The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-06-08
FLOOD And FIRE.
TitusviIIe and Oil City
i'm a Wave of Ruin.
TWO HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
A Cloud Burst on Oil Greek Starts
the Disaster.

ed or burned 70 death Estimates Of the
loss Of life are Increasing. and the death roll
may swell TO from 80 to 80, If Tot more.
A dam seven miles above TitusYiIle gave
way in the night. OIL tanks were swept
away, the stream leaped its hanks and, bear
ing on its back q widespread layer OF oil,
dashed into Titusville a roaring. tumbling
mass Of flames There was a stampede
Scores Of persons were swept away in an ef-
fort 10 find safety One-third Of the town
was burned and At 10 O'Clock Sunday night
A. bodies had been recovered. Along the
creek are a dozen villages, whose inhabi-
tants number from 100 to so. Nothing i
known Of the fate Of these, save me fact
that the strip Of food and Ere extended a
distance Of 70 acres on each side Of the
stream
In Oh City several thousands Of persons,
nearly ten hours later, were ont 10 see the
oa-ooming rush Of the Hood. It was oil-la-
den and streaming with escaping gas. There
was an explosion, q terrible stampede to the
hills and 81 least 20 persons are known 70
be dead there. In three minutes an entire
ward was in flames and the town in an sw-
ful panic.
The loss in property may reach from 81
100000 to 100000.
OIL CnY, Pa, June 6.-Eighteen miles of
death and desolation Is the story il brief Of
the awful catastrophe which has decimated
the borders Of Oil creek fIom Titusyille to
this point On both sides Of the creek flood
and IRE have lea ruin oad woe, and it viii
take days before the record OF death and de-
struction can be completed
This IS the most awful disaster which has
ever come TO this Yiciaiiy, and has no rival
in the United States except the JOhEs'o~n
food. A raging torrent, q tank Of oil under
mined and toppled into the i0cd, a coal from
6 locomotive passingovsr the bridge in the
city, series Of explosions along the surface
| Of the creek. and houses, men. women snd
children we're instantly wrapped in flames.
These are the causes and effects 50 az Is this
| place is concerned
The inmates Of the houses had bat 70
choose how to die-eiiher d-oRa or Be
/ burned 70 death. There was no escape, and
many ehose The easier death and jampsd
into the water, bit even there the IRE foGnd
them, and everybody 50 far recovered shows
/ that IRE did the Eo-k OF destruction. At
c CLOCK this morning tie Ire had burned
itself out and the burning oil had passed
away. The creek and riyer, however, sie
rising. and much Of this place, xill sin
be flooded, but there IS little left along OIL
creek which The hood cal damage The
IRE has lsft nothing on which The water can
prey. The rising waters, however. iuterfeE-
ed with recovering the bodies Ofthe victims
in OIL CITY proper.
The 6erv fOod destroyed ore mile Of
properly along the creek OF the west side.
Across the creek from the main portion OF
the city not house Is standing between
the crgek and the hill, and not vesiige OF
life can De seen except the many searchsrs
for the dead. Along the east side, from the
mouth Of Oh creek for distance Of three
quarters Of q mii-, every building except
one along the creek has been Destroyed.
This strange monument 10 the deaih-lsien
food is a frame dwelling house standing
among the ruins. Il vas in the midst Of
the food and fire and yet It vas passed by
The Curtains are on the windows and the
noon meal still stands on the table but the
former occupants are among the dead
They attempted TO escape and we're caught
in the sea Of flames. On the east SIDE the
great damage is along the street.
The devastation which swept through
this valley yesterl y had its origin in .
elOud-5ursi and extraordinary precipitation
Of water On the height Of land which runs
diagonaIly across Crawford county from
spariansburg, at the northeast end Of the
line, to Meadville al the southeast North
I wardiy the streams How in the direction Of
Lake Erie; southEardly they seek the
Allegheny Tiver through the OH Crsek
valley
In the meantime heavy rains continued 70
/ fall and the water spread over the streets IN
the lower part ofthe town carrying houses
and their occupants. On 10 OIL City the
food sped, still gathering momentum snd
carrying large quantities Of burning oil on
/ its bosom. The river Of fire rolled into Oil
City, where It found fresh food in the oil
and nap;ha tanks which line lis banks, ard
which did sppsllingly destructive work in
spreading the flames throughout the thick
ly built up portions OF the city.
The search for the dead was stopped a.
midnight, bu; was resumed at daybreak-
At : O'Clock Saturday forty seven bodies had
been found. Of which thirty have been iden-
tiled. They are lying in the CITY Hall and
a temporary mOrgue on the South SIDE.
The scene Is almost too much for endurance
Burned out Of all senlbiance 10 human bod
les, in positions showing tie terrible agony
before death came, are few Of the victims.
From various e=timsiss il IS safe 10 say
the loss Of life in this city alone vii re2ea
two HUNDRED. Many have been swept sway
and viii never be found When the foo
subside= it will reveal scores Of bodies A;
one point alone tea are knOEa % have gone
into the burning food. bot not cne Of then
have been found. Thsse, wiih two othez
we're standing on the railroad bridge Nher
the hot coal from the passing Locomotives ig
uired the oil and caused the explosion on
IL two escaped the balance were thrown
into the food. There IS little lsa bat th'
haired bodies and sm0uiierinE tmbsrs 4
tel the awful story Of hoN the a0o9 aai
FIRE came and veni and ief Ecshing in ia
course-
The destruction q property 49, non
complete than even Il JohrsfoSn. The
nanciAl loss 10 this place Is hard to ssiimai
Al present; bat i vii be over $50 CO
Am0ug the heaviest losers Is the Wes;e-I
NeE York and Pennsylvania Railsay Con
pany. The tracks between here and Titus
vile arr practically ruined fbe ties burned
the rsilrosi bridge here badly hurnsd. ar
t5o0o0 will n0t more fhsu cover the loss.
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