Smyrna times., 1892-06-08
Two Hundred Dead.
AWFUL RESULT OF THE DISASTER IN
THE OIL REGION.

Two Hundred Dead.
AWFUL RESULT OF THE DISASTER IN {
THE OIL REGION.
OIL CITY, PA, June 6.-Eighteen
miles of death and desOlation is the
brief story of the awful catastrophe
which has decimated the borders of
Oil Creek from TitusVille to this point.
On both sides of the creek flood and
fire have left ruin and wreck, and it
will take days before the death record
can be completed. This is the most
awful disaster which has ever come to
this vicinity, and has no rival in the
United States except the JohnstOwn
flood. A raging torrent, a tank of oil |
undermined and toppled over into the
flood, a coal dropped from a locOmo-
tive passing over the bridge into the
city, a series of explosions along the
surface of the creek, and houses, men,
women and children were instantly
wrapped in the flames.
The inmates of the houses had but to
choose how to die, either to be drown
ed or be burned to death. There was
no escape, and many chose the easier
death and jumped into the water, but
even there the fire found them, and
every body found SO far, shows that
fire helped the work of destruction.
THE FIRE OUT.
At 6 o'clock this morning the fire
had burned itself out, and the flaming
oil had passed away. The creek and
river, however, are rising, and much
of the place will be still further food
ed. But there is little left now along
Oil Creek, which the flood can harm.
The fire has left practically nothing
on which the water may prey. The
rising flood interfered with recovering
the bodies in Oil City proper.
The fiery food destroyed one mile
of property along the west side of the
creek. Across the creek, from the
main portion of the city, not house is
standing between the creek and the
hill, and not vestige o
life can be seen except the many
searchers for the dead.
The scene is almost too much fO
human endurance. Burned out of al
semblance to human beings, in posi-
; tiOns showing the terrible agony wher'
death came, are few of the victims
From various estimates it is safe to sa!
the less to the city alone will reac
r two hundred. Many have been swep
and will never be found, though whe
u the flood subsidies it will reveal score
of bodies.
d LOSS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
The financial loss to this place
n hard to estimate at present, but it wi
be over 81 100000. Most of the house
destroyed were owned by the Occl
pants, and were worth from 81 600
10 $50,0O0 There were between 250 an
" 300 houses destroyed besides the va
- ious hotels, and manufactures.
TITUsvILLE, PA, June 6.-Fully II
. persons have been either drowned {
10 burned to death in this city by Il
g blazing oil that Overspread Oil cree
- yesterday. The money loss will ri
:, from 81 100000 to 100000. Ov
49, two miles of buildings were destrOye
m Including railroads, factories, refine
,n ie~, private dwellings, etc.
~ Union City sustains loss of $l05,GC
of HOW IT HAPPENED.
al George Stephens, prominent INT
Us chant here, says The fire was Caus
nj bv IA spark from passing train on Il
ny Western, New York and PennsylN
ne mia Railroad, which ignited the oil
7r' tank alongside the line. The oil
or fire to every building with which
Oy came in contact. Mechanic street W
oe' kown as residence street for
rs poorer classes and was simply swC
ne out of existence. Not vestige oil
ny dwelling on that street remains star
er- ing. This is where the greatest i
ld- of life occurred. The fire and flo
ne combined was so swift in its destr
me tion that whole families were swC
So away before they realized that tn
or was the remOtest danger"
ate Edgar Hale, a lumber mercha
lth when asked about the calamity. sa
ert 81 noticed dark cloud in the no
ant Saturday afternoon and while stal
the ing watching it saw it split in two, t
ne larger portion seeming to 90 up
mes river. The rain began falling, and
lst, short while afterward Oil creek bel
lot- rising. l did not thiRk anything p
ldl- ticularly about it, as it began to rec
as about IL o'clock that night. 1t m
up. have been about that time that
the dam at Ryeville gave way. The CT
eo. rose with terrible rapiGity, and
ned volume of water was accentuated
dly the addition of another large volt
les, of the dam at Spartansburg."