Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-07
DEsoLATloN AT TlTUsvlLLE.
Dead Bodies Too Common to Cause Sur
prise-Heayy Losses.

Dead Bodies Too Common to Cause Sur
prise-Hcavy Losses.
TITUSyILLE, Pa, June Never in the
history of Titusville has such a scene of
desolation presented itself as was unfold
ed to the gaze yesterday morning, follow
ing Sundays terrible disaster. As the
reporter entered the main thoroughfare
the first sight witnessed was four men
carrying the dead body of a man on
stretcher. Within fifteen minutes the
sight became so common that it ceased to
occasion any surprise. At the present
writing it is estimated that fully 10O per-
sons have been either drowned or burned
to death The financial loss will run
from 81, 100000 to s., 600. An idea of
the amount of territory covered by the
! flood and fire can be obtained when it is
stated that over two square miles were
factories, refneries, private dwellings,
etc The known dead number nearly 50.
stood at His Post Like a Man.
| The fire was caused by a spark from a
passing train on the Western New York s.
| Pennsylvania railroad, which ignited the
! oil in the tank alongside the line Edgar
Hale, lumber merchant, when asked
about the calamity said: Il noticed a
| dark cloud in the north on Saturday after
noon and while standing watching it saw
it split in two, the larger portion seeming
to 90 up the river. The rain began falling
and a short while afterward Oil creek be-
gan rising did not think particularly
about it as it began to recede about II
o'clock that night. 1t must have been
about that time that the dam at Riceville
gave way The creek rose with terrible
rapidity and when this volume of water
was accentuated by the addition of an
other large volume from the dam at
Spartansburg, the operator, J. Z. Mead,
stood at his post and worked at his instru-
ments with the water three feet deep in
the Office and the building surrounded by
debris and the roaring food"
The City a Scene of Mourning.
Over fifty dead nave been recovered,
perhaps fifty more not yet found, and q
least 81, 600, 900 worth of property destroyed
by fire and flood. This is the sum total of
the terrible disaster which has overtaken
Titusville. The city yesterday was a scene
Of mourning Most of the stores were
closed. and the bar-rooms were shut up,
and there was crepe on many doors. The
scene were heartrending People in half
lemented state thronged the morgues look
, ing for loved one, whom they will probab.
ly never hear from; while others at their
, homes, or some friends house, stared aim
lessly at their dear ones lying dead before
! them.
How the Ere Fiend Started.
The origin of the fire and explosion
5 which spread destruction on the bosom OF
/ the flood here is as follows: a string Of
seven or eight oil refneries, beginning
with the Oil Creek works on the north
5 runs through the city near the stream
southwark. \ tank of gasoline at the Oil
7 Creek works was overturned by the flooC
2 and its contents thrown out upon the sur
face of the water. 1t floated downward
with the current, past the refineries o
: Rice, Robinson & Fagan and of the Inter
| national Oil works, without taking fir
:. from either. When it reached the Crescen
g works, owned by John Schwartz & Co.
e about half mile further below, the heav,
s vapor from the gasoline foated into a fir
t in the furnace of the stills and ignite,
r and ran back 10 the stream upon the sur
e face of the water. This stream of gasolin,
o still extended backs as far as the Rice
D Robinson & Fayan works. The Crescen
t works instantly took fire and explosion
e after explosion Of stills and tanks fo
:, lowed.
'e Rushed Back Up the Creek.
z Then the fire rushed up the creek upo
8 the stream of gasoline, setting fire first q
the International and next TO the Rice
Robinson g. Pagan refinery. Tanks an
stills at both works Immediately exploded
- throwing foods of burning oil upon tn
stream and sheet of flame moved down
d ward with the current over the waste
D. water At first the food struck the dwell
10 ings of all the people who Lived upon th
ft flats, from Monroe street down. The il
mates were awakened almost in an il
y slant by the rush of water against and int
er their houses and into their bedroom
ce upon the ground floor. Jumping into ii
TX water was almost ike jumping into a Sc
or of flame Between the two desperate n
ne sorts death came to many.
4, The Death Roll Revised.
a. The revised list of dead is rs follow
Iv Mrs. Mary Hahn and four children Mr.
er Fred Campbell and TWO children, Fran
a Whalen, wife and two children, Mr.
ss John Quinn and two children, "Aunt,
90 Turner, colored: Mrs. A. Jacobs and chill
n Mrs. Delilah Rice and an unknow
boy, Mrs Bingenheimer and eight chill
dren-ranging from 5 days to 10 years oil
Is Mrs. Neill Mckenzie, John McFadden al