The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-06-09
THE GREAT DISASTER
That Swept Over on City and
Tftusville.
OIL CI7Y'S DEATH ROLL
Will Amount to ut Least Ono Hum
dred and Fifty People-..somc ofthe
Interesting Incidents of the Day.
A Sad AGair ut Titusvillc-.-Nine in
One Family Buried.--Forty Funerals
Take Place, .;it,e

orr CiTY, Pa, June S.-Rumors were
thick last night that the town was fill
ing up with toughs and thieves, and to
prevent any trouble extra police were
sworn in, but fortunately the .rumors
proved untrue, and the night, like all
Others since the flood, passed quietly.
The militia arc still on duty and will
likely continue for some days. The
presence OF the soldiers has no doubt
had much to do with preventing petty
larceny, and freedom from any trouble
and larceny is one of the wonderful
things of this catastrophe. Only two or
three arrests have been made, and these
only on suspicion. The closing of the
saloons has also done much to preserve
decency and drunken man is a most
rare sight. The night was the most
quiet yet passed, and there was little or
no work done after dark. ao
Some few persons continued to search
for their dead, but as rule the night
was devoted to much-needed rest.
The relief committee has concluded
the list OF persons who occupied the
houses which have been burned, and It
findsthat there are 5S4 persona rendered
homeless. OF these 81 are missing. and
it is certain they are among the unre'
covered dead. There are ~ persons
whose residences were not injured and
who were in the vicinity of the fire who
are missing, and there were 20 Poles IN
a boarding house which was burned
who have not been heard OF. This
makes 81 persons who have been miss
ing since the fire, and who can be num-
bered among the dead. With this list
OF missing the death rate is beyond the
lOOmark already, and every hour others
are reported as missing. That the list
OF dead will reach at least loo now
seems certain.
DWELLING HOUSES DESTROYED.
It has also been definitely ascertained
that seventy-fve dwelling houses have
been destroyed. OF course sixty were
on the east side of Seneca street, and
fifteen on the other side of tho creek.
The donation OF $500 by President
Harrison to the relief fund has caused
much favorable criticism and created
him many friends in this vicinity. The
rumor that John D. Rockefeller had
contributed 100000 to the fund has as
vet no foundation, but it is stated the
Standard Oil company will ma Ike hand
somesubscription; Sc, 900 is theamount
named.
Two representatives OF mercantile
agencies are here and are busy making
out list OF the losses. One OF them
puts the loss at $500, 900, while the other
thinks the loss will not reach $500. 1000.
Neither of them have completed their
estimates. Men here who are familiar
with the business and the places de-
stroyed insist the loss will not 20 below
100000, and the committee with
whom Governor Pattison met gave the
loss at S1,500,000.
The agent -Whn5estimated the damage
at $500, OO0, says the Penn Refining Com
pany lost 5000, withinsurance equal ;
the Indepenpent Refining $780, 900, fully
insured; the barrel works $4,000, fully
insured; the tube works $4,000, with
about two-thirds insurance; Paul 8 fur
niture store $4,000, with $4,000 insur-
ance. The balance OF the losseswill run
from So 1000 to $4,000 each.
One item OF loss has not been esti-
mated. That is the loss to the install
ment plan houses. About rs per cent
OF those whose houses were destroyed
had purchased furniture on this plan.
There were forty pianos purchased on
this plan and thirty-tivo sets of turni-
'ture, and all were destroyed, and with
them went tho security to the dealers.
The story OF the Polish boarding
house was not learned till to-day, when
the committee were obtaining the list
of the houses destroyed. Then it was
learned that in that house there had
boarded twenty Poles, who, with the
man and woman who kept the house,
are missing.
Work on cleaning away the wreck is
progressing slowly, owing to the' ina.
bility to secure sufficient number Of
workmen. To-day signs appear on all
the public corners, reading 100 or
more laborers to assist in removing the
ruins and searching for the dead. Citi-
zens preferred"
DEBT CANCELLED.
One story OF the food among the
many which are going the rounds is
worthy of telling. A business man
who declined to permit his namo TO be
used was an onlooker at the flood be-
fore the fire came, and was one OF those
who aided many to escape. Among
tho last he helped rescue was man
whom he saw struggling in the water
badly burned. When he finally rescued
the man he recognized him as one who
owed him $500 and whose note came
duo next day. Inquiring OF the man
about his family he learned that his
wife and only child had been lost and
his only possession, his house, was
gone. The rescuer turned to the home.
less, desolate man and said:
"John, you don't owe me anything.
That note Of yours is paid" and taking
the note from his pocketbook, tore it up
and threw it into the stream.
BuRYING THE DEAD.
After three days Of excitement, VIC
lent grief and well-performed duties to
the dead and living, this place has re-
sumed business.
This morning seven unknown and un.
claimed dead were buried with fittin,
ceremonies in the relief lot in Grow
Hill cemetery. This is beautiful triS
angular lot seventy.six feet wide, near
| the entrance. and has been set apRrt