The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-06-16
In Seas Of Flame.

visited Sunday by disaster from fire
and water that is only eclipsed in the
history of the State by the memorable
flood Of Johnstown, just three years ago.
A Pittsburg dispatch says: 1t is inn
possible at this time to give anything
like an accurate idea of the loss of life
and property, as chaos reiSns through
out the devastated region and q terrible
conilagraton still RACES in Oil City. 1t
is safe to say that not less than $50
livQe have Teen lost. Nearly one hum
drcd bodies have already been recovered
and many people are still missing. The
number may far exceed l50, but this is
regarded as u con sentative estimate.
The property loss will reach far into
millions. AT Titusvillc the loss is es-
timatcd at 81, ;Ga, 0nO; Gil City. 81, 5Gh..
600; Cory, S10.0o0; Moadville, $780,
eco, and surrounding country probably
million more
For nearly Il month il has been RAIN
Ing throughout Western and Northern
Pennsylvania almost necessarily, and
, for the last three or foar days the
downpour in tie devastated regions
| had been very heavy. The const mt
rains had converted al tho small
streams into raging torrents. SO that
when the cloudburst care Sunday
morning the streams were soon beyond
their boundaries, and the great body
OF water came sweeping down OIL
| Creek to Titusville, which is eighteen
miles E, nth Of is source
| The lower portion OF the town was
soon inundated. The food came SO
quickly tina: the people had not time 70
reach place Of safety. The water
soon swept a number of oil tnnas down
the stream, and in some way not known
they We're ignited. Ia less time than il
takes to tell the story the flames spread
to the SUI rounding hu idings and before
they could be suhducd five blocks had
been buued.
The oil from the scores Of broken
tanks ran into the creek and was iG-
pited 10y floating debris. In a few min
utes the creek was ab.a.c from shore to
shore, and as 1t was carried down the
stream death and destruction followed
in its wake. Everything intlammabl.
took fire ana by the time 1t reached OIL
City all the bridges between the two
| points were consumed.
! story az tire Disaster.
At OIL City larg. lrol o:tion Il the
| population was distributed along the
| banks and lri'r"s of IN" Allegheny
| River and Oil Creek watching the rise OF
| the food in both streams. At the time
an oninous covering Of Oh male It's ai-
pcarance on the crest OF the food POUR
! ing down the Oh Creek Valley, and the
forebolins waves of gas from distil att
and benZinc could lie seen above The
! surface of the stream. People began tt
slowly fall back from the bridge and the
creek, but they had hardly begun TO &c
| SO when an explosion was heard up the
stream which was rapidly followed by
two others, and quick a flash Of light.
ming the creek FOR distance of two
miles was filled with an awful mass q
roaring flames and pillows of smoke tha,
rolled high above the creek and rivel
hills.
Fun" yelled hundred voices. anl
the people turned like stanpeicd cattle
ard started for the hills The panic
stricken crowd shrickcd madly in theil
efforts to escape. Women and children
! were tramplcd under foot, and abOu
twenty were severely bruised and hat
to be picked ny 10y Il few of the cooler
heads and carried ont Of harms way
Almost as quickly as the words can bs
written fully 5000 people We're on tht
streets wild with terror. rushing to tn,
hills. Men forgot that they We're meI
and scores of men, women and children
were knocked down and srampled urol
| both by horses and people ia the mac
flight for places of safety. just n:
this frantic mass of humanity ha,
started up Center street the sccpnt
explosion occurred, knocking many
people down, SCATTERING the windows IL
the main part Of the town, and almos
transforming the day 20 night with th'
immense eNpanSc of smoke. Hundred
of people Thought that the day Of judg
ment had come. ana many prayers wer
heard mineling with the means AM
lamentations Of the fleeing multitude
The heat was intense. and the weird ant
awful spectacle prcscnts d TO the panic
stricken people was that a cloudburs
of fire, hordefcd and ovcrcappcd by
great canopy of dense, black smoke
Men wept and women tainted. Man,
left everything behind them, and raj
or were helped TO the hills, where. nftc
they We're out Of danger, came the anxi
city and suspense for relatives an
friends who had been along the cree
watching the flood when the nvalanch
of flame came.
Most of the bodies recovered bear CYL
dcnce OF having met death from burning
OIL, many Of them being burned almos
beyond recognition, and several of Their
in such terrible manner as to leave tn
bodies without the least semblance O
human form.
4 bird s-eye view of the situation a
the smoke from the burning oil on tn
waters rolls away discloses a pitifu
sight, nothing but mass of burned am
flooded ruins from Monroe street east I,
the most eastern line of the city limits
The streets lie filled full of debris, over
turned houses half burned. parts of wha
We're once railroad cas-, and empty oil
barrels. A great deal Of live stock wa
lost, and it will take days to get tn
streets in a pass able condition.
The loss in the county by weshout
and loss of bridges will be enormous
There is not a county or township bridg
for many miles that is not washed cut
and the roads in every direction ar
nearly impossible. The Western New
York & Pennsylvania and the Union
Titusville Roads have not attempted I,
run trains, and will be obliged to spen,
an enormous amount Of money bcfor,
trains can be run in any direction.
Oh City is eighteen miles from Titus
vile. The towns along the creek ar
Boughton, Miller Farm. Pioneer, Pc
troicum Center, Rynd Farm, Housewife
and McClintockville. Housewife ha
about 1000 inhabitants and the othe
towns about 900 each. Oil creek flow
through narrow gorge oil the way, an,
as tn towns are mostly situated on thu
hills it is hoped there was no loss O
life. Communication has been cut OF
from these places, however, and nothn:
is definitely known.
&" 1 from the Relief Committee.
AS the devastation is SO great it ha:
been decided to call upon the oltsid,
= world to furnish financial means to re
lievc the distressed, and an appeal ha:
been Issued. Such contributions SHOULD
tie sent by telegraph to Roger Sherman
president of the relief committee, as III
mails will be received or dispatched fol
several days, owing to three railroads
entering the city having their track:
washed out almost entirely for many