Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-06-06
TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION.
Latest from Minneapolis
What the President Says.
DIRE DESTRUCTION.
Pennsylvania Oil Regions Terrible
Visitation.

DSioiC ~ thC hisbOiy VI vi ivy O.
4 the oil country has such a disastt
excitement aud turmoil been see
as the city is now witnessing. 4
11:45 yesterday morning, the eli
aud the country for miles aroun
was startled by two explosions, O
h, curing almost simultaneously. G
creek was raging torrent, and full
a thousand people were watcbi1
the waters. About 11:30 gree
fluid was noticed on the water. tn
increased in quantity and finsll
colored almost the entire waters
, the creek. The smell of gas and o
vas preceptible, and the danger {
fire was commented upon. Th
words were scarcely uttered whe
TWO hundred yards up the stream
mass of flames shot heavenwarC
The people stampeded like cattle an
started for the hills. Scarcely ha,
hey started when the explosion rem
the air, and the entire creek for
hundred feet seemed one seeihinl
mass of flame and smoke. Tn,
panic-stricken crowds shriekeC
mady in its efforts to escape
Women and children were trampleG
under foot and some are severei., j.,
bruised, An engine on the Western
New York d Pennsylvania railroad
passed tank of gasoline standing
on siding. The tank was leaking,
and rs the engine passed mass OF
flames shot out into the air and the
earth seemed to shake with an
awful tremor. 1t is supposed the
engineer and fireman were killed by
the force of the explosion.
In an instant the fire swept madly
over the entire upper part of the
city, which was flooded by the oily
water from the creek. Men, women
aud children, who were moving
from their homes, were caught by
the deadly flames, and if not
burned to death outright, were
drowned in the raging flood.
Ghas tly bodies were taken from the
flood, and are now lying on the
railroad track unrecognized. II is
impossible to give an estimate of the
number of lives lost. For miles up
the creek on both sides, everything
is in ruins and hundreds of families
are rendered homeless. Very little,
if any, property was saved, and the
sky for miles around is still black
with the smoke from the burning
dwellings and oil tanks. When the
occurred the people were
knocked down from the force of the
shocks, and every window within
radius of two blocks was broken.
The panic during the height of the
was something fearful,
and it is remarkable that no one
was killed by the horses and the
wild and frantic mob. The water
in Oil creek is falling slowly now,
and it is hoped the worst is over.
In the upper part of town about 100
dwellings We're destroyed by fire,
and owing to the depth of the water
the fire department was helpless.
This part of the city is blocaded
with lumber, sheds and roofs of
houses, which have floated down.
The sight from the hilltops about
town is awful, and beyond descrip-
ton. The loss of property is placed
at from $750,OOO to $l.OOO,OOO. Some
l5 or 20 bodies have been recovered
and identified. The third ward is
as level as field.
THE LATEET.
OIL CITY, June 6.-Few of the
spectators watching the flood when
the explosion occurred, can give
good idea of what happened. All
agree there was terrific explosion
5he whole air was filled with flames
quickly followed by two other ex
plosiOns. Three gasoline tanks ex-
ploded almost instantaneously. The
Dil on the creek blazed up and the
gas in the air burst into flames. |
Water, land and air were all literally |
lblaze. Spectators found themselves
N lake of flames. The multitude |
led with screams of anguish for
higher ground. In the rush many |
If the weak were trampled upon
md badly injured. Some were hurt
Dy horses, Others ran and leaped in
% the water and were drowned.
The flames in the air quickly burned
,ut but left hugh volumes of smoke
which roared fiercely the
lanes of burning oil on the water.
Many submerged houses and shops
were soon in flames and many peo-
pie were confined and unable to
Escape from the fire within sight of
thousands who heard their piteous
,ries. They We're burned to death
,r leaped into the river and perIshed
)y flood and fire. 1t is marvellous
hat any from the valley of death
we're saved alive. 1t is strange that
'ut of the commingling of fire and
lood aud houses that any escaped
Many of those who will live had
'etler be dead, they are so fearfuny
'urned and dis6gured. One of the
heroes of the occasion Is w. l..
who after spending an hour
n a boat rescuing imperrlled people
vent down TO his death under
IL 4.