Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-06-06
HALF A HUNDRED LIVES LOST
And Nearly Two Hundred uouses Do
stroycd by Fire at OIL City.

sroyed By Fire AZ ott Caty'
OIL CITY, Pa, June a-Fifty persons
have been burned or drowned here. and
the number may exceed 100. A territory
OF at least forty "a. Icing q narrow
strip along Oil crs.k. is burned or Hooded.
or both. In addition "a those dead large
number are injured. and probably 1000 are
homelesa The 6re starsed In this city at
1880 o'clock yesterday morning with an
explosion of naphtha and oil on the sur
face OF Oil creek. The creek was at
fearful height Tho people of tho city
were apprised OF the Titusville calamity,
aud 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 'confngration. The town con-
sists OF four principal parts The south
side IL on the opposite side OF the ALE
gheny river and was at no time in danger.
In the acute angle formed by the confiu-
ence OF Oil creek and the Allegheny river
lies the business part of the city, and
across OIL creek and on down tho west
bank OF the Allegheny is the third ward.
which Is the district entirely burned.
Now IL Is smouldering mass Of ruins.
Cottage hill. the high grounds Of the city,
lies back OF the business section between
the two streams. IL is there the oil re-
flneries and a great many residences are
located, and the skies are red In that
direction with light from several huge oil
tlnlls that are burning. There Is consider
able peril to what Is left of the city from
number Of tanks bursting and blazing oil
streaming down the creek. Hundreds OF
people were gazing upon Oil creek when
the fire started.
In two minutes the fire had spread up
and down the stream for over two miles.
In less than ten minutes between BOD and
800 buildings were in flames. The thou
sands Of witnesses wec thrown into
state Of the widest panic. Men. women
and children ran through the streets
screaming and beseeching each other to be
conducted TO place OF safety. Clouds OF
smoke obscured everything. When the
darkness was most dense three frtghtful
explosions In succession shook the very
earth. These were the floating naphtha
tanks In the creek. The cause was not
then known, and feeling that some hor-
ribly uncertain fate was impending added
to the other tcrrors. A strong wind sprung
up, partially removing the veil Of dark
ness, but blowing directly 70 that part
situated on the south bank OF the creek,
and this is all that saved the entire city
from destruction.
Mayor Hunt called meeting of citizens
and appointed committees to take charge
of the various branches Of relief work.
Noah II. Clarke. the millionaire oil pro-
duccr. was made chairman Of the entire
committees, and the First Presbyterian
church was secured rs headquarters. Az
together 1000 men, women and children
are homeless I'm Oil City.
The number of houses burned In sll
parts of the town reaches nearly 800. The
list Of the dead will probably reach flfty
or sixty. Great u neasiness Is still felt. Is
there Is still danger from oil tanks
At Titusvillc Che loss is estimated ~
e2,5OO. 900; Oil City. ti.5Oo,O00; Cory. 80
600; Meadville, $4,000, and surrounding
country probably 81, ,0oo.0D mora