The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-06-08
TELEGRAPHIC.
SURROUNDED BY FIRE.
Pennsylvania Towns Wiped Out of Ex-

Pennsylvania Towns Wiped Out of Ex
| istence.
| BRADFORD, Pa, June 4.-Fire a
Russell City last night drove terror tc
the hearts of the 500 inhabitants. Al
| 10 o'clock a brisk wind famed the
| burning underbrush and hemlock tim
ber into solid mass of fire, covering
! three miles in width. The flame:
spread so rapidly that the people hao
to leave elerything and run to the
clearing. two miles distant, at High
land Corners. Women with children
in their arms, shrieking and bemoan
ing their fate, ran and stumbled as
they escaped from the fire. Many
| women fell exhausted and were tram
pied on, but all finally reached High
land in safety. Nothing is left of the
once hustling little place.
| The fire is still burning fercely
among the oil wells The Northern
Oil Company have 20 oil wells and q
number of tanks burning, and there Is
no abatement to the fury of the flames
| 1t is impossible to estimate the loss.
The woods leading to Clark's mills
are one mass of flames on both sides OF
the road. How people who lived along
the road could have escaped is beyond
comprehension. There is no commu-
nication of any description with that
place. and no news obtainable from
there, but there is no doubt of every
thing having been burned in the path
of the fire.
Coon Run, three miles from Russell
City, which was wiped out yesterday
afternoon, was entirely obliterated.
The place consisted of q buildings, a
pump station, schoolhouse and saw
mill. A. B. Fowler, superintendent of
the Northern Oil Company, says that
while he and his men were ''back fir
ing" stiff breeze from the west came
up like magic, and in less time than 1T
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 wild race
for the railway track. distance of five
miles, while the flames played havoc
with all their belongings. The North
ern Company lost 40 oil wells at this
place, and large number of rigs built
for new wells. About 25 tanks of oil
were consumed.
The fire at Ormsby is raging more
fiercely than ever this afternoon. The
place is without water protection and
the flames are devouring large area
of standing timber. The sawmills and
a number of houses have been con-
sumed. A stiff breeze is blowing and
there is no telling what the outcome
will be.
The fire at West Kane, which threat
ened the destruction of that place, is
now under control. The damage done
was the burning of nine oil we'll rigs,
owned by the Griffith estate, an engine
house and dwelling house.
Reports from Duke Center state the
entire valley is on fire. The loss to oil
and lumber men will be enormous.
Kansas Branch, Rixford, Davis City,
Summit City, Oil Valley, Limestone,
State Line, Derrick City and Red
Rock are all in it, and unless rain falls
soon, will be destroyed. The sky is
black with smoke. The mountains
are invisible and the heat intense.
Everything at Sugar Run, includ-
ing the sawmills and dwellings, were
burned, and nothing remains of the
place. The fire at Brookstone is still
burning fiercely and there is no pros
pect of checking the speed of the
flames. 1t is impossible to get men,
consequently the fires are making
rapid progress.
The fires this afternoon reached the
oil field at West Branch, and a dense
cloud of smoke burst forth. 1t is re-
ported that several wells and tanks
are on fire.