Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-07
The Keystone States Awful
Catastrophe.
Flood and Fires Ravages in Oil
Creek Valley.
Water, Land and Air Ablaze for
Eighteen Miles.
Appalling Death Lists At OIL City and
Titusville-Terrible Destitution
and eunering-sicken-
Ing Scenes.

By the Associated Press.l
On Cry, Pa, June 6.-Eighteen
miles OF death and desolation is the
story in brief OF the awful catastrophe
which devastated the borders of Oil
creek from Titusville to this point. On
both sides OF the creek food and fire left
ruin and wreck, and it will take whole
day before the record of the death and
destruction can be completed. The fire
burned itself out this morning, and the
oil passed away. The creek and river,
however, are rising, and much of this
place will be still further flooded, but
little is left along the creek
which the food can damage,
as the fire swept everything away.
The rising water, however, will inter-
fere with the recovery of the bodies of
the victims of the fiery food. Miles of
property was destroyed along the west
side of the creek. Across the creek from
the main portion of the city not house
is standing between the creek and the
hille, and not vestige of life is visible
except many searchers for the dead.
Along the east side from the mouth of
Oil creek, a distance of three-fourths of
q mile, every building except one is de-
stroyed.
At 7o'clock this morning sixty-three
bodies had been found, thirty of which
have been identified. It is safe to cay
that the loss of life in this city alone
will reach 200. Many were swept away
and will never be found.
The monetary loss will be over ST.
900, 900. Between 250 and 300 houses
were destroyed, besides hotels, manu-
factories, etc. Over 800 homeless peo-
pie are being cared for.
WATER, LAND AND AIR ABLAzE.
Few spectators watching the flood
when the explosions occurred can give q
good idea of what happened. All agree
that there was terrific explosion. The
whole air wae filled with flames, quickly
followed b. two other explosions. Three
gasoline tanks exploded; almost stimuli
taneouely the oil on the creek blazed
up. The gas in the air burst into flames.
water, land and air were all literally
ablaze. Men, women and children were
Knocked prostrate; many never rose.
Some who did found themselves in q
lake of flames. The multitude fed with
screams of anguish to higher ground.
In the rush many of the weaker ones
were trampled upon and badly injured.
Some were hurt by horses. Others
ran and leaped into the waters and
were drowned. The flames in the air
lasted but a few moments, but left huge
volumes of smoke, beneath which roared
the fierce flames of the oil on the water.
Houses and shops were coon in flames.
Many people were confined to their beds
and unable to escape from the devastat-
ing flames. Within sight of those who
heard their piteous cries they were
burned to death or leaped into the river
and perished by both flood and fire. 1t
is marvellous that any escaped from the
valley of death. 1t is strange that out
of the combined devastation OF flames
and food any houses were saved at all.
FRIaHTFUL DEATH LIST.
Mayor Hunt places the number of
dead in Oil City at $50.
Among the dead not found are: B. J..
Feeney, wife and eight children, J. Has
sonfritz and four children, H. Leonards,
wife and children.
The following bodies have been iden-
titled: Edward Heating, railroad
section boss AMI unknown man; Willis
Stuart, Daniel Sullivan, James Holmes,
John 3. Reynolds, VIM. Baker, Frank
Watson, Mrs. John Roach and child.
w. D. r. Terwilliger, a well known
local politician, was drowned while
rescuing a woman and children. Grant
Teywilliger met his death under the
same circumstances.
Additional dead are E. V. r. Planke,
Carthage, N. Y; Councilman BartholO-
new, Lyons; Mrs. Edward Mills and
two children, Ambrose F. Moran, James
T. Rogers and son, Frank Goodrich,
city electrician Mrs. j. Crouch. elk
unknown, Mrs. O'Leary, Edward Aiken,
Frank Aiken, William Aiken, Walter
Mcpherson, Mrs. j. w. Bristol. Charles
Miller, John Holmes, Mrs. J. Miller and
five children, James Dodsworth, Kate
LYONS, William Lyons, the 6.day-old
baby of D. Coplin, John Cleary, Emma
Briggs, James Burns, H. w. Shafer,
Hiram D. Dougherty, Charles Baker,
James w. Bristol, William Hassenfritz,
Edith Freeman, Eugene Fritz. Miss
MYRTLE Hawk, William Terwilliger,
Sheridan Wick, s. P. Steck.
The names of the missing are: A man
named Harking, Edward Mills, wife and
four children, Sheridan Wick, Samuel
Richardson and four children, James
Barns, Fl. D. Daugherty, William E..
Aiken, Mrs. Levi Feeter, Mrs. David
Kaplin, Mrs. Emma Briggs, W. K. Has
sonfritz.
Nineteen others were injured, some
seriously.
Many of those who will live would
better be dead, they are 80 fearfully
burned and disfigured.
One of the heroes of the occasion is w.
L. Stewart, who after spending an hour
in rescuing imperiled people went down
to death under falling, blazing house.
STILL HUNTING FOR LOVED ONES.
All along the burned sections are seen
groups of persons still hunting for the
loved ones. They do not seem to weary
or despair, but dig into the accumulated
filth with bare and bleeding hands. For
many the work will be without results,
as many bodies we're either burned to
cinders or swept away.
At late hour tonight sixty
seven bodies have been recovered.
Those acquainted with the locality
where the greatest damage was done.
say the loss OF life must reach $50, and
many put the figure at 200.
The greatest loss undoubtedly oc-
Cured IN the section occupied by the
foreigners employed in the tube works.
No one knows their names, and it will
be impossible to ever know how many
are missing. In the same section were
vast numbers OF children, and as only
ten bodies oil children have been recov-