Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-06
ROMANCE is OUTDONE.
HsIRBREADTH ESCAPES AND DEEDS
OF Personal HEROlSM.

How Death Reached Some of lis Victims
Thrilling Dashes Through a Sea of Fire
TO Life AVID satety-Appeals for Help
Made in Vain.
OIL CITY, June 5.-ISpeciql. Probably
one of the saddest stories of the day was
the death of Councilman Reinbold He
was around the eastern end of the creek
bridge most of the morning watching the
flood. Just after the oil began coming
down the stream he crossed over and en-
tered his barn. He was there with Jack
Stewart looking after the threatened sta
bles when the flash came. Stew
art was hurled from the building by
the force of the shock, and ii was thought
that Mr.. Reinboid had also escaped to
place Of safety with Others. When the fire
had in some small degree been put under
control, inquiry was made for the missing.
Reinbold's three daughters were in place
of safety, and looked anxionsly for their
father, when word came that his charred
body had been found lying near the stable.
Two children named Loomis had started
in the morning for Sunday school at
Trinity Church. Learning that there would
be no school to-day, they went down to the
river to watch the flood with thousands of
others When the clouds of smoke and
flame came bursting down the river, they
fled to the hills. One was trampled down
and badly hurt. They were not found until
late this evening, alive but almost un-
conscious.
A B:ave Horsemsn's Feat.
Ten-year-old James Collins also started
10 Sunday school, viewing the flood on the
way. When the fire came he ran across the
bridge and fell to the bridge floor, almost
sufocated. 4 man riding horseback PICKED
him up, and placing h;m on the saddle in
front, the bolG rider dashed through the
flames, escaping alive.
Alex c. Pardee, editor of the Meadville
S;ar, was standing on the end of the river
bridge when the explosion occurred. He
dashed across the bridge until he had nearly
reached the southside. when he turned to
look at the mass OF flames which Seemed to
have doomed that portion Of the city
known as the Flats"
1t was on the west side of the creek that
the dreadful work was done almost in a mo-
ment Hundreds stood on the hills and in
places OF safety and watched friends and
relatives caught by the sweeping flames.
One old man, evidently Just from a sick
bed, stumbled from the door of a burning
building ard looked helplessly after the
fleeing people. He then tried to save him
sell BIZ crawling away, when the building
tell with crash into :he street and formed
a funeral pyre over his still living body.
A Physicians Flight TO Safety.
In many of the houses, above tne roar of
flames aud rush of waters, could be heard
tie dcspairing shrieks and grOans of the
injured and dying. DIR. j. C. Reynolds saved
himself oniv by superhuman strength in
wadlng, swimming and fighting his way
through water and fire until he reached a
place in safety. He passed house after house
and saw one person after another come to
the door. Women and children begged
him 20 save them from certain death. He
struggled pravely through with one little
child, but was obliged TO pass bv scores.
lie believes many more lave been drowned
and burned than is generally imagined, and
said tonight that the total loss of lie must
be tar over 100
At the railroad bridge, while fighting his
way to land, Reynolds met an unknown
man, probably a workman, who implored
him TO save at least the bodies of his wife
and five children. They were floating in
house which had not yet caught fire. The
man turned back and was never seen again.
One Victim Run Down by All Engine.
st the corner of the bridge five bodies
had already lodged, ana the work of de-
struction had hardly begun. One of the
bodies was that OF Charles d. Miller, en-