The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1892-06-14

PrrrsBURe, Pa, June 6.-The oil
regions of Pennsylvania were visited
yesterday by disaster of fire and
water that is only eclipsed in the his
tory of this country by the memorable
flood at Johnstown just three years
age.
1t is impossible to give anything like
an accurate idea of the loss of life and
property, as chaos reigns throughout
the devastated region and a terrible
confagration still RACES in Oil City.
1t is safe to say that not less than
$50 lives have been lost. Nearly 100
bodies have already 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 ar into
millions. At Titusville the loss is esti-
mated at 81, 500. 900, Oil City 1850. 900,
CorryS6O, 900, Meadville $50, 600 and sur
rounding country probably Si,O0O,OOo
more. For nearly a month it has been
raining throughout Western and North
ern Pennsylvania necessarily, and for
the past 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 bursts came yesterday
morning dams were unable to with
stand the shock and the streams were
soon beyond their boundaries while
the great body of water came sweep
ing down Oil creek to Titusville which
is eighteen miles south of its source.
The Town Inundated and Ablaxe.
The lower portion of the town was
soon inundated. The flood came so
Quietly that the people had not time to
reach a place of safety. The W alter
swiftly swept a number of oil tanks
down the stream and in SON. way not
known, they were igni I'd. In less
time than it takes to tell the story, the
flames spread to the surrounding build
ings and before they could be subdued
five blocks had been burned.
The oil from the scores of broken
tanks ran into the creek and was
ignited by the floating debris. In a
few minutes the creek was ablaze
from shore to shore. and as ii was car
ried down stream death and destruc.
ton followed in its wake. Everything
infiammable took fire, and by
the time it reached Oil
CITY. all the bridges between
the two points were consumed. Oil
City is eighteen miles from Titusville.
The towns along the creek are Bough-
ton. Miller Farm. Pioneer, Petroleum,
Center Rynd Farm, Housewife and Nc
Clintockville. Housewife has about
1000 inhabitants and the other towns
about 200 each.
Oil creek flows through a narrow
gorge all the way. and as the towns
are mostly situated on the hills, it is
hoped there was no great loss of life
Communication was cut off from
these places. however, and nothing i:
definitely known.
At Titusville the food came in the
night time and scores CT sleeping, men
women and children walked to con
seriousness only to find death in the
rushing waters or swift, sweeping
flames. When morning broke dark J
the red sun illumined with il:
crimson rays the flood and flame de
vastated district.
Horne to Death by the Flood.
On the roofs and in the windows Of
the upper stories of the houses in the
submerged districts were seen men,
women and children dressed mostly in
their night robes aid all piteously ap
pealing for aid and succOr in voices
which could only now and ther
be distinguished above the
loud rush of the waters an(
crash of falling timber. Clinging Il
the driftwood. timbers and other de
bris, as they were borne onward dowI
the stream, were scores of human be
ings, their white and terror-smitteI
faces. desperate struggles, plaintivs
cries for aid, combining to create i'm
pressions never to be effaced from the
memory of the bcholder.
Probably 200 Dead.
At Oil City the devastation wrought
by fame and flood is indescribable
Great sections of the city are in ashe
and only charred timbers tell of the ID
cation of hundreds of happy homes
How many lives have been lost Their
is no man can tell or even guess. L
is certain that the number will reacl
$50 and it is probable that when tn,
list of the dead shall have been full,
completed it will be found to exceed
200.
Two Hundred Houses Burned.
The number of houses burned in al
parts of Oil City reaches nearly 200. A
O'Clock heavy rain began to fal
and some of the fires were extin
guished. At a. M, forty-six bodie
had been recovered in Oil City. A tanl
owned by the Penn Refining compan,
on Seneca street is in danger of ex
ploding. 1t contains 25. 900 barrels o
Oil, and if it catches fire will wipe on
the entire upper end of town.
TITUSvILLE