The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-06-10
Flood and Fire.

on CRY. Pa. June 6.-Flood anu
fire have. laid waste large sectIoh ul
this city. a fearful loss Of life has result
81 Tho widest stories Of Its magnitude /
aro float IL Is claimed that % persons !,
b,vc been burned or drowned IN TINS
city. and the number may exceed iuo. |
territory of mt least 40 acres, beng
narrow strip along Oil creek, Is burned
or flooded or both Ii addition To those
dead a large number are injured ana
probablv a thousand are homeless. The
/ fire started in this city AT lao @ clock
Yesterday morning with an explosion OF
! naptha and oil on the surface OF On
| Creek. which was mt a fearful height
| The entire upper end of Oil CIty on
| both sides of the creek WAS under water
ut the time of the explosion which caused
the awful conflagration.
II consists of four principal parts
The south side is on the opposite slde
of the Allegheny river and was at no tiihe
in danger In the acute angle iorllleu
bv the confluence of Oil creek ana the
Allegheny river lies the business section
of the city, and across Oil creek ana on
down the west bank of the Allegheny Is
the Third ward, which Is the district en-
tirely burned.
4 thick coating of oil, presumably
from the bursted tanks at lltuSvlllt'
covered the surface of tine creek Float
inc ,lono were three tanks of naptha.
: The sun was shining hot and caused 4
I ,anor of oil fumes to rise from the wide
: surface of the creek. The several thous
and neopIe who were watching the mad
e torrent seemed to simultaneously recog
: nize their peril, and just as they beSaI
TO move, the calamity came.
II Is believed that a spark from al
st enoinq on the Western New York 4
+ PENNSYLVANIA railroad ignited the flames
which could be seen plainly dazzling II
e the air about 20 feet above the surgln;
IL water. Eve witnesses say that sheets
IL flame and volumes of smoke shot upwar
ST TO a height of 100 feet in the vicinity c
st a bridge crossing Oil creek, 900 yard
t above the junction with the river.
In two minutes the fire had spread u
It and down the stream for over two mlle3
III In less than ten minutes between tw
,h and three hundred buildings were
~ flames. The thousand of witnesses wei
iS thrown into a state of the widest PANE
- Men. women and children ran thrOug
e the streets screaming and beseechlr
each other to be conducted to a place {
!, safety.
II; Clouds of smoke obscured everythin
al When the darkness was most dens
he three frightful explosions in succesSlC
-e shook the very earth. These were t
aHy, | floating naphtha tanks in the cree
III The cause was not then known, and
ne feeling that some horribly uncertain IA
Vi WAS impending added to the other Il
ng rors. 1t WAS then evident that I
*. whole of the Third ward and lar
number of buildings on both sides of
IRE creek further up were doomed. Low
lai down where the buildings were abe
, the waters surface, the fire was swt
'iio directly in among them.
We Many of the persons who lost tn
vi lives were overtaken in the streets
, AZ they fled for safety. An almost perpe
II ms dicular wall of stone hemmed the V
Iie Tins in on ono side, the river on
'ra- other, the devouring flames at their re
eyi Others were burned in their houses q
L many were drowned.
laS One lescuing party with a large 81
e. load of persons taken from tioo'
'ors houses, was overtaken by the 5laZ
ZEN oil and all perished. Four OF pa
reSS who stood on the Western New York
pose PENNSYLVANIA railroad bridge are kno
lurt - ~ 81
ago po5;o- oro bainc uneartbed liter;
that -, So, ,,,oSue- of debris made :,
. oi bv the flood Out in the middle of :
anu ~. eca street parties of men are coming
TIC going with stretchers between Il
weighted down with disigured bod
hlP' They return from the mOrgues lmm
tau" +l ateiy expecting to find more dead boo
Ision II oo,.ar- ,be ctraats The sidew
au- are torn from their foundations
liiii'- piled in confusion.