Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-06-06
MORE APPALLING QUANTITIES.


At 11:45 o'clock yesterday morning
Oil City, Pa, and country for miles
around was startled by two explosions
occurring almost simultaneously Oil
Creek was raging torrent, and for one
square there was solid mass of I'M
manity. and 500 or 1000 people had
approached that point of vantage,
watching the muddy waters rolling by,
In few moments time about two hun
bred yards up the stream mass of
flames was seen to shoot heavenward.
Run yelled hundred voices, and
the people turned like stampeded cat
tie and started for the hills. Hardly
had they started when terrific explo-
sion rent the air, and the entire creek
for hundred of feet on each side seem
ed one seething mass of flames and
smoke, The panic-stricken crowd shrek
ed madly in their efforts to escape.
Women and children were trampled
under foot and about 20 were severely
bruised and had to be picked up by a
few of the cooler heads and carried out
OF harms way. The scene of the eX-
plosion was about half a mile from the
postoffice northward, on the Western,
New York and Pennsylvania Railroad,
where tank filed with gasoline was
standing OH a siding. Some young men
noticed that the tank was leaking, and
knowing its explosive nature and see
ing shifting engine approach, ran up
the side Of the hill, where they turned,
and looking down as the engine passed,
witnessed fearful sight. A mass OF
flame shot hundred feet into the air,
and the earth seemed to shake with an
awful tremor. The engineer and fire
man were seen jumping from the cab,
and it is supposed that they were burn
ed to death or killed by the force ofthe
explosion In an instant the flames
swept madly over the entire upper part
of the city. which was flooded by the
oily waters of the creek. And men,
women and children who were moving
from their houses were caught by the
deadly flames, and if not burned to
death outright, were drowned in the
raging flood About half of the Third
ward of the city was destroyed. PEG
pie were panic-stricken all over town
and all the afternoon mothers were run.
ming madly about looking for their lost
children, For miles up the creek OF
both sides everything Is iii ruins and
hundreds Of families have been render
ed homeless. When the two explosion:
occurred people were knocked down
and windows for squares were broken
Falling glass added to the danger
ard several people were slightly cut
The panic was something awful, and il
was IL case of every one for himself
The flames and smoke covered the low
er part of the town, and it seemed that
the entire city was doomed to destruc
tion. The loss of property is estimated
from $4,000 TO 81 100000. Up to 5 p
m. yesterday from fifteen to twenty
bodies had been recovered and identi.
fed. Major II. c. Cronin, resident O.
Massachusetts, was in Oil City when
the disaster came. He says that in tho
ward on the west side Of Oil Creek the
dead must number one hundred per-
sons. The people there had no mean:
of escape, but in the other parts of the
city, the situation WIS not so bad, Maj
Cronin makes the statement that there
is no doubt but that many of tho
drowned became entangled in the float
ing debris, which sooner or latter caught
fire. These bodies were burned, ant
for this reason, he believes, complete
and accurate list OF tho dead can never
be obtained. The loss of life is est
mated at two hundred.
The city of Titusvillc, Pa, has beer
visited during the past twenty-foul
hours by one of the most disastrous
fires and floods in all the history O
the region. Oil Creek has overflowed
its banks from the west and above tho
water and gas works to the city line
below, and for hours assumed
the proportions of an almost re
sistless flood. The city is without fue
or street electric light; the water
works and gas works are surrounded
by water and inundated. The Perry
street and Franklin street iron bridges
have been swept away; scores of CHEAP
dwelling houses in the lower part O
| the CITY nave Dccii ucSlioy GU, aho
scores of lives have been lost, some be
ing burned, but the majority being
drowned. The scene presented by the
rushing waters surging through the
lower part Of the city, as witnessed by
thousands of citizens, was one of utter
desolation. When morning broke hun,
dreds of anxious people looked out Of
the windows or stood on the roofs Of
the houses waiting for helping hand
and trembling for their fate. Strong
and brave men, by means of boats and
ropes, succeeded in reaching and say.
ing those who had secure position till
help arrived, or till the water began to
recede. TO add to the horror of the
scene, rain fell in torrents; fire broke
out in the refineries at different points,
and the burning oil sweeping down the
current was communicated to other
manufacturing plants and establish
ments, and the destruction was in
creased hundredfold.
VIRGINIA NEWS.
nv ro,,L;,, ,,,.o.;Jon+ oF tho town