Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-06-11
HUNDREDS PERISH.
Oil Tanks Rent During a Cloud
burst in Pennsylvania.
Their Contents Take Fire and an Awful
Calamity Results at OIL City and
Titusville-Many Drowned
or Burned to Death.
BY FIRE AND FLOOD.


gions of Pennsylvania were visited
Sunday by disaster of fire and water
that is only eclipsed in the history of
this country by the memorable flood at
Johnstown just three years ago 1t is
impossible at this hour (midnight) to
give anything like an accurate idea of
the loss of life and property, as chaos
reigns throught the devastated re-
glon and terrible conhagration
still RACES in Oil City. 1t is safe to say
that not less than $50 lives have been
lost and many believe the number
nearer $50. Nearly 100 bodies have al
ready been recovered and many people
are still missing. The number may far
| exceed $50, but this is regarded as a
conservative estimate.
The property loss will reach far into
the millions. At Titusville the loss is
estimated at 81, 100000; Oil City, $780,,
600; Cory, S60,0 900; Meadville, $150,OO0,
and surrounding country probably a
| million more.
For nearly month it has been rain
ing throughout western and northern
| Pennsylvania almost necessarily, and
| for the last three or four days the
downpour in the devastated regions had
been very heavy. The constant rains
had converted all the small streams into
raging torrents, so that when the cloud
burst came Sunday the streams were
soon beyond their boundaries and the
| great body of water came sweeping
down Oil creek to Titusville, which is
is miles south of its source.
| The lower portion of the town was
soon inundated. The flood came so
| quickly that the people had not time to
reach a place of safety. The water
soon swept a mum Der of oil tanks dowh
the stream and in some way not known
they were ignited. In less time than it
takes to tell the story the flames spread
to the surrounding buildings, and before
they could be subdued five blocks had
beer burned.
The oil from the scores of broken
tanks ran into the creel, and was
ignited by floating debris. In few
minutes the creek was ablaZe from
shore to shore, and as the fire was car
ried down the stream death and de-
struction followed in its wake. Every
thing inflammable took fire and by the
time it reached Oil City all the bridges
between the two points We're consumed.
Oil City is is miles from Titusville.
The towns along the creek are Brough-
ton, Miller Farm, Pioneer, Petroleum
Center, Rynd Farm, Housewife and
McClintoclville. Rouseville has about
1000 inhabitants and the other
towns about 200 each. Oil creek flows
through narrow gorge all the way
and as the towns are mostly situated
on the hills it is hoped there was no
loss of life. Communication has been
cut off from these places, however,
and nothing is definitely known.
Oh CITY, Pa, June 6.-The most ap.
palling 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 it is believed the loss of life ex.
ceeds 100.
At 11:30 Sunday forenoon a large pro.
portion of the population of the city
was distributed 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 being cloudburst above
Titusville Saturday night, and which
resulted in the loss of forty or fifty
lives at that place. At the time men
toned Sunday forenoon an ominous
covering of oil made it's appearance or
the crest of the flood pouring dowr
Oil creek valley and the dangerou.
| 80
zine could be seen on the surface of the
stream.
People began slowly to fall back from
the bridge and the creek but they hat
hardly begun to do SO when an explo
sion was heard up the stream, which
was rapidly followed by two others, ant
quick as IL flash of lightning the valley
for distance of miles was filled with
an awful mass of roaring flames anC
pillows of smoke that rolled high abov,
the hills. Almost as quickly as th,
words can be written fully 5000 peopl,
were on the streets, wild with terror
rushing to the hills. Men forgot tina
they We're men, and scores of men
women and children were knocked
down and trampled upon both by horses
and people in the fight for places o
safety.
The food in the Oil creek valley ha,
inundated the upper portion of tn
town, flooding from fifty to seventy
five houses along North Seneca street
The most of their inmates reache,
places of safety by the use of boats o
by swimming and wading, but numbe
of them were yet in the upper storie
or in the water when the fire came an
their fate was quickly sealed. Some o
them were seen to jump into the waite
to escape death in the flames. From
the remnants of the only building re
naming in this waste after the foo
three persons were removed in boat
severely burned, but alive.
The distillate and benzine on tn
creek came from tank lifted by th
flood and is supposed to have been ig