The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-06-08

Allegheny river, and was at no time fn
danger. In the acute angle formed BY
tho confluence Of OIL creek and the Az
legheny river lies the business seotion
Of the city, and across Oil Creek and on
down the west bank Of the Allegheny
is the Third ward, which Is the district
entirely burned. II Is o smolderin8
mass ruins Cottage hill, the high
ground OF the city, lies back Of the bus
mess section, between the two streams.
II is there the oil rehneries and q great
many residences are located, and the
skies are red In that direction with the
light from several huge oil tanks that
are burning.
Many houses on both sides short dis
tance above the business section of the
town were partially submerged. A
thick coating of oil, presumably from
bursted tanks in the region Of Titus
vile, covered the surface of the creek.
Floating along were three tanks OF
naphtha. Tho sun was shining hot and
caused vapor of oil fumes to rise from
the wide surface of the creek. Several
thousand people seemed to simultan-
eously recognize their peril and just as
they began to move, the calamity came
1t is believed that spark from an en-
gine on the Eastern New York e. Penn
sylvania railroad ignited the fumes,
which could be seen plainly, dazzling in
the air about twenty feet above the sur
face of the surging water Sheets OF
flames and volumes Of smoke shot up
ward to height of 100 feet in the vicin-
ity OF bridge crossing Oil creek, 500
yards above the junction with the river.
In two minutes the fire had spread up
and down the stream for over two miles.
In less than ten minutes between 200
and 800 buildings were In flames. The
thousands of witnesses were thrown
into state of widest panic. Men, wo-
men and children ran through the
streets screaming and beseeching each
other to be conducted TO place OF
safety. Clouds of smoke obscured every
thing. When the darkness was most
dense three frightful explosions in sue
cession shook the earth. These were
the floating naphtha tanks in the creek
The cause was not then known and
feeling that some horrible uncertain
fate was impending added to the terrors.
A strong wind sprung up, blowing d.
rectly toward that part situated on the
south bank OF the creek, and this is all
that saved the entire city from destruc-
ton. The terrorized masses by this
time partially regained selt-possession.
II was then evident that the whole OF
the Third ward and large number Of
buildings on both sides Of the creek
farther up were doomed.
Many Of the persons who lost their
lives were overtaken in the streets, as
they fed for safety. An almost perpen-
dicular wall Of stone hemmed the vic
Tins in on one side, the river on the
other, devouring flames at their rear.
The others were burned In their houses
and many were drowned. One rescuing
party with large sltift load Of persons
taken from flooded houses was over
taken by the blazing oil and all per
ished. Four Of party who stood on
the Western New York & Pennsylvania
railroad bridge are known TO be dead
There was nothing to be done but let
the fire burn itself out The fire de-
partment did heroic service and subdued
many fires in other parts Of the city.
At midnight the bodies Of the follow
ing had been removed and identified:
William Atkin and his two sons, Frank
and Edward; Mrs. Briggs and three
daughters, John 0'Leary and mother,
Mr.. and Mrs. Hawks and daughter;
Frank and William Hussenfritz, Mat
thew Lyons, wife and two children;
Frank Plank. William Sha fer, William
Fergiviller, James Rogers, James l.
Haskins, William White, John Roach,
Daniel Sullivan, Frank Goodrich,
Edward Keating, Charles Miller, John
Steok, John Rambo Humphrey Stewart,
William Stewart, Henry Holmes, VIII
liam Malone, Frank Watson, William
Baker, w. L. Daugherty, Frank Watson,
Sheridan Wick, Edward Mills and four
children, Mrs Copeland and baby, Mrs
Levi Filters.