The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-06-06

calamity early IN the morning, and the
whole town was out watching the rising
Of the waters.
The entire upper end of Oil City on
both sides of the creek was under water
at the time of the explosion which
caused the awful confagration. The
town consists OF four principal parts.
The south side is on the opposite side
of the Allegheny river, and was at no
time in danger. In the acute angle
formed by the confluence of Oil creek
and the Allegheny river lies the bust.
ness section of the city, and across Oil
creek and down the west bank of the
Allegheny is the Third ward, which is
the district entirely burned.
II IS now mass of ruins. Cottage
hill, the high ground of the CITY, lies
back OF the business section between tho
two streams. II is-ihere the oil refin-
cries and u great many residences are
located and last night the skies were
red in that direction with light from
several huge oil tanks that We're burn
fng. fiFSYe is considerable peril TO what
is left of the city from Il number of
tanks bursting and blazing oil str:am-
ing down the creek.
Terrible Ignition of Nuphtha.
Many houses on both sides Il short dis
tance above the business portion Of the
town We're partially submerged. A
thick coating of oil, presumably from
bursted tanks in the region Of 1itusville,
covered the surface Of the creek. Float
lag along were three tanks of naphtha
The sun w;.s shining hot and caused
Vapor of oil fumes to rise from the wide
surface OF the creek. Several thousand
people seemed to simultaneously recoc-
nize their peril. 1t is believed that a
spark from an engine on the Western
New York and Pennsylvania railroad
lSnlted the fumes. which could be
plainly seen dazzling in the air about
twenty feet above the surface of the
surglnS water. Eye witnesses say
sheets of flame and volumes of smoke
shot upward to q height of 100 feet in
the vicinity Of bridge crossing Oil
creek, 800 yards aboyethe junction with
the river. In two minntes the fire had
spread up and down the river for over
two miles. In less than ten minutes be-
tween two and three hundred buildings
Were i'll flames.
Panic Stricken Witnesses.
The thousands Of witnesses wero
thrown into a state Of the widest panic.
Men, women and children ran through
the streets screaming and bcseeching
each other to be conducted to place Of
safety. Clouds of smoke obscured every
thing. When the darkness was most
dense three frightful explosions in sue
cession shook the very earth. These
were the floating naphtha tanks in the
creek The cause was not then known
and feeling that some horribly un-
certain fate was impending added 10
the other terrors. A strong wind came
up, partially removing the veil Of dark
hess, blowing directly towards that part
situated on the south bank of the creek,
and this is all that saved the entire city
from destruction, The terrorized masses
by this time partially reguined self pos
session. Ii was then evident that tho
whole of the Third ward and L large
number of buildings on both sides 0f
the creek further up were doomed.
Lower down, where the buildings We're
above the water surface, the lire was
swept directly i'll among them.
Chased by the Fire Ficnd.
Many of the persons who lost their
lives were oyertaken in the streets us
they fed for safety. An almost nerpen-
dicular wall of stone hcmmed the vic
tins i'll on one side, the river on tie
other, and the deyouring flames at their
rear. Others We're burned in their
houses and many We're drowned Ono
rescuing party with u large sl;iff load Of
persons, taken from flooded houses,
was overtaken by the blazing oil and all
IerigheE' Fvh1 u a parTy- ~ho stood on
the Western New York and Pennsyl.
vania railroad bridge are known to be
dead. There was nothing to be done
but let the fire burn itself ont, The fire
department did heroic service, and sub
Gued many fires in other parts of the
city. Flames ON tile southwest side of
the Third ward had spent their fury at
a o'clock yesterday afternoon, but it
will be day or two before the fires die
ont.
OIL City's Identified Dead.
The list of those now known to be
dead or missing is us follows:
Burned to Death-John OIeary Tex
press mcssengcr) and his mother, Wills
Stewart, E.N. Il. Plank, Matthew Lyon,
wife, daughter and son, W. H. shafer
of Franklin Postal telegraph OPERATOR,
j. 3. Reilbold unember OF the council
and proprietor Bellevue hotcI. james
Holmes of Jamestown, Frank Goodrich,
William Eaken and two grown sons,
Charles Miller, Mrs. John Roach ana
child, Charles Fisher, Mr.. and Mrs.
Copeland and baby, Dauiel Sullivan,