Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-06-09
AN AWFUL DISASTER.
Fire and Flood in the Oil Regions
of Pennsylvania.
ClOudbursts Rend Oil Tanks-Their Com
tents Take Fire and the Country About
OIL City and TitusvilIe Filled with
Fiames-Many Lives Lost.
SWEPT BY FLAMES.


PITTSBURGH, Pa, June 6.-The oil re-
gions of Pennsylvania were visited
Sunday by disaster of fire and water
that is only eclipsed in the history of
this country by the memorable flood at
Johnstown Just three years ago. 1t is
impossible at this hour (midnightl to
give anything like an accurate idea of
the loss Of life and property, as chaos
reigns drought the devastated re-
g1on and a terrible conhagration
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
conservative estimate.
The property loss will reach far into
the millions. At Titusville the loss is
estimated at 81 500 600; Oil City, 81, $780,
900; Cory, 100000; Meadville, $3.50, 600,
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 flood came so
quickly that the people had not time to
reach a place of safety. The water
soon swept number of oil tanks dowh
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
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 infiammable took fire and by the
time it reached Oil City all the bridges
between the two points were consumed.
On CRY, 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.
The distillate and benzine on the
creek came from tank lifted by the
flood and is supposed to have been ig-
nited by a 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 number of rein
cries up the creek, but it is believed
that their burning contents can be kept
within the tanks and that 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.
| Up to p. m. sixty-nine bodies had
been recovered and identified, and the
death list will figure up much larger,
some placing it three or four times that
number. There are fifteen bodies at
the undertaking rooms of Drifting, Nc
! Cracker & CO., twenty-five at the city
/ hall and a number were taken to their
homes. There are still many persons
missing
! TITUsvmLE, Pa, June 6-This city is
passing through the largest flood at
tended with fire, together with large
/ loss of life, that it has ever experienced.
Though the fire is still raging, the latter
is now under control The estimate of
actual loss will foot up between
81, 200, 900 and 81, 500, 600. The loss
OF life will be from seventy to 200 peo-
pie, composed mostly of the working
classes. Fifteen bodies have been re-
covered Oil creek has overfowed its
banks from the west end above the wa
/ ter and gasworks to the city line below
/ and for hours assumed the proportions
/ of an almost resistless flood. reaching
almost up to the line of Spring street.
] Scores of cheap dwelling houses in the
lower part Of the city. on Mechanic
street and vicinity, have been de-
stroyed.
Fully one-third of the business and
residence portion Of the city is a mass
of charred embers, over which the ter
rible waters still rush with undated
fury. The streets are filed with
crowds of wet, hungry, hope
less and despairing men, women
and children, most of whom have