The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-07
Spread Along the Borders Of oil
Creek for more Than Eigh-
teen Miles. j.
Death List Now Thought to Con.
tain Two or Three Hundred
Names.
Water and Land and Air Ono sheet OF
ssethinE Flame Marvellous That
Any Escaped.

death and dssolation Ia the story In brie
Of tho awful catastrope which dscimates
the borders Of OH creek from Titusviils /,
this place. On both sides Of the crssl
flood and IRE lsft ruin md wreck, ana il
will take many ! day bsfors the record o
death and destruction san be CON plstsd
The IRE burned itself out this morning ant
burning oil has passed away. The srssl
and river, however. are rising and mush o.
this place will bs still further flooded. Bu
little IL left along the creek which food car
damage. % the hrs swept everything away
Rising water, however, will interfere will
recovering the bodies Of victims. The
Hood destroyed miles Of property along the
creek on the west side. Across the creek
from the main portion OF the sity not 1
house il standing between the creek and
ths hill and not = vsstige OF life il visible
excspt many ssarshsrs for the dead. ALONG
the east side, from the mouth Of OIL creek,
= distance Of thres-fourths Of mile. every
building sxcspt one was destroyed.
Az seven this morning sixty-three bodisa
had been found. Of which thirty were idsn-
tilted. II il safe TO say the loss in this city
alone will reach two hundred. Many swept
away will never b found. The loss will be
over million. Between $50 and 800 houses
were destroyed. besides hotels, works,
manufactures. etc. Over 800 homeless
people are being cared for. Fsw spectators
Watching the food when the explosion oc-
Cured can give good idea Of what hap
pened. All agree that the explosion was
terrific. The whole air was filled with
flames. quickly followed BY two other sx-
plosions. Three gasoline stoves exploded
almost simultaneously, the oil on the creek
blazed up and gas in q car burst into flames.
Water and land and air were oil literally
ablaze. Men. women and children were
Frustrated: Many never rose. Some who
did found themselves in lake of flames.
Multitudes fed with screams of anguish
for higher ground. In the rush many weak
were trampled upon and badly injured.
some we're hurt by horses, Others ran and
leaped into the water and were drowned.
Ihc flames in the air quickly burned
ont but left huge Volumes Of
smoke. beneath whioh roared ths. fierce
flames Ut burning oil on the water. Many
submerged houses and shops wore soon in
flames. Many people we're unable TO escape
from fire. Within sight of thousands who
heard their piteous cries they burned to
death or lsaped into the river and psrished
by both flood and fire. It 10 marvellous
that from the valley Of death any were
saved alive. II is strange that out OF the
oominRling fire. and food any houses %.
capped. Many Of those who will live would
better be dead. They are feArfully burned
and disfgured. One Of the heroes of the
0NN - r.
ing an hour in his boat rssouinR inperilled
people went down to death under falling
blasting house.
Among the dead not found are P. J.
Feeney, wife and eight children: J. Hasson-
gritz and four children. H. Leonard's wife
and children. The following bodies wore
identified: Edwa,d Ksating, railroad Sec
tion boss, Willis Stewart. Daniel Sullivan,
j.. Jss: Holmes, John B. REYNOLDS. william
and child. DR.. Tsrwilliger was drowned
while rescuing woman and her children.
Grant TerwilliRer met death rndsr the
same circumstances. Others are E. V, r,
Planke, OF Carthage. N. Y; Councilman
Bartholomew, of Lyons; Mrs. Edward |
Mllls and two children, Ambrose F, Moran.
other dead identified are: Mrs. J.
Crouch, Mrs. O'Leary, Edward Aiken,
Frank Aiken, Walter McPhsrson, Mrs. J. |
w. Bristol, Charles Miller. John Holmes, |
Mrs. j. Mills and five children, James Dols-
worth.
Mayor Hunt places the number of dead
1t Oil City at $50.
he names of some of the missing are:
Mr. Harkins Edward Mill. wife and four
children, Sheridan Wick. Samuel Rice
aardson and four children, James Burns,
D. Daugherty, VIM. E. Aiken, Mrs.
Levi Feeter, Mrs. David Kaplin, Miss
Emma Briggs, W. X. Hassonfritz.