River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-06-09
HUNDREDS PERISH.
Oil Tanks Rent During a Cloud
burst in Pennsylvania
Their Contents Take Fire and an Awful
Calamity Results at oil City and
Titusyille-Many Drowned
Burned to Death.
BY FIRE AND GLOON.

that is only eelipsed in the history of
this country by the memorable food at
Johnstown just three years ago. 1t is
impossible at this hour (midnight) to
give anything like an accurate idea of
the loss of life and property, as chaos
reigns drought the devastated re-
glon and a terrible confiagration
still RACES in Oil City. 1t is safe to say
that not less than $50 lives have been
lost and many believe the number
nearer $50. Nearly 100 bodies have al
ready been recovered and many people
are still missing. The number may far
exceed $50, but this is regarded as a
conservative estimate.
The property loss will reach far into
the millions. At Titusville the loss is
estimated at $780, 600; Oil City, sl,5OO,-
900; Cory, $50, 900; Meadville, $780, 900,
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 all the small streams into
raging torrents, so that when the cloud
burst came Sunday the streams were
soon beyond their boundaries and the
great body of water came sweeping
down Oil creek to Titusville, which is
is miles south of its source.
The lower portion of the town was
soon inundated. The food came so
quickly that the people had not time to
reach place of safety. The water
soon swept a mum Der of oil tanks dow Il
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
beer burned.
The oil from the scores of broken
tanks ran into the creek and was
ignited by floating debris. In a few
minutes the creek was ablaze from
shore TO shore, and as the fire was car
ried down the stream death and de-
struction followed in its wake. Every
thing intiammable took fire and by the
time it reached Oil City all the bridges
between the two points were consumed.
Oil City is Is miles from Titusville.
The towns along the creek are Brongh-
ton, Miller Farm, Pioreer, Petroleum
Center, Rynd Farm, housewife and
McClintoclIville. Housewife has about
1000 inhabitants and the other
towns about 200 each. Oil creek flows
through narrow gorge all the way
and as the towns are mostly situated
on the hills it is hoped there was no
loss of life, Communication has been
cut off from these places, however,
and nothing is definitely known.
on CITY, Pa, June 6.-The most APP
palling calamity in the history of Oil
City fell upon it Sunday, resulting in
the destruction of life and property
which as yet can only be approximated.
| Thus far forty lives are known to be
lost, hundreds of people are missing
and it is believed the loss of life ex-
ceeds 100.
At 1880 Sunday forenoon large pro-
portion of the population of the city
was distributed along the banks and
bridges of the Allegheny river and Oil
creek, watching the rise of the
| flood in both streams, the chief
cause of the rise of the lat
/ ter being cloudburst above
Titusville Saturday night, and which
resulted in the loss of forty or fifty
| lives at that place. At the time men
toned Sunday forenoon an ominous
covering of oil made its appearance on
| the crest of the flood pouring down
Oil creek valley and the dangerous
waves of gas from distillate and ben
zine could be seen on the surface of the
/ stream.
| People began slowly to fall back from
the bridge and the creek, but they had
/ hardly begun TO do so when an explo-
sion was heard up the stream, which
was rapidly followed by two others, and
quick as a flash of lightning the valley
4 for distance of miles was filed with
an awful mass of roaring flames and
| pillows of smoke that rolled high above
the hills. 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 were men, and scores of men,
women and children were knocked
down and trampled upon both by horses
and people in the fight for places of
safety.
The flood in the Oil creek valley had
inundated the upper portion of the
town, flooding from fifty to seventy
five houses along North Seneca street.
The most of their inmates reached
places of safety by the use of boats or
by swimming and wading, but mum Der
of them were yet in the upper S, Jries
or in the water when the fire came and
their fate was quickly sealed. Some of
them were seen to jump into the water
to escape death in the flames. From
the remnants of the only building re-
naming in this waste after the flood
three persons were removed in a boat,
severely burned, but alive.
The distillate and benzine on the
creek came from tank lifted by the
flood and is supposed to have been ig-
nited by spark from an engine near
the Lake Shore tunnel, at the northern
part of the city. The fire shot up the
creek as well as down, and several
tanks are on fire at a number of retin-
cries up the creek, but it is believed
that their burning contents can be kept
within the tanks and that a second bap-
tism of fire may be averted.
The Bellevue hotel, Petroleum house,
the Oil City barrel factory, the new
building of the Oil City tube works, the
big furniture and undertaking estab-
lishment of George Paul & Sons and
probably 80 dwelling houses have been
totally destroyed. The fire department
kept the fire from crossing to the cen
trail portion of the town except in one
instance, when Trinity church caught
fire. but the department succeeded in
saving the building as well as the two
bridges.
About half a mile from the post office,
northward from here, on the Western
New York a. Pennsylvania railroad a
tank filled with gasoline was standing
on siding. Some young men passing
noticed that the tank was leaking, and
knowing its explosive nature, and seeing
a shifting engine approach, ran up the
side of hill where they turned, and
looking down as the engine passed wit
messed fearful sight. A mass of flame
shot 100 feet into the air and the earth
seemed TO shake with an awful tremor.
The engineer and firemen were seen
jumping from the cab, and it is supposed
they were burned to death or killed
by the force of the explosion. In an
instant the flames swept madly over
the entire upper part of the city, which
is flooded by the oily waters of the
creek. Men, women and children who