The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-06
Big RIVERS OF FIRE.
Titusville and Oil City Ravaged
by Fierce Elements.
TERRoRs OF THE FLOOD.
More Than $50 Men, Women and
Children Drowned or Burned.
Hundreds OF Houses Smashed by the
Angry Torrents-Thousands OF Peo.
pie Homeless-The Loss IL S3..
O0,OOO-Appeals for Aid.

PITTsBURG, June 5.-The oil regions OF
Pennsylvania were visited today by a dis
astrous fire and deluge of water only
eclipsed by the memorable food of Johns
town. 1t is impossible at midnight to
give anything like an accurate idea of the
loss of life and property, as chaos reigns
throughout the devastated region, and a
terrible coniiagration is stlll raging in Oil
City. 1t is safe to say that not less than
$50 lives were lost, as nearly 100 bodies
have already been recovered and many
are still missing. The property loss Will
reach into the millions. At Titusvlie it
is estimated at l500.CN, at Oil City the
same, at Cory $50 900, at Meadviie $780,
900. The surrounding country is probably
damaged to the extent of million more.
IIrusvILLE, June 5.-The almost con.
slant rains of last month have caused the
earth to be SO thoroughly soaked that ii
could hold no more and the heavy down
pour of Saturday and Saturday night
caused the small streams to overflow their
banks. About midnight Oil creek began
to rise rapidly and the food was on before
the residents were aware of danger, and
not more than half of them managed to
reach high ground. The suddenness OF
the rise of the latter was explained by the
intelligence that the mill dam at Spartana-
burg had burst. 1t was at a. m. that the
horrors of fire were added to the misery OF
the people. A dull explosion was heard
at that hour aud pillar of flame, fully 2OC
feet high, pierced the inky darkness
and threw glaring light over the
vast expanse of angry waters. 1t was
the Crescent Oil refinery on fire and never
before did the fire seem to spread with
such lightning rapidity. Pandemonium
broke loose among the people and panic
reigned supreme. Thousands of people
rushed pell-mell through the streets,
tumbling and knocking each other in an
aimless endeavor to escape from what
they imagined was the crack of doom. A
fierce light was thrown on the surround
ing and revealed an appalling sight. On
the roof and in the windows of the upper
stories of the houses in the flooded dis
tricts appeared men, women and chill
dren, ,scantily clad and all piteously appeal
ing for aid and succor. Clinsing to the
drlftwo cd timbers, as they were borne on
ward, were scores Of human beings, with
white and terror-strieken faces. There
were desperate struggles and piaintive
cries for aid. The dread scenes left i'm
pressions never to be forgotten or effaced
from the memory of beholders.
The story of destruction by the flames
is already told. Tonight the underta, ng
establishments of the city were turned
into morgues, and with the exception of
seven Hebrews and two children all the
hnHiaS tol h.
At late hour tonight the loss of life
here, by conservative estimate, is thirty
five. This is entirely within The city,
while the news from tributary towns show
proportionate loss. Fully third of the
business and residence portion of the city
is mass of charred embers, over which
the waters rush with unabat-d fury. The
streets are filled with wet, hungry, home
less and despairing men, women and chill
dren, most of whom lost their loved OH. ),
their homes and all their property 1t is
impossible to give the reader an ide, of
the horrible scenes enacted Men with
boats and ropes battled manfuly against
the current, and hundreds of people who
we're captives in their homes on account of
the surrounding waters have been rev
cued. Fully fifty people are as yet un-
accounted for, and in the present condi-
ton it is impossible to correctly state the
number of those actually drowned or
burned. Five persons who were
grasping piece of timber with the pros
pect of landing safely were in proximity
to the oil tank when it exploded, and in a
moment the men were enveloped in flames,
and death came speedily to relieve tn -lr
f1tforinos A NTH ., 10 II
to her breast and clinging to plank
drifted towards the depot, around which
the waters were rushing furiously. As
both reached that point the suction was Sc
great that it drew them down and they
disappeared from view. Scores of cas- OF
a like fearful character are reported
Many bodies bear evidence of meeting
their death from the burning oil. Some
were burned beyond recognition and sew.
eral in such terrible manner as to leave
them without the least semblance of the
human form.
The city of Titusville was visited durine
the past "a hours by one of the most dis
astrous fires and floods in all the history
Of this region. Oil creek overhoyed il:
banks and for hours SWEPT through tn,
city in proportions of an almost resist!es:
food. The city is without fuel, lights anC
water-works, and surrounded by water
Perry street and Franklin street iror
bridges were swept away, scores of che4r
dwellings in the lower part of the CITY de
stroyed and large number of lives los,
Some were burned. but the majority wert
drowned. Fifteen bodies have been recov
cred and the search continues. FOLLOWING
is the list Of dead as far as ascertained.
JOHN QUINN, mail carrier, wife and two chill
dren.
JAcoB BERGESHANER, wife and nine chill
| dren.
Mrs. MARY HAYNES and three children.
MRS. y. MCKENZIE
| JoHS MCFADpEN aud sisters.
| Mrs. CAMPBELL and two children
Mr. CoPPIg.
FRED REID, butcher, wife and children
JOHN o MARA and wife.
| Two VESGLE boys. and four unknown othe
| boys
MRS. c. p. CAsPERsoS.
When morning broke hundreds of anx
| ious people locked out Of the windows o
! stood on the roofs of houses waiting for
| helping hand and trembling for the fat
| To add 10 the horror of the scene. the raj,
! fell in torrents Then lightning strucl
| the Acme refinery and the FIRE communi
| Gated 10 several others. The burning nj
swept down the raging current and com
municated 10 the manufacturing estab
| lishments and houses, and the destruc
| tion increased an hundredfold.
Among the losers by the fire are: Inter
national oil works. Hiram Blow coppe
shops, Rice Il Robinson refinery, Titus
Vile radiator works. Western New Yorl
4 Pennsylvania freight offices. c sper
sons furniture works, Jack Cullen's store