of property. All the vii
ages threatened with huge iron tanks
'urstlng near and inundating them
afe. A rather stiff breeze is blowing.
which makes the situation in all parts
# the region very perilous, Fires are
liable to break out again and become
more disastrous than before, unless rain
alls or the wind subsidies.