The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-06-10
AWFUL DESTRUCTION.

OIL CRY, Pa, June 6--Death. disaster,
fire, food, wreck, each terrible in their
meaning, does not half convey the scenes to
be witnessed in the Pennsylvania oil regions
to-day. The death list stands up into hum
dreds, and the monetary loss can be calcu.
lated by millions, Every available house
and shed is morgue, and the charred and
bloated bodies of innocent babes and strong
men are piled together in confused mass,
and many will go down to an unacceptable
grave. Aid for the wounded, which num-
Der hundreds is urgently needed.
Oil creek, running through the heart of
the city, was Raging torrent from the
heavy rains, and thousands of people line d
the banks yesterday watching the torbulent
waters, about noon green fluid was noticed
on the surface of the food, which rapidly
grew in intensity The smell of gas and
oil was pefceptible and suddenly mass Of
flames shot heavenwari from the bed of
the stream. The people stampeded and
started for the hills. The panic stricke n
crowd shrieked madly in its efforts to es-
cape, as explosion after explosion followed
in rapid succession from the burning oil and
| igniting oil tanks. Women and children
were trampled under foot and crushed to
death by the maddened and terrified crowd.
Flames spread rapidly aud in a few minutes
the whole upper part of the city was sea
of fire, aided by the food of oil riding ON
the surface of the overfowed creek.
Men, women and children, who were run.
ming from their homes were caught by the
flames and miserabIy perished before the
eyes of hundreds who were powerless to
save or help. Those who were not thus
burnt were carried down the stream and
drowned.
The smoke hurg over the city in deadly
pail, and for miles along the creek ON either
side is desolate, charred and blackened
waste. The force of the exploding oil
tanks was sufficiect to knock people and
horses down, and falling buildings and fly
ing burning timber added to the work of
destruction.
Few spectators watching the food when
the explosion occurred can give good idea
Of what happened.
! All agree to terrible explosion, in which
| the whole air was filled with flames. This
was followed by two other explosions.
Three gasoline tanks exploded almost in
simultaneously. The oil on the creek blazed
up and the gas in car burst up into flames.
Water and land and air were all literally
ablaze. Men, women and children were
Frustrated, and men never arose. Some
who did found themselves in a lake of
flames.
Eighteen miles of death and desolation,
is the story in brief of the awful catastrophe
which decimated the borders of oil creek
from ftusv1ile to this point. On both sides
4 of the creek the food and fire left ruin and
wreck and it will take days before the re.
cord of death and destruction can be COM
pleted. The fire burned itself out this
morning and the burning oil passed away.
The creek and river, however, are rising,
and this place will he still further flooded.
There is but little left along the creek which
the fl ,od can damage, as the fire swept
everything away. Rising water, however,
interferes with the recovery of the bodies of
the victims. It is safe to say the loss in
this city alone will reach 200. Many were
swept away and will never be found.
The loss will be over Sl,OO0,000. Be-
tween $50 and 300 houses were destroyed.
besides hotels, works, manufactures. etc.
Over 300 homeless people are being cared
for.