The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-05
FIRE IN THE OIL fields
A Portion of Northeastern Penn
sylyania Burned Over.
FIVE MEN REPORT D KILLED
The Fro Came so Suddenly that Many
Women and Children Wcro Panic
Stricken -Copions Rain Checks
tho ConflngrntiOn.

| stricken Copious Rain Checks
the Confingrntion.
Bradford, Pa. June 4.-Ilk county
has experienced II number of destruc-
| tive forest fires, but those of Sunday
| and yesterday surpass them ALL The
| fire at Russell city last night was one
| that drove terror to the hearts of the
| 500 people who inhabit the place. AT lO
o'clock II brisk west wind sprang M
| and famed the burning underbrush
| and hemlock timber into one solid
mass of fire, covering u stretch of three
| miles in width The people, who were
| about exhausted from fighting the
tames for the past three days were
forced to flee for their lives. The
iiames spread so rapidly that the people
had to leave everything and run to the
| clearing. two miles distant. to Highland
Corners. Women with children in their
arms shriellng and bemoaning their
fate ran and stumbled as they es-
capped from the fire. Many women fell
exhausted and We're tramplcd ON. but
reached Highland In safety. Nothing
Is left of the once hustlIng little place
The fire Is still burning fiercely among
the oil wells. The Northern Oil COM
pany have twenty oil wells and a num-
Der of tanks burning at that place now,
and there Is no abatement of the fury
OF the flames. 1t is impossible to es-
innate the loss.
The woods leading to Clark's mills
are one mass of flames on both sides of
the road. and how the people who live
along the road could have escaped is
beyond comprehension. There Is no
communication of any description with
that place and no news is obtainable
from there. but there is no doubt of ev-
erything having been burned in the
path of the fire. as there was no protec-
tion of any kind. Every available man
is out fighting fire, and there are not
half enough. There is fire in every di-
rection. and all efforts to check its prog
ress seem futile.
Coon Run Wiped Out.
Coon Run. three miles from Russell
City. which was wiped out yesterday
afternoon. was entirely obliterated from
the face of the earth, and Aothing re-
mains to show that there ever was such
place as Coon Run. The place con-
sisted of twenty-seven buildings, a
pump station, school house and saw
mill.
a. 3. Fowler. superintendent of the
Northern Oil company, says while he
and his men were at work backing
fire. a sitting breeze came up as If by
magic and less than the time it takes to
tell it the fire was upon them. They
ran to the town and aroused the people
to flee for their lives. Men, women and
children made a wild race for the rail-
road track, a distance of five miles.
while the flames played havoc with
their belongings.
The Northern Oil company lost forty
oil wells at that place and large num-
Der of new rigs that had been built for
new wells. About twenty-five tanks of
oil were consumed and lent energy to
the flames. The Elk Oil company Is
also a heavy loser. The Pipe lines
lost both their pump sta S,ns with a
quantity of crude oil. The loss will be
very great. No estimates can be made
until the fires abate.
The fire came so suddenly that
many women and children were panic
and had to be carried to places of
safety in the clearings. Passengers
who arrived here tonight over the
Pittsburg and Western road say the
woods for ten miles in the oil field Is a
roaring mass of flames. The people
on the oil leases are fleeing for safety,
but the fire spread so quickly that 1t
cannot be seen how all of them could
have escaped. SO far as reported only
five men are missing. but II Is impos-
sible to give the actual loss. owing to
the great scope of the country which
the fire covers.
Rain Comes to the Rescue.
Copious rains came and subdued the
forest fires today. All night last night
and up TIL today throughout Elk and
Mexican counties men watched and
worked to stop the flames that threat
ened to destroy their homes and per-
haps their lives. No cessation was per-
mitted or thought Of Any rest from
the fight meant the loss of everything.
About 3 o'clock this afternoon rain be-
gan to fall, light at first and then it
came down In torrents and gave q re-
spite to hundreds OF men at Russell
City, Knapp's Creek and other places
who fought the destroying element for
forty eight hours. Telegraph com
munication was opened to Russell City
at 8 o'clock tonight. Only the hardest
OF work saved the place from destruc-
ton. The operator at Russell City de-
nles that Coon Run settlement has
been wiped out. The town was entirely
surrounded by fire yesterday afternoon
and last night, but It did not reach the
dwelling houses. and only few houses
on the outskirts were burned
All reports concerning the destruc-
tlon of oil rigs, tanks. lumber. etc. as
told in United Press dispatches last
night are Substantially correct. Rain IL
again falling tonight and no further
damage Is to be apprehended
No one ventures a guess at the value
OF property destroyed. It will proba-
bly, however. aggregate n half million
dollars.