The Butler weekly times., 1892-06-08
FLOOD AND FLAME.
Pelnsy lyan,a oil Region Strick ken
b. Dire Calamity-MOre than
Two Hundred Men. Women
and Children Perish.
Exploding oil Tanks Turn Greeks To
Torrents Of Fire-The DisHstsris
Only Eqnalled by That If
JOhnStnWn.

to day by IL disaster Of fire and
water that is onl, eclipsed III the his
tory of this county by the memor-
able flood at Juhl.stowu just three
years ago. 1t Is Impossible at this
hour. midnight, to give anything
Ike al accurate idea Of the loss OF
life and property, as chaos reigDs
throughout the devasted region and
terrible confagration still RACES in
Oil City. 1t is safe to say that not
less than $50 lives have been lost.
Nearly 100 bodies have already been
recovered and many people are still
missing. The number may far ex
ceed $50, but this is regarded as
conservative estimate.
The property loss will reach far
into the millions. At Titusville the
loss is estimated at S1,500,OO0, Oil
City S1,5OO,000, Cory 100000,
Meadville S150.000 and surround
ing country probably Sl,000,OO0
more.
For nearly month it has been
rainirg throughout western and
northern Pennsylvania necessarily,
and for the past three or four days
the downpour has been very heavy.
The constant rains has converted
all the small streams into raging
torrents SO that when the cloud
bursts came this morning dams
We're unable to withstand the shock
and the streams were soon beyond
their boundries while the great body
of water came sweeping down Oil
creek to Titusville which is eighteen
miles south of its sources
THE TOWN INUNDATED AND ABLAZE.
The lower portion of the town
was soon inundated. The flood
came so quickly that the people had
not time to reoch place of safety.
The water swiftly swept number
of oil tanks down the stream and in
some way not known, they were ig
nited.
AL leSS tliuc tuhu IL ldhSS ~ to4i
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 ignited by the floating
debris. In few minutes the creek
was ablaze from shore to shore and
as it was carried down the stream
death and destruction followed in
its wake.
Everything iutiamable took fire,
and by the time it reached Oil City, ,all
the bridges between the two points
We're consumed. Oil City is eigh-
teen miles from Titusville. The
towns along the creek are Boughton,
Miller Farm, Pioneer, Petroleum,
Center Ryand Farm. Ruseville and
McClintockville. Rouseville has
about 1000 and the other towns
al out 200 each.
Oil Greek flows through a narrow
gorge all the way, and as the towns
are mostly situated on the hills it is
hoped there was no great loss of life
Communication was cut off from
these places, however, and nothing
is definitely known. At Titusville
the flood came in the night time and
scores of sleeping men, women and
children walked to consciousness on.
ly to find death in the rushing Wa
ters or swift. sweeping flames. Wher
morning broke darkly and red anc
illuminated with its crimson ray:
the flood and flame devastated dis
trict.
BORNE TO DEATH By THE FLOOD.
On the roofs and in the window!
| OF the upstairs of the houses in th,
submerged districts were seen men
women and children dressed mostl,
in their night clothes and all piteous
ly appealing for aid and succor il
voices which could be distinguished &c
!. above the loud rush of the waters
and crash of the falling timbers
Clinging to the driftwood, timber
and other debris. as they We're born,
onward down the stream were score
; Of human beings, their white aEl
: terror-st,;cken faces. dcsperat,
struggles. p,aintive cries for aid
combining to create impressions nev
r /, be effaccd from the memor,
! Of the 5eholder. Most of the bodie
= far recovered hear eyidenc,
| that death came from burning oil
/ many of them having been burned
almost beyond recognition and sey
= eral Of them in such a terrible man
ner as to leave the bodies withou
the least semblance of human form
The loss in the stricken distric
by washouts and loss of brid ges vii