Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-06-16
A WILEY OF DEATH.
AWFUL cATAsTRoPHEs IN THE
OIL REGIONS.

Floods Caused by the Burs ting Of = Dam
Become an Ocean of Fire = Titusvins
and OIL City In Ruins-FearfuI Loss q
Life and Property.
Scores Burned or Drowned.
The oil regions OF Pennsylvania were
visited Sunday by disaster from fire
and water that Is only eclipsed In the
history of the State by the memorable
dood of Johnstown, just three years ago.
A Pittsburg dispatch says: II is i'm
possible at this time TO give anything
like an accurate idea of the loss of life
and property, as chaos reigns through
out the devastated region and a terrible
confagration still RACES in Oil City. 1t
is safe to say that not less q - $50
lives have been lost. Nearly one hun
dred bodies have already been recovered
and many people are still missing. The
number may far exceed $50, but this is
regarded as conservative estimate.
| The property loss will reach far into
millions. At Titusville the loss is es-
timated at 81 500, 900; Oil City, 81 $780,
600; CORY, $50 900; Meadville, $780,
eco, and surrounding country probably
a million more.
For nearly a month it has been rain
ing throughout Western and Northern
Pennsylvania almost necessarily, and
for the last three or four days the
downpour in the devastated regions
had been very heavy. The constant
rains had converted al the small
streams into raging torrents, 80 that
when the cloudburst cane Sunday
morning the streams were soon beyond
their boundaries, and the great body
OF water came sweeping down Oil
Greek to Titusville, which is eighteen
miles south OF lis source.
The lower portion OF the town was
soon inundated. The food came so
quickly that the people had not time to
reach a place of safety. The water
soon swept a number of oil tanks down
the stream, and In some way not known
they were ignited In less time than it
takes to tell the story the flames spread
to the surrounding buildings and before
they could be subdued five blocks had
been burned.
The oil from the scores of broken
tanks ran into the creek and was ig-
nited by floating debris. In few min
utes the creek was ablaZe from shore TO
shore, and as it was carried down the
blICdul u6dJu anu ubbLIuCJlOu IOllOWtu
In its wake. Everything inflammable
took fire and by the time it reached Oil
City all the bridges between the two
points were consumed.
story of the Disaster.
At Oil City large proportion Of the
population was distributed along the
banks and bridges OF the Allegheny
River and Oil Greek watching the rise of
the food in both streams. At the time
an ominous covering Of oil made its ap-
pearance on the crest of the food pour
ing Down the Oil Creek Valley, and the
foreboding waves OF gas from distillate
and benzine could be seen above the
surface of the stream. revpIe Degan to
slowly fall back from the bridge and the
creek, but they had hardly begun to do
so when an explosion was heard up the
stream which was rapidly followed by
two others, and quick as flash of light
ming the creek for a distance Of two
miles was filled with an awful mass of
roaring flames and billows of smoke that
rolled high above the creek and river
hills.
RUM" yelled hundred voices, and
the people turned like stampeded cattle
and started for the hills. The panic
stricken crowd shrieked madly in their
efforts to escape. Women and children
were trampled under foot, and about
twenty were severely bruised and had
to be picked up by few of the cooler
heads and carried out of harms way.
Almost as quickly as the words can be
written fully 5000 people were on the
streets wild with terror, rushing TO the
hills. Men forgot that they we're men
and scores OF men, women and children
were knocked down and trampled upon
both by horses and people in the mad
flight for places of safety. Just as
this frantic mass OF humanity had
started up Center street the second
explosion occurred, knocking many
people down, shattering the windows in
the main part of the town, and almost
Transforming the day to night with the
immense expanse of smoke. Hundreds
OF people thought that the day of judg-
ment had come, and many prayers were
heard mingling with the means and
lamentations of the fleeing multitude.
The heat was intense, and the weird and
awful spectacle presented TO the panic
stricken people was that cloudburst
of fire, bordered and overcapped by a
great canopy of dense, black smoke.
Men wept and women tainted. Many
left everything behind them, and ran
or were helped to the hills, where, after
they were out of danger, came the anxi-
ETY. and suspense for relatives and
friends who had been along the creek
watching the food when the avalanche
OF flame came.
Most of the bodies recovered bear evil
dence OF having met death from burning
oil, many of them being burned almost
beyond recognition, and several of them
In such terrible manner as TO leave the |
bodies without the least semblance of
human form.
bird's-eye view of the situation as |
the smoke from the burning oil on the |
waters rolls away discloses a pitiful |
sight, nothing but mass of burned and |
flooded ruins from Monroe street east to |
the most eastern line of the city limits.
The streets lie filed full of debris, over
turned houses half burned, parts of what |
were once railroad cars, and empty oil
barrels. A great deal of live stock was
lost, and 1t will take days to get the
streets in passable condition.
The loss In the county by washouts
and loss Of bridges will be enormous.
There is not county or township bridge
'or many miles that is not washed out,
md the roads in every direction are
nearly impossible. The Western New
York Il Pennsylvania and the Union &
ritusville Roads have not Attempted to
-un trains, and will be obliged to spend
In enormous amount OF money before
rains can be run in any direction
OIL City Is eighteen miles from Titus
lille. The towns along the creek are
Miller Farm, Pioneer, Pc
roleum Center. Rynd Farm, Rouseville.