Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-06-09
swEPTRE FIRE ANDFLooD.
The Destruction of Several
Towns In Pennsylvaiea

PITTsBURG, Pa. June 5.-The
oil region was visited by an awful
disaster. of food and fire this
morning early. There was one
cloud burst at Titusville and
another at Oil City. Both cities
are inun dated and the people
have fled to the hills; men,
women and children are on the
house tops praying to be rescued.
To add to the horror several
refneries were struck by lightning,
and the property not destroyed by
water is being consumed by fire.
Ats o'clock this Afternoon half
of Titusville is reported in flames,
and at Oil City it is feared the
entire town is doomed to
destruction. The loss of life is
large, but reports are conflicting.
One dispatch says fifty persons
were drowned at Titusville and a
large number burned to death. At
Oil City eleven persons are
reported burned and a district
two blocks wide is now burning.
Telegraphic communication is
badly interrupted. The Western
Union wires are down and for a
time Oil City was completely cut
off.
AtTitusville four of the largest
refneries are on fire and a stretch
of builings of at least one-half
mile in length.
The food appears to have been
general throughout Nothern
Pennsylvania. A telegram from
Meadville says that the damage
there cannot be now estimated.
A gorge which formed in a deep
ravine north of the town forming
a lake of three acres, twenty feet
deep, broke and swept half the city.
The New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio Railroad east of Meadville
was damaged beyond estimate. No
deaths are reported, but in loss Of
property the result is frightful.
I At4:30 o'clock this afternoon a
telegram was received from
Tituville placing the loss of life at
one hundred and fifty in that
town. The water came up suddenly
from Oil Creek and flooded the
whole fiat as far as Spring street,
forming lake nearly halfa mile.
in width and about two-thirds
of a mile in length. A short time
later the Acme Oil Refinery was
struck by lightning and fire added
terror to the scene The flames
spread rapidly and soon five
blocks, from Perry to Drake streets,
including Washington, Franklin
and Mate streets, and from the
Western New York and Pennsyl-
vanla Rarilroad to Spring street,
were laid waste. Half a dozen of
the largest oil refineries, among
them Rice & Robinson's,
Scawartz's and the Acme, were
burned. The only buildings said
to be now standing in the district
mentioned are the Titusville Iron
Works and the depot of the
Western New York and Pennsy-
vania Raiload. The water began
to recede about noon and is now
going down rapidly. A large num-
Dor Of bodies have been recovered
and the work is still going on.
The latest from Oil City is to
the effect that the entire Sd ward
of the city is in ashes and that
the flames are still spreading. A
large part of the town is still un-
der water. Eleven persons are
reported burned to death and
several drowned. Great damage
is also reported ct Cory, Pa, and
other towns in that region.
A special train with the
representatives of the Associated
Press on board left Plttsburg for
the scene of disaster at 8. 80 O.
clock this afternoon. It should
reach Oil City aboutS o'clock to
night, but great difficulties may
be encountered in getting through,
as the tracks are reported to have
been burned for miles. A full
report, however, will be sent at an
early hour tonight.
A P1TTsBURG ESTIMATE OF THE DIS
AsTER.
Pittsburg. June 5.-The oil
regions of Pennsylvania were visi-
ted to-day by a disaster of fire and
water that is only eclipsed in the
history of this country by the
removable flood at Johnstown just
three years ago. 1t is impossible
at this hour (midnight) to give
anything like a correct idea of the
loss of the life and property, as
chaos reigns throughout the de-
vastated region and the. terrible
conHagration still RACES in Oil
City.
It is safe to say that not less
than one hundred and fifty lives
have been lost. Nearly one hund-
derd bodies have already been
recovered and many people are
missing. The number may far
exceed one hunderd and fifty, but
this is regarded as IL conservative
estimate. The property loss will
reach far into the millions. AT
Titusville the loss is estimate at