The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-06-09
AN AVALANCHE

OF Fire and Flame sweeps Down on OIL
City, Pa.-The Mad Flood. FILLED with
Gas. becomes Ignised by An Engine.
OH CRY, Pa. June 0.-.-The most APP
pnlling calamity in the history Of OIL
City fell upon It Sunday, resulting in
the destruction Of life and property
which as yet can only be approximated.
Thus far forty lives are known to be
lost Hundreds of people are missing,
and 1t Is believed the loss of life reaches
seventy-five or more. At 1880 o'clock
Sunday forenoon large proportion of
the population of the city was distrib-
uted along the banks and bridges Of the
Allegheny river and Oil creek watching
the rise of the flood in both streams.
The chief cause of the rise Of the lat
ter Is due to cioud-burst above Titus
vile Saturday night, and which resulted
In the loss of q number of lives at that
place. At the time mentioned Sunday
afternoon an ominous covering of oil
made Its appearance on the crest of the
food pouring down the Oil Creek val
ley, and dangerous and forebodine
waves Of gas from distillate and ben
zine could be seen above the surface o.
the stream. People began slowly to
foil back from the bridge and the creek,
but they had hardly begun to do so when
an explosion was heard up tho stream,
which was rapidly followed by two
othc:s, and quick Us Cash Of light
ming tic creek for distance of two
miles was filed with mass of roaring
flames and billows Of smoke that rolled
high above the creek and river hills
NJ {>A, Aha
neeecd-one that will always live in the
memory Of those who saw It Oil City
is bound on all sides by steep hills Oil
Creek comes down the valley from the
north, and just before its confluence
here with the Allegheny is crossed by
bridge to Q portion Of the city en-
braced In the Third ward, which
lies along the west bank of the
creek and the north bank of the river.
Almost all that portion Of the town was
on FIRE within three minutes from the
time of the explosion and no ono
knows as yet how many of the inhabi-
tants are ashes In the ruins OF their
homes. Your correspondent stood at
the time of the first explosion at the
cast end of the creek bridge mentioned
kAIDlOst tkS 4ulCh1y % IIlc WOINiS Gull Oc
written fully 5000 people in that por-
ton of the town were on the street,
wild with terror, rushing to the
hills Men forgot that they were
men, and scores of men, women and
children were knocked down and tram
pied upon both by horses and PEOPLE in
tbo mad fight &. ! s,,,cot safety. Just
"s This frantic !na.s IT cope ..cF s.a-.-
.:.::...r s.:cct :i.e record explosion
o. 10 red, knocking ,n.lny people down,
s;.a!tcring .he wincows in the E.a.n
-c~< 49, s-.--,. --erc,,
~ 49, -. ----. -.e.-. "1tn an immense
expanse OF smoke preceding the second
burst of fame. Hundreds of people
thought that tho day Of Judgment had
come, and many prayers were heard
mingling with the moans and lalnenta-
lions Of the fleeing multitude.
The heat was intense, and the weird
and awful spectacle presented to the
panic-etricken people was that a. cloud
burst Of flre, bordered and overcapped
by great canopy Of dense black smoke,
was falling upon the city. 1t was no
wonder that people wept and tainted,
leaving everything behind them and
ran or were helped to the hills,
and, after they were out of danger
came the anxiety and suspense of
relative and friends who had been
along the creek watching the food
when the avalanche of flame came.
They have since been searching for the
missing ones, and the city Sunday night
was full Of sesrchers- The flood in the
OH Creek valley had inundated the mp
per portion Of the town, flooding from
Afty to seventy-fve houses along North
Seneca street, the most OF their inmates
reached places Of safety by the use OF
boats or by swimming and wading. but
. number of them were yet in the upper
stories or In the water when the
fro came, aud their fate was quickly
sealed -;