davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

wbelo Kennerdell, end took all his per-
sonal effects This is the story in brief, but
the recital gives but slight idea of the re-
ception of the news by the people here,
when Undertaken Fred Paul, who brought
back the body this noon, mounted truck
at the Union depot and told the great
throng surrounding him of the ghoulish
work.
Men clinched their hands and muttered
dark threats between their teeth. Brows
darkened and an ominous threat went up
that boded no good to the miscreants who
resorted to such abominable doings. The
absence of the men alone prevented serious
action. The people here have been bowed
down with their terrible grief for so long
that they but lily receive news of any such
character. Undertaken Paul says the peo-
pie of Kennerdell talked most bitterly
when the news was brought to them and
made several dark threats
Shortly after the disaster Sheriff Ray
deputized Fred Paul and he ordered the
two men placed under arrest at Emlenton.
The story of the depreciation as told bv
Paul was to the effect that the people of
Kennerdell noticed two very hard looking
men passing through the city with their gaze
intently riveted on the river One hour
afterward body was seen floating and a
rescuing party was Immediately organized
and started after the corpse. The search
was unsuccessful and the party returned to
the village. In the course of short time
word was brought in that a nude body had
been found on the bank of the river.
The report was acted upon at once and
the remains of Willis Stewart were brought
in just as Undertaken Paul arrived. The
vandals were arrested at Emlenton and will
be brought here in the morning. The
prominent citizens unite in declaring the
outrage one of the grossest and most
dastardly of the entire history of the flood.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

Removal of the Debris From the Streets of
Oil City-Timeiv Action of the Board Of
Health in Sanitary Matters - Pathetic
Scenes About the District.
[FRoM A sTAFF CORRESPONDENT
OIL CITY, PA, June 9.-GraduaIly the
devastated districts here are being cleared
up and the evidences of the horrible calam-
ity removed. The scene about the flats and
upon the ''bend" resembles an army erect
ing a gigantic fort from the ruins of q
burned CITY, Huge piles of half burnt
boards, timbers and crumbling bricks, are
scattered over the ground for blocks and
blocks Laborers are toiling and working,
every where wagons loaded with debris are
being driven over the pathless ground and
their loads deposited in heaps along the
creek. Idlers, curious ones and sad faced
men, women and children stand looking at
the busy scene with the psllor of sorrow
upon their drawn features. Desolated or
phans, and suddenly made widows, wander
among the ruins of their once happy homes,
picking up now and then shattered piece
of pottery or some other relic of the days
ere the families were widely torn asunder.
Trenches to the creek have been dug for
the foul water to run from the cell
lars and the swampy grounds. More
carcasses of animals are being carted
away, and the sanitary conditions are
better than they have been before.
The parts of the city which escaped the
floods of fire and water are resuming their
usual aspect and business.
The Sole Topic of Conversation.
The agitation of the last few days is wear
Continued ON Eyohtb Puqe.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

had broken it meant that a BODY of water
1,200 acres in extent and seven feet deep
would have Joined the other flood, and
swept destruction down that valley such as
has never been known in history. Oil City
and Titusville would have been more DESC
late than Johnstown, and even the Valley of
the Allegheny would have been the scene of
widespread disaster.
With this in view the men, under the su-
pervision of c. j. Andrews, Jesse Dougherty
and Wash Shreve, worked like beavers and
never left off until Monday when the food
at last broke, but even the breach was pre-
vented from increasing so that the only
damage it did was to the Canandohta bridge.
The water passed off so gradually that it
made little difference on the flood below.
Despite this, the dam is being rebuilt as it
was before.
Loss of Life at RicevilIe
The only loss of life above Titusville M s
at Riceville, about one and a half miles
below Canandohta. Here was located the
George Markham dam, one mile long, 900
feet wide and 20 feet deep. 1t was con-
structed exactly the same as the Spartans-
burg pond and broke in the same manner
Just below the dam was 2,500-foot bridge
and above it was small turnway that carried
lumber from the sawmill on the right to the
yards behind his -four mill on the left bank.
When the dam broke it carried with it the
sawmill. 1t struck the iron bridge and the
force of the water carried it to Harrington's
dam, 600 feet below, where it lodged. The
floods swept round it and now it hangs
there bent and twisted together with the
wreck of the mill.
When the dam broke Lester Shaffer tried
to save the log boom. but he was swept with
it and his body has not been recovered. He
was % years old, and was the only sup
port of his aged and infrm father. The loss
at Riceville is over $4,000
Westgate's dam on the little fork of the
west branch also broke, and partially de-
stroyed the planning mill and sash and door
factory there. The dam was 200 feet wide
and $50 feet across.
The next point below where the DAMAGE
is unusually heavy was at CenteryilIe, where
the east and west branches of Oil Creek
unite. The iron bridge on the west fork
was completely submerged though it stands
20 feet above low water mark. Both the
wooden bridges on the east fork were swept
away, ana now lie near the confluence of the
two streams. The town is also badlv washed
out, but no lives were lost. The losses are
in the neighborhood of SO, ,OOO
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

Springfield, s1s.4Oo; Sun, sl2,3OO; Spring
Garden, 5000; Phoenix of Brook.
lyn, $4,000; Ffreman's Fund, 50, 6OO London
Assurance, s., 800: Orient of Hartford, $19, 900;
Phoenix OF London, $4,000; Fire Association
of Philadelphia. s6 800: Niagara of New York,
81 $50: Reading of Pennsylvania, s3 $50:
Phoenix of Hartford $500; Delaware of
Philadelphia, So, 700: American of New York,
S7,25O Western of Toronto. Canada, $1,000;
Teutonta, OF Allegheny county, 50, 100; British
American, "a. 900: Lancashire, $4,000; Amer
ican OF Philadelphia. sl6,OOO: Royal, s22 900;
London and Lancashire, $1,000; Imperial,
$1,000.
Added to the others is the following:
Merchants, of New Jersey. $500; Free
mans. of New Jersey, 81, 500; Greenwich of
New York, 81. 800; AIlemania, 81, 500; Michigan
Fire and Marine. SO, 700; American Central of
st. Louis, $5 300: Connecticut. of Hartford,
$4,000; National. of New York, $2s5O; Jersey
City, of New Jersey, 1890; Liberty, of New
York. So, 600; Freeman's. Baltimore, 81, 500;
United States. of New York, $500; Lebanon
Mutual, s2,7OO; New York Bowery, $500.
Making a total commercial and dwelling
loss Of s3ls, 800.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

framed in deepest grssna and now bed Of
violets mixed with the aromatic mountain
tea oddly clustering around cool gray
rocks that somehow unplessantly suggest
rsttlesnskes, and the traditions of the der.
rick-adorned hillsides are romantic to
match. So you come to the last hill above
Titusville and strike stretch of plank
road that makes horses and humanity be-
hind them tired, prepared to enjoy the
beautiful panorama which uniolds itself
before you. But there is huge blot of
gray, as 1t seems In the distance, in this
pleasant landscape.
The Tawny Stream still Flows.
A tawny stream still tumbles disturbedly
down the valley, uneasy after its wild deed,
and the chaos and desolation of the flats,
where once great refneries and comfortable
homes stood side by side in ill-advised con-
tiguity, are more appalling than anything
else that fire or flood have wrought in the
valley.
1t can be understood why loyal citizens of
Titusville lose heart when they look upon
these acres of industry undone and
murdered peace. The greatest finan-
cial loss in Titusville may be
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

the men who rescued three of the bodies
remembered they had been found in the
Whalen residence. The Whalens therefore
set up claim for the bodies and threatened
to open the graves and take out three of the
bodies on the ground that they were
Whalens instead of Beingheimers
To-day another body was recovered and
identified as one of the E ngelisky children.
The deaths have been so mix ed that it was
thought over 60 bodies had been found, but
when the Coroner went to make up his
official list it was found that but "a had
been recovered. Eight others are known to
be missing. How many people who are not
known in Tltusville were drowned will
never be ascertained, save as the bodies of
the unknown dead are recovered
Only One Verdict VIII Be Found.
Early in the morning Coroner Strauss
called together the jury he had impan-
eled in the day of the disaster and took
some more testimony. The inquest was
then adjourned until the afternoon, but as
they could not get the jury together, it was
decided to postpone returning verdict un-
til all the other bodies have been recovered
Only the one inquest will be held. The
finding will apply to all. One of the jury
men said he recognized the fact that the
calamity was more due to bad dams than to
Providence.
The Relief Committee met and perfected
the organization, electing E. G. Hoag,
Cashier of the Commercial National Bank,
as President It was also decided to hold
daily meetings in the Oil Exchange to re-
ceive the funds that are being sent in. The
cash already on hand is SIS, ,20S. To-day
notice was received by wire that Sc, 800 ad-
ditional was on the way. Of this amount
So, 500 came from Erie with word that more
would follow together with trainload of
provisions.
Aid Distributed to All tho Needy.
A thousand dollars more came from Brad
ford with clothing and provisions. The bal
ance of the sum was h small amounts from
people all over the country who had heard
the appeal for charity from Oil Creek VAL
ley. In the City Hall the work of distribut-
ing relief still goes on. The sufferers file in
line and every one is given something.
The ladies in charge, though almost worn
out by the heavy labors, areIstaying at their
posts and doing most noble work. This
evening the first regular passenger train
was pushed down the valley to Oil City and
the passengers transferred over the broken
bridge at McClintockville. The big iron
structure is lying half in the water and the
passengers have to almost walk on their
hands and knees and one is in constant
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
THE CLOUDS LINING.
Some of the Picturesque Features Of
the Oil Creek Valley.
PATHOS FOUND IN THE RUINS.
A Ride Across the Ellis From Oil City to
Titusville.
INCIDENTS OF VERY EXCITING TIMES
fFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT. ]


T1TUsvILLE, June 9.-T don't believe
| things is SO terrible down to Titusville, -
said an old farmer few miles out of the
town to Mr.. Charles Andrews, OF that
affected city, on Tuesday. "Why, here
we've been mournin' for Mr. and Mrs
Blank all day and now they turn up safe
and sound" and the old man closing words
were uttered in regretfuI tone, as if the
survival Of the pair were, in the light of
wasted grief a misfortune. But the peril
nucy Of this occurrence is that 1T illustrates
feeling lots of people have, though not all
acknowledge il, that the disasters in the
valley of Oil creek have been exaggerated.
'Twere we'll if this were so, but unhappily
the contrary is the case, for the full horror
of the catastrophe at Titusville has
certainly not dawned upon any
but those who have actually
seen one of the prettiest to WINS of the State
humiliated and robbed of precious lives and
much treasure. At first it was supposed
that Oil City's visitation had been the more
grievous, but every day is adding to the
dimensions Of Titusville's calamity, and
the preponderant claim of the latter town
for outside assistance has been officially
recognized.
The ugliness of the ruins in Oil City and
Titusville is enhanced by the peculiar
beauty of the scenery with which both are
surrounded. The famous landscape which
is spread out beneath the spectator on the
crest of Cottage Hill is still beautiful, with
the golden crosses of the Roman Catholic
Church glittering in the sun, and shadows
and lights shifting from one wooded hill
that hangs over the town to another. Oil
City lies in cradle of green, and is usually
inclosed by two silver ribbons that are now
swollen into broad bands of brown water.
Looking Down the Path of the Fire.
Looking down from Cottage Hill you can
see the path of the fire and food plainly.
The placid plain through which Seneca
street conducted an orderly procession of
trim little villas but few days ago is now
a wilderness of wrecked houses, ashes, mud
and oil. where sidewalks stand erect and
chimneys are laid low. You can see where
the flood surged from its bed below the
railroad bridge and surrounded the devoted
ward with liquid fuel, and 100 feet or more
above the further bank of the creek the
scorched trees mark the awful volume of
the flame.
that narrow valley seems miraculous as you
regard it from the heights. Some idea of
the terror that prevailed after the burning
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
HALF A HUNDRED DEAD.

The Known List Increased to Forty-Nine
at Oil City by the Finding of Several
Other Bodies-The Strange Action OF
an Undertaken.
OIL CITY, June 9.-SpaciaL Coroner
Snowden received a message to-day from o
German undertaken in Natrona that he con-
siders an insult to his Office and a most pc
culiar action toward the dead. The mes
sage came in answer to the order of the
Coroner to forward the body found in the
river at that place last night and read:
NArRoNA, June g.
Coroner Snowden, Oil City:
If you know relatives of man found here
send them to identity him at once.
JOHN MUELLER, Undertaken,
Shortly after receiving this the Coroner
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

said to fall upon the independent
oil refners. Titusville, a representative
citizen told me, had been languishing be-
cause of the low price of oil before this
blow came, and it is pretty severe trial
for any town to stand. Some people, how
ever, think the calamity, horrible as it is,
may prove heroic remedy for certain
morbid conditions, and that in the bracing
air of great common sorrow Titusville
may achieve greater things than ever.
There seems to be a determined and unan-
imous resolve on the part of the best citi-
zens to prevent the intermingling of refn-
cries, oil tanks, factories and homes when
the devastated district shall be rebuilt.
HEPBURN JOHNS.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
also large numbers gigged as they came

also large numbers gigged as they came
down.
The greatest sight of all is the thousands
OF logs that are piled against the trestle
of the Western New York and Pennsylvania
Railroad. Had not this trestle, immedi-
ately in front of the dam, somewhat broken
the force OF these heavy timbers, the dam
age in the valley below would only have
been equaled by the pines of South Fork in
the Conemaugh Valley. Taking the marks
left by the flood at its height in the Spar
tansburg pond, l have found that immense
volume of water two miles long and three
quarters of a mile wide was 30 feet deep
when it broke down the valley and carried
with it all the dams below.
The people of the valley can never too
much thank the men at Cansndohta for
the heroic service they did in holding back
the water ofthat most beautiful lake from
Saturday night until o'clock Monday
morning. There are 1,200 acres in this
body of water On that fatal Saturday
night nearly 200 members of the Canaan
dohta Club, of Titusville, which owns the
place, were out on an excursion to the
pretty little hotel
Working MadIy to Save the DAM
A dam had been constructed there to
keep the fine game fish from escaping. 1t
was d urN uaIl, WITH iron network over the
water weir. The lake is natural one, but
this dam is only to make place for the fish
secure.
1t had raiped all day. The lake was
swollen. Just at II: 80 John Wilson, tele-
graph operator in the hotel, received the
message, which he read aloud from the
wire: Dam gone at Riceville"
There was another click of the instrument,
and the message it flashed was: "Spartans-
burg dam has just broken
There was not face in the room that did
not blanch. The echo of the last message
had not died away when one of the employees
rushing in cried: "The screens are clogged!
The dam is breakingr'
They rushed for the dam, and found the
water had already commenced to eat the
earthen work. The lake was swollen seven
feet above its normal height If that dam
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

been handled. An agent who is familiar
With the community says that the oil men
would not recover more than 30 per cent OF
their loss, o. the rates Of premium upon
their properties 10 SO very excessive and
the chances OF loss so few that they did not
take out policieh The following Is the
list of individual companies losses at
Titusville. The estimated aggregate is:
Springfield, 81, 100: American Central, 81, 500:
British American. $4,000 The London AS.
surance, %, 500; Lancashire, 800; Hartford,
a. $50; Ph1nix of New York. s3 $50; Orient,
Ss 900: Phoenix of England, 50. 200; Northern
Of England, So, 600; North British, $500:
American of Philadelphia, s3. 400; Niagara of
New York, "a 800; German American, 81 800
Home of New York, 81, 100; Connecticut of
Hartford, 81, $50; Royal "a 800; Liverpool, Lon
don and Globe ~, SEQ; Allemania of Allegheny
county, 81, 500: Farmers, of York. "a, 81, 900;
Commercial Union of London, 81, 200; PhBnix
of Hartford. 81. 400; Insurance of North
America, s.. 600; Imperial Sc 900; Etna, 800;
Sun, Sc, 400.
Loss in Oil City is:
Etna, 1000; German American, So, 90O:
Guardian, 81, 800; Hartford, 5000; Home of
New York, "a, $50; Ives Company of North
American, s12. 200: National of Hartford,
$4,4O0; North British, $500; Queen, $500;
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
INSURANCE ON THE LOSSES.

Authentic List OF the Sums That Will Be
Paid to the Unfortuna tes-How the
Companies VIII Divide the Amounts Be-
tween Them.
OIL CITY, June a.-[Special 1.-The insur-
ance adjusters from all parts of the country
have been in the city to-day and have held
another secret meeting and many losses
have been adjusted and the work is really
through. The authentic list has been
agreed upon by the agents, and some
estimate of the actual financial
loss in Titusville and Oil City
can be formed, as the insurance covers
about 60 per cent of the total loss. The ap-
pended list does not include the loss sus-
tanned by the oil refneries, as that has not
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
HARRISBURG SENDS MONEY.
Cont ributions Of Clothing and Other Necei
sities FnrHarded tn thu SufY.r.rs

Cont ributions Of Clothing and Other Neces.
stiles Forwarded to tho Sufferers.
HARRISBURG, PA, June 9.-Contribu-
tions for the sufferers in the oil regions are
flowing in from all directions Governor
Pattison to-day received check for s24
from Messrs. Russell, Lehner and others in
Chicago, and the Evening Telegraph to-day
forwarded another draft of $500 for the con-
tributions of Harrisburg citizens Several
boxes of clothing were also sent through
the agency of Mrs. G. S. Bailey.
Mrs. M. B. McEnery, of Philadelphia,
Deputy Factory Inspector, has sent letter
to the Governor inclosing check for $40,
and offering to take and rear any little girl
over II years of age made an orphan BY The
disaster. The Governor also received a
letter from c. E White, editor of the
Tidioute Ne,cs calling attention to the fact
that the farmers in Brokenstraw Greek Val
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
INHUMANITY OF GHOULS.

They Barbarously Deseorate the Body Of q
Dead Hero-He Lost His Life While
Saving Others and They Stripped His
Corpse Of Its Clothing.
OIL CITY, June 9.-[Special There
seems to be relentless fate pursuing this
unfortunate city, for the shadow Of death
has but just passed when awful tales of
barbarous desecration of the bodies of the
heroic victims reach here and strike the
chords of emotion in every breast.
The body of Willis Stewart, of siverly,
one of the first to begin the gallant work of
saving the women and children when the
first explosion occurred, was stripped by
two tramps, who found the corpse two miles
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10

Six more bodies were recovered yester-
day, one at Titusville and five 20 miles
below. SearcherS are still actively at work.
Losses at Riceyille and Centerville aggre-
gate $4,000 in each place. None of the
dams that burst were rip-rapped.
The Coroner's inquest has been post
poned. Only one verdict on all the
victims will be made. Twenty-Five wagon
bridges were washed away. Contributions
still come forward in good-sized sums
Business has been resumed and the excite
ment has died down.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-10
lists gone over and properly tabulated. Ths
total subscription received is s49,sso ID
THE TITUSVILLE DEAD.

The Authentic List of the Uniortunates
Who Lost Their Lfves-Names OF Those
Who Are Still Missing and Unaccounted
for-Sixty-One in All.
TITUsvILLE, PA, June 9-lSpeciaL !
This is the only authentic, official and per-
feet list of the dead and missing as fur-
nished by c. N. Payne, who had personal
supervision of that work. 1t is as folloWs'
Mrs. MARY HAEHN.
Miss CLARA HAEHN.
GERTIE HAEHN.
MAMIE HAEHN.
PETER HAEHN
JOHN MCF ADDEN.
MARY MoFADDEN.
WILLIAM KOPPY
Miss Mis- AHESfGs MENU 'fIIGlsqli F1RS9N tcolored,.
Miss LILLE FOSTER.
FRANK FOSTER.
Mrs. MARGARET QUINN
Miss MAMIE QUINN.
FRED LUERS
Miss DELLA RICE.
Mrs. NELL MCKINZIE
OLIVER EGWART.
JAMES JAMESON
FRANK WHALEN
HARRY BUTLER.
Mrs: F; CAMPBELL and baby.
FRANK G. CAMPBELL.
Mrs. F. REIDE and two children.
GEORGE PEASE.
Mrs. c. p. CASPERSON
Mr.. JACOB BINGENHEIMER and infant 8
days old and JOHNNIE, WILLIE. HENRY.
GERTlE, KATIE and one other name not
known, eight in all.
JOSEPH SPEIGEL, FRANK SPEIGEL, both
of Warren, Pa.
Mrs: LENA OsMER and two children.
E. ENGELSKY and child.
GOLDIE COHEN.
MRS. JACOBS and child
HENRY REIHL, of Buffalo,
Mrs. JOHANNA CAVITY,
In the above list is included the Enpleskv
child found Thursday afternoon, making Il
in all
NELLIE QUINN.
JAMES WHALEN.
Mrs. ENGELSKY.
Mrs. and Mr.. WHALEN and child.
One OSMER boy.