Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-06
AN AWFUL CALAMITY
Water and Fire COnspire to
Destroy Two Cities.
Oil City and litusville Wrecked
by the Elements.
Terrible Loss Of Life in Flames and
Flood.
nroudbursts In thu OIL Region Of Penn.
sylvania Cause Floods, Explo-
sions, and the Greeks
are Ablsxe.
BY the Associated Press.

are Ablsze.
BY the Associated Press.
PrrrsBURa, Pa, June 5.-The oil region
was visited by an awful disaster OF food
and fire early t his morning. A cloud
burst at Titusville and another one al
Oil City. Both cities are inundated and
the people fed to the hills. Men, women
and children are on the housetops pray.
ing to be rescued. To add to the horror
several refneries were struck by light.
ming, and property not destroyed by
water is being consumed by fire. At 8
o'clock this afternoon half Of the city oi
Titusville was reported in flames and at
Oil City it is feared that the entire town
ID doomed to destruction. The loss oi
life Is large, but reports are conflicting.
One dispatch says fifty persons were
drowned at Titusville and that large
number were burned to death. At Oil
City eleven persons are reported burned.
Telegraphic communication is badly in
terfered with. The Western Union wires
are down. and for time OIL City was
completely cut off. At Titusville four of
the largest refineries are on fire, and a
stretch of at least one-half q mile in
length and two blocks wide is now burn.
ing: sol
The oil regions OF Pennsylvania were
visited today byia disaster OF fire and
water only eclipsed by the memorable
food of Johnstown. 1t is impossible
at this hour (midnight) to give
anything like an accurate idea
OF the loss of life and property, as chaos
reigns throughout the devastated region
and terrible confagration still RACES
In Oil City. 1t is safe to say that
not less than 160 lives were lost, az nearly
100 bodies have already been recovered.
and many still are missing. The prop
erty loss will reach into millions. At
Titusville it 10 estimated at 81, SOC. GOO,
at Oil City the same, and at Corey $780,
600, and at Meadville sl5O,0OO.
TITUsvILLE, Pa, June 5.-The city OF
Titusville was visited during the past
twenty four hours by one of the most
disastrous fires and floods in all the his
tory Of the region. Oil creek overflow ed
it's banks and for hours swept through
the city an almost resistless food. The
city is without fuel, lights and water
works, and is surrounded by water. The
Perry street and Franklin street bridges
were swept away. Scores of cheap dwell
ings in the lower part of the city are de-
stroyed and large number OF lives are
lost. Some people were burned, but the
majority were drowned.
When the morning broke, hundreds of
anxious people looked out of their win
dows or stood on the roofs of houses
waiting for a helping hand and trem-
bling for their fate. To add to the hor-
rOr of the scene rain fell in torrents and
fires broke out in the refneries at diff
ferent points. The burning oil swept
nicated to manufacturing establishments
and houses, increasing the work Of des-
truction hundred fold.
Among the losses by fire are the Inter
national oil works, the Hiram Blow
copper shops, the Rice & Robinson ref
merry, the Titusville radiator works, the
Western New York and Pennsylvania
freight offices, Casperson'sr furniture
works. Jack Cullins' store, residence
and hotel, the Crescent oil works. The
railroad's losses are 10000, on freight,
and large number of loaded oil cars on
the tracks we're also burned. A train of
cars loaded with merchandise on the
Dunkirk and Allegheny valley railroad
was burned.
A large amount of the loss to stores,
residences and manufactures will
probably be covered by insurance, but it
is impossible to give detailed estimate
now.
Many of the leading citizens, with
their wives and children, are on an ex.
cursion and detained just at the time
when their presence is greatly needed
here.
A meeting Of citizens was held at noon
today and $4,000 was subscribed for the
immediate relief of the destitute. Quar-
ters were obtained for the poor and
homeless, and food and clothing was
supplied by benevolent ladies. Fifteen
bodies have been recoAered and the
search continues. Following is the list
Of the dead as far as ascertained: John
Quinn, mail carrier, wife and two chill
dren; Jacob Bergenhammer, wife and
nine children; Mrs. Mary Haynes and
three children; Mrs. M. Mckenzie;
John McFadden and sisters; Mrs.
Campbell and two children Mr.. Coppie;
Fred Reid, a butcher, and his wife and
children; John Q'Mara and wife; two
Veugle boys and four more whose names
are unknown, and Mrs. @. p. Casper
son.
When the food was at its height the
Acme refinery was struck by lightning
and fire added horror to the scene, five
blocks being laid in waste. The water
began to recede about noon and is now
going down rapidly. The latest from
Oil City is to the effect that the entire
third ward of the city is in ashes and
that the flames are spreading. A large
portion OF the town is still under water.
Great damage is also reported from Cor
rey, Pa, and other towns in that
region.
on CITY, Pa, June 5.-Never before
in the history of Oil City and the oil
country has such disaster, excitement
and turmoil been seen as this city il
now witnessing. At IL :45 this morning
the city and country flor miles around
was startled by two explosions occurring
almost simultaneously. Oil creek was
raging torrent and fully thousand peo-
pie were watching its waters. About
IL 80, green fluid was noticed on the
water. This incresed in quantity and
finally colored almost the entire waters
OF the creek. E Al n
The smell Of gas and oil was nar.