Rock Island daily Argus., 1892-06-06
OIL CREEK AFLAME.
A Horror in Pennsylvania Simi.
lar to Conemaugh.
HUNDREDS DROWNED AND BURNED
Like the Johnstown Catastrophe the
Origin is the Breaking
of Dam

Oil Creek Floods Parts of Titusville and
Oil City and Is Changed in Moment
Into Fiery Sea-Explosions of Naph-
tina Start the Confagration-Dozens of
Persons Cremated in Their Water-Iso-
lated Homes, in the Raging Torrent
and in the Streets While Flying for
Safety-A Whole Ward Swept Away at
OIL CRY and Scores of Buildings Des-
troyed at Titusville-Terrible Scenes
Millions in Losses-Cresde FIre-Swept.
TITUsvILLE, Pa, June e6.-Y esterday this
lty was visited by one of the most appall-
ing fires and overwhelming floods in the
history of this country. A conservative
estimate places the number of lives lost at
fully seventy-fve from fire and drowning
AS near as can be gathered from reports as
they come in the loss by destruction of
property will aggregate fully sl,5O0,OOO
All this loss is in the city, with the sur
rounding country yet to be heard from. \
large number of the most extensive and
prosperous manufacturing establishments
now lay in ashes, and hundreds of homes
and business places are utterly wiped out,
while the streets are filled with crowd of
hungry, homeless, weeping and distracted
people, mourning the loss of loved ones
who have perished in the rush of waters or
the fiery pillows of flame which engulfed
them.
Sad and Sickening as Johnstown.
No language can do justice to the scene
of terror and confusion prevailing in this
city as the sun went down last night. The
illuminating gas works, the electric light
plant, the city water works, were all under
water, while the natural gas mains had
been turned off at Oil City. This left
Titusville without water, fuel or light, at
least from the sources from which these
necessities have been accustomed to come.
Parents and children stood by without the
power to aid one another's struggles
against the clutches of the food until
eventually they went down to rise no
more. As sad and as sickeniug scenes rs
ever transpired in the valley Of the Cone
maugh three years ago were repeated
here yesterday while thousands looked on
unable to avert them.
Few Specimen Horrors.
Fully one-third of the business and resi-
dence portion of Titusville is i'll ruins.
The terrible food with mighty roar last
evening rushed through streets never be
fore touched by floods, Fully seveuty-fiye
people are unaccounted for About zoos
people witnessed five strong men perish
together. Holding to a piece of timber,
they were struggling to make the shore
and just as they reached out for a grasp at
the bank a neighboring oil tank exploded
the river of burning oil enveloping the
men. Death came almost instantly. One
father is a maniac over the loss of his
whole family, consisting of wife ant
seven children, one babe 8 days old. 4
brother was rescued from burning build
ing, where he was forced to leave a sister
her husband, and two children to perish.
Like the Conemaugh Catastrophe.
About midnight Saturday historical Oh
creek began suddenly to rise Heavy and
almost incessant rains have been preva
lent throughout this entire section for the
past six weeks. This, however, does no
seem to have been the cause Of the sudden
rise in the oil creek, although at first i
was thought to be the case. The huge
mill dam, owned by Thompson & Eldred
and located at the little town of Spartans
burg seven miles above this city, sudden
" burst This artificial of body water
was one and half miles in length and on
fourth of a mile wide and quite deep
Thus suddenly let loose it made of this de
voted valley, in the course of few brie
moments, a regular inland sea.