The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-15
THE STRICKEN CITIES.
TitusviIIe and Oil City in Receipt of
Much-Needed Help.

TITUsvILLE, Pa, June Sit is raining hard
again. but it is hoped that this will not add any
additional trouble to this afflicted city. As the
debris if being cleared away more dead bodies
are found and it may be several weeks before
the entire story will be known, as far the
loss OF life Is concerned. Witnesses who were
on the top of iron tanks and houses report
that they saw scores of bodies floating down
with the rush of waters and il Is not known
yet where they have been lodged.
Amongst the kilograms which have been
received here the past three days there
are about one hundred and fifty which the
telegraph companies have been unable to de-
liver for the reason that persons addressed
cannot be found. About fifty cAblegrams have
already been received from Europe making in
quiries about friends here. Mayor Washburne
has wired cur mayor that Chicago will do its
part in this hour of our calamity Titusyills
did Ia 1871, when Chicago called on the world
for aid.
The mighty rush of waters has actually
changed the channel OF the creek so that one
OF the refneries which was situated 200 feet from
the bank OF the creek is now in the center of
the new channel, and a number OF dwellings
which were high on the bank fifty feet from
the creek are now at its very edge, because the
fifty feet in front of them has been washed
completely away. Scores of men and teams
are kept busy TO clear q passage through the
streets, which are filed with pieces of houses
OF all kinds. OF iron aud Iimbers. The military
aud police keep perfect order, the saloons are
kept closed and there has been neither plumber
nor rioting. Notwithstanding the calamity,
our people are full of hope and determination
10 rise up and prevent as far possible another
repetition of the calamity.
Up 10 III O'Clock today the relief fund OF Oil
City amounts to S3l, 679 and for Titusvile S3l-,
S35. In these are not included the S75. 900 given
by the Standard oil company, TO be equally d.
vided between the two cities. The work of re-
moving the ruins is being actively prosecuted
by a force of 800 men. No efforts have as vet
been made to clear away the ruins along the
west side, and the fires are still burning among
the rubbish.
The relief committee has already given aid to
almost 700 persons, and Ii is believed that the
number will reach 800. Many of these will
have to be taken care of for months
While the loss of life here is probably not
much If any larger than that OF Oil City, the
damage done to property is probably ten times
greater. The devastated area is nearly three
miles in length and four or five blocks in
width. For most of that distance including
the tracks and sidings of the different lines of
railroads. The severest loss. however, is in
the destruction OF she rehneries and manu-
featuring plants where SO many OF the sur
Vivors earned a livelihood. IL is the loss of
permanent employment for months to come
that will fall heavily upon the working
class and which will necessarily put them
on the list of those requiring
relief all of these who escaped lost clothing
and household effects and many Of the little
boards of money which they were saving up
for rainy day. Many persons were led to be-
heve that the disasters along the valley APP
proximated Johnstown, but bad as il is there
is no comparison between the two places.
Johnstown and the connecting towns were
biotted out while both st this place aud Oil City
only portions of the places were in the track
of the devouring clements Ir Johnstown the
war al lafr urltln in fhfs v,looa
and at Oil City the work was done by citizens
and some OF the most heroic deeds were per
formed by those who offered their lives in
their efforts to save others.
TITUsvILIE, Pa, June 9-Another body
was found this afternoon under the debris
in the lower part of the city, just below
the radiator works, and the search is still
going on for the bodies of Mrs 0'Mara,
Mrs. Julia Green and child, the Osmer
boy, Miss Nellie Quinn and the two En-
gleske children. Some OF the unknown
bodies inferred at Oil City are supposed
to have belonged here, having foated
down from Titusville The terrible
stencil that arises from the ruins indi-
Gates that more corpses are under the de-
Dris. The city authorities are active in
clearing the streets, disiniecting, and
building a temporary bridge across Oil
creek. The south side has been without
city water and the north side without
natural fuel gas, but this forenoon fresh
connections were made for both purposes.
The w. n. Y. & p. railroad is busily en-
gagged in repairing their tracks and build
ing bridges, but it will be at least week
before trains can be run between here
and Cory. Notwithstanding their own
great losses, they have subscribed $500 to-
ward the relief fund of this city. The
Dunkirk & Allegheny Valley road Of the
Vanderbilts gave like amount. The En-
terprise transportation company of Phila-
delphia, whichIhas an office here, has also
subscribed $780, The Tide Water pipe
company officers have subscribed $1,000
Luckily the weather is favorable. so the
work OF restoration may be begun in
earnest.