, 1892-06-29

of persons Immediately shouted "Run,
and a rush was accordingly made for the
hills.
The people had just started when a terrific
explosion occurred. This increased the gsner-
al alarm tsnfold, and the whole town was at
once thrown into a state of panic. The move
towards the hills became general, and a num-
Der of women and children were trampled
under the feet of those who, regardless of
everything but their own safety, were rushing
to get free of the town. The flames swept
over the entire upper portion of the city,
which was also eventually flooded.
The mortality is appalling, but cannot yet be
accurately estimated. The latest despatch
from Oil City states that the deaths there will
probably number 200. Many persons on
leaving their houses, which were threatened
with destruction by the food, were caught
by the rushing torrent, and either drowned
or burned alive in the flaming oil which was
borne on the surface of the water.
At six o'clock this evening the worst
was thought to be over. 1t was then raining
heavily.
Emlenton, another oil town, has also suffer
cd greatly.
P1rrsBURG, JUNE 6 80 A. M.
Yesterdays disaster in the oil region was
the most terrible calamity that has been
huOWu III (u6 OuIi0u OUdI6B Sl1C6 JIG Llou4O-
rable Johnstown food, Just three years ago.
1t was impossible at midnight to give any
thing like an accurate idea of the loss of life
and property, as chaos still reigns throughout
the devastated region, and the conaagration is
even now raging.
1t is, however, safe to say THAI in Oil City
$50 lives have been lost, since 100 DO lies
have already been recovered, and many per
sons are missing. Tne destruction Of proper
ty is enormous. The loss at Titusville AMI
Oil City is estimated at 9 million and q half
dollars each, at Cory 100000, and at Mead
Vile $4,000, while the destruction in the
surrounding country will probably amount to
a million more.
For nearly a month past it has been raining
almost incessantly throughout Western and
Northern Pennsylvania, and during the last
three or four days the downpour has been very
heavy. Small streams were consequently
converted into raging torrents, and when the
cloud burst came the rivers were soon beyond
their boundaries. A great body Of water
swept down Oil Greek to Titusville, and
the lower portion of the own was soon
inundated.
The waters leaped onward in all directions
in such volume and with such astonishing
swiftness that the people were unable to reach
a place of safety. The torrent quickly swept
away a number of oil tanks, the oil ignited,
and the town was attacked at one and the
same time by food and fire. The blazing
petroleum was carried along by the rushing
waters, carrying fire and destruction hither
and thither. Building after building broke
into flames. The debris floating on the creek
caught fire, and was carried down the stream.
BY the time the burning wreckage reached Oil
City, a distance Of eighteen miles, all the
bridges on the way had been destroyed.
PIrrsBURG, (PA.), JUNE 6.
Mr.. Hunt. Mayor of this city, has just
received a despatch from Titusville stating
that through the series of waterspouts and
cloudbursts which inundated Titusyille and
Oil City yesterday morning 290 persons had
lost their lives. Up TO noon to-day fifty
five bodies had been recovered in Titusville
alone.
The large Queen City tannery had just
caught fire. The unburned district was re-
ported to be in imminent jeopardy. The
number of bodies recovered in Oil City at
noon to-day was sixty-three, but it Is believed
that many more will be found.
The tank owned by the Pennsylvania Ref
ming Company, containing $4,000 barrels of
oil. is now surrounded by flames. Every
effort is being made to keep the fire from
the lafammable liquid, but should it be ig-
nited the entire upper end OF the city will be
desolated.