The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-06-08


way being parallel to the creek, but
at the same time being a very irregu.
lar street. Next and parallel to this
street was Mechanic, quite irregular
also in its make up; next running in
the same direction was Spring street.
Running at right angles to these and
the creek and crossing them all at
about the middle of the length of the
streets was Franklin street. These
three streets running up along the
creek contained the greater number of
the manufacturing plants and many
OF the business houses of the city.
There we're many dwellings on Me-
chanic street occupied, and owned, a
great many of them, by workingmeu
of we'll to do and respectable class,
aud many people lived here. On
Spring street there we're many fine
dwellings as we'll as business houses.
When the flood came everything went
before it, houses, mills, shops, nothing
could withstand its terrible strength.
Boilers, engines, tanks, slaves, barrels,
lumber, merchandise of all kinds we're
only so many playthings for the wild
torrent, and lie mingled aud tangled
and jsmmed and twisted into one
awful mass of wreckage, and under.
meath all this debris, pinned down with
timbers, held fast here and there in a
death grip, is the form of many and
many dear and loved one. In the
darkness of the night with the rain
steadily falling, the roar of the waters,
and the crash of falling buildings, and
the cries and shrieks and groans of
drowning and frightened human beings
there seemed nothing wanting to make
q picture Of blackest horror. An
hour that must have seemed many
passed as this terrible scene was being
enacted, when the noise of terrific
explosion, and then another, we're
added to the awful din then raging.
Hardly had the noise of the explosion
died away when a more terrible and
terrifying cry arose above the roar of
the torrent than had yet been heard,
though that might have seemed i'm.
possible moment before; it was that
of Fire, fire!" And then the dark.
ness was lit up by tongues of flame
that told of ten.fold horror to be
added to the agonizing scene being
enacted in this awful drama of death.
How the fire originated is a mystery.
One theory, and there are two ad.
vanced, is that the cold water coming
in contact with the red hot bottoms of
the stills caused an explosion, and an.
other is that a tank of benzine was
torn loose at one of the refneries and
floating down scattered its contents on
the waters and was ignited from re.
tinery farther down. Be it as il NAV,
words can not tell what then took
place. The fire spread with awful
rapidity. A fearful confagration was
10 progress before many minutes had
gone by. Refineries took fire, and 10
about an hour, at 4 o'clock in the
morning, the first oil tank exploded.
More terrible became the situation.
Great clouds Of black smoke hung
over the city like pail The flames
building after building.
Houses foated down the mad creek,
the flames that consumed them light.
ing their pathway. Above the roar of
The waters, the cracking of the flames,
and the crash of floating and breaking
houses, arose cries from those who saw
their own dear ones thus borne away
to an awful death, or the shrieks and
prayers of these as the hot fires or the
cold waters suddenly stifed their cries
IN death-their voices thus suddenly
'tilled to human earthly ears forever.
An effort was made to check the fire
and it was successful. But for hours
he work of the flames was terrific.
Buildings burned down to where the
waters stood around aud in them. On
he floors of houses thus burned and
inside the little remnant of wall thus
eft, the remains of many an unfortu.
late is found. Many lost might, and
'ould have escaped had it not been for
he fire. Sometimes only part of a
'ody is found and that resembles a
inder more than part of human i
'ody. The tales of herOism displayed
u that awful night and the following
ay are many. More than one life
'as lost in the effort to rescue another.
he scenes witnessed at the places that /,
'ere converted into morgues were very !
id. One man stood outside one of
hese buildings crying as only strong t
ian with broken heart might cry. a