The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-07
FIVE HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
The Survivors Digging in the Ruins
to Find Their Dead Friends.
Sacks and Laid Aside-The Financial
Loss Millions--J ohm ID. Rockefeller
Gives S1OO,OOO to tho Sufferers.

this point, On both sides of the creek the
flood and fire left ruin and wreck, and it
will take days before the record of death
and destruction can be completed. The
fire burned itself out this morning, and
the burning oil passed away. The creek
and river, however, are rising, and this
place will be still further flooded But lit
tie is left along the creek which the flood
can damage, as the IRE swept everything
away. The rising water, however, inter-
feres with the recovery of the bodies Of
the victims. The food destroyed mile
Of property along the creek on the west
side. Across the creek from the main por-
tion of the city not house is standing
between the creek and the hill, and not a
vestige of life is visible except the many
searchers for the dead. Along the east
side, from the mouth of Oil creek for dis
tance of three-fourths of a mile, every
building except one has been destroyed.
Between $50 and 800 houses have been de-
stroyed, beside hotels, works, manufac-
tories, etc. Over 800 homeless people are
being cared for.
A few spectators were watching the
flood when the explosion occurred, and
can give a good idea of what happened.
All agree that there was a terrific explo-
sion by which the air was filled by flames,
and quickly followed by two other explo-
sions. Three gasoline tanks exploded al
most instantaneously, the oil on the creek
blazed up, and the gasoline in a car burst
into flames. The water and the land and
the air were all literally ablaze. Men,
women and children were prostrated, and
many never rose, while some who did
found themselves in sea Of flames. The
multitude fed with screams of anguish for
higher ground. In the rush many of the
weak were trampled upon and badly
injured. Some were hurt by horses and
others ran and leaped into the water and
were drowned. The flames in the air were
quickly burned out, but left huge volumes
of smoke, beneath which roared fierceiy
the flames of the burning oil on the water
Many of the submerged houses and shops
were soon in flames. Many people con-
fined were unable to escape from the fire.
Within sight of thousands who heard their
piteous cries they were burned to death
or leaped into the river and perished by
both food and fire. 1t is marvellous that
from this valley of death any were saved
alive, and it is strange that out of the COM
mingling oftire and flood any Of the houses
escaped. Many of those who will live
would better be dead, they are so fearfully
burned and distigured. One of the heroes
of the occasion is w. L. Stewart who, after
spending an hour in a boat rescuing i'm
periled people. went down to death under
falling blazing house.
The bodies of the following have been
recovered:
Mrs. J. CROUCH.
SIX UNKNOwNs.
Mrs. O'LEARY.
EDWARD AIKEN.
FRANK AIKEN.
WILLIAM AIKEN.
WALTER MCPHERSON.
MRS. J. W. BRISTOL
CHARLES MILLER.
JOHN HOLMES.
Mrs. }. MILLS and five children.
JAMES DoRswoRrH.
EDWARD HEATING, railroad section boss
WILLIS STEWART.
DANIEL SULLIVAN.
JAMES HOLMES.
JOHN K. REYNoLDs
WILLIAM DARKEs.
FRANK WATSON.
Mrs. JOHN ROACH and child.
DR.. TERwILLIGER, a well-known local poll
tieian, drowned while rescuing a woman and
children.
GRANT TEgwILLIGzR, met his death under the
same circumstances.
EVA BLAKE, OF Carthage, n. Y.
CoUNCILMAS BARTHOLOMEW LYON
Mrs EDWARD MILLS and two children.
AMBROSE +. MORAN.
JAMES T. ROGERS and son.
FRANK GOODRICH, city electrician.
KATE LYONS.
WILLIAM LYONS.
Six-day-old baby of D. CoPLIN.
joins O'LEARY.
EMMA BRIGGS.
JAMES BURNS.
II. ". SHAFER-
HIRAM d. DoUGHERTY.
CHARLES BAKER.
JAMES W. BRISTOL.
WILLIAM HAssENFRITZ.
EDITH FREEMAN.
EUGENE FRITZ
Miss MYRTLE HAWK.
WILLIAM TERwILLIGEk
SHERIDAN WICK.
5. p sTREK.
The unidentified dead will swell the list
to sixty-seven. Oil City is unusually
quiet tonight, all things considered. The
police have encountered no disturbances.
and people generally retired early after a
day of the deepest anxiety. All danger
from the tanks that threatened to destroy
tAc huSIHSSs PoItIoii VI tcNu tOGdy mas
passed The fires are all extinguished. and
the only fire now burning is below the
tanks.
Mayor II unit places the number of dead
in Oil City at l50. The names of the miss
ing are:
man named Harkins, Edward Mills. wife
and four children: sheridan Wick, Samuel Rice
HARRISON and Jour children, James Burns, H, D.
Dougherty. William z. Aiken, Mrs Levi Feeter
Hassonfritz r. J. Feeney, wife and eight chill.
dren J, A. Hassoafritz and four children; II.
| Leonard, wife and children.
Nineteen others were injured, some seri.
ously.
All along the burned sections are seen
groups of persons still hunting for loved
ones. They do not seem TO weary OF
despair, but dig into the accumulated filth
and rubbish with bare and bleeding hands
For many the work will be without re.
suits, as many bodies were either burned
TO cinders or swept away
At late hour tonight sixty-seven bodies
had been recovered. Those acquainted
with the locality where the greatest dam
age was done, say the loss of life mus;
reach i50 and many put the figure al 300
The greatest loss undoubtedly occurred in
the section occupied by foreigners EN-
ployed in the tube works. No one knows
the names. and it will be impossible ever
10 know how many are missing. In the