St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-06
Almost at the Same Moment Passing Engine Sets
Fire to Escaping Gasoline and Adds
to the Death List

OIL CITY, Pa, June 5.-Never before
in the history of Oil City and the oil
country has been such disaster, excite
menr and turmoil as this city is now
witnessing. At 11:45 O'Clock this morn
ing the city and country for miles
around was startled by two explosions
occurring almost simultaneously. Fol
lowing is list of dead, so far as iden-
titled:
WILLIAM SHAFER, Franklin.
JOHN REINBOLD, Oil City.
CHARLES MILLER, Oil City.
MISS MINNIE RUSSELL, Pottsville, Pa.
DANIEL SULLIVAN, engineer, Oil City.
JAMES HOLMES, barber. Oil City.
MRS. WILLIAM BRIGGS, Oil City,
MISS EMMA BRIGGS, Oil City.
WILLIAM MORAN, Oil City.
ED KEATING, section boss.
Mr.. TERWILLIGER.
Mr.. BAKER
JOHN ROACH and SON.
FRANK WATSON, aged fourteen years,
missing.
Mr.. EAKIN and two SONS.
D. KOPLIN, WIFE and TWO SONS.
S. S. WICKS.
Two SONS of Mr.. HAZENFRITZ.
The Associated Press correspondent
was standing on Center street, directly
in front of the Derrick Office, and on the
approach to the OIL Creek bridge. The
creek is a raging torrent, and Center
street tor one square was solid mass
of humanity, and 500 or 1000 people had
approached this point of vantage, watch
ing the muddy waters rolling by. At
about 1880, upon the opposite side of
the stream,
A Green Fluid
floating Oh the water was noticeable
This increased rapidly in quantity and
extent and at last covered almost ell
tirely the yellow muddy waters of the
creek. A smell of gas and oil was per-
ceptable, and several gentlemen back
ofme were discussing the danger should
the oil catch fire. Hardly were the
words uttered when about two hundred
yards up the stream mass of flame
was shooting heavenWard. "Runw
yelled hundred voices, and the people
turned like stampeded cattle and
started for the hills. Hardly had they
started when a terrific explosion rent
the air and the entire creek and for
hundreds of feet on each side seemed
one seething mass of flames and smoke.
The panic-stricken crowd shrieked mad
ly in their efforts to escape. Women
and children were tramped under foot,
and about twenty were severely bruised
and had to be picked up by q few of
the cooler heads and carried out of
harms way. Oil creek usually is not
more than foot deep at this point,
where it emptieS into the Allegheny
river, and about 100 yards wide. Di-
reetly at its mouth is the iron bridge of
the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio
railroad. About two squares further up
the stream is the iron and wooden
bride of the city connecting the Third
ward with the city proper. On the east
side of the creek is Trinity Methodist
church Oh one side of Center street and
the Derrick Office and oil exchange op-
posite. Across the creek and built up
squarely
From the Waters Edge
was the hotel and livery stable of j. B.
Reinbold and the furniture house Of
Paul & Sons. These buildings were
built on a narrow strip between the
creek and the hills. which rise precip-
itously Immediately back of them.
About half a mile from the postoffice.
northward from here, on the Western
New York & Pennsylvania railroad, a
tank filled with gasoline was standing OH
a siding. Some young men, passing,
noticed that the tank was leaking. and
knowing its explosive nature and see
ing a shifting engine approach, ran up
the side of the hill where they turned
and looked down as the engine passed,
witnessed a fearful sight. A mass of
flames shot hundred feet into
the air and the earth seemed
to shake with all awful tremor.
The engineer and fireman were seen
jumping from the cab, and it is sup
posed at this writing they were burned
to death OF killed by the force of the
explosion. In an instant the flames
swept madlY over the entire upper part
of the city, which is flooded by the oily