Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-06
FIGHTING FIRE AT A DOLLAR PER HOUR

serious state oil Anhirs III tne bu'hoer
aud Oil Regions of southern Now York
and Snrthnrn Pennsylvania Flames
Sthl Raging Fiercely-Peopls of Russell
cry Fnrcsd to Flee for Their Lives
Women and children TrainpiOd Upon IN
tho Wild Hush.
OLEAS, y. T., June Alone hundred
and fifty men left here yesterday after
noon to tight the forest fires i'll the -Four
Mile and Knapp's Creek districts, between
here and Bradford. and owners are paying
81 an hour for men to fight the fires.
Charles Hatch lost II rigs ut State Line.
Mayor Francbol OF this city, has lost u
large number, and over 100 rigs have Ill
ready been burned in this district.
4 message from Knapps creek says 90
rigs belonging tn Curtis, Burns & Russell,
are destroyed. A line of fire surrounds
the town and the inhabitants fear total de-
struction.
Everything between Russell City and
Coon Run has been burned, including the
Standard Oil and Elk County Pipe Line
Cos. Barnsdale IL Co. had ut least 10 rigs
between Coon Run and Russell which are
lost.
SERIOUS OUTLOOK.
BRAproRp, Pa, June 4,-The fire at
Ormsby Is raging more tiercely than ever
this morning. The place is without water
protection of any kind, and the flames are
deyUuring large area of standing tim bers.
Saw mills and number of houses have
been consumed. Two car loads of empty
barrels were shipped to Ornisby from here
this morning, u be used to convey water
to the oil field which is now threatened.
A stiff breeze Is blowing and there is no
telling what the outcome Will be.
THREE MILES OF FLAME.
Elk county has experienced number of
| destructive forest tires, but those of sunday
and yesterday surpassed them all. The
fire ut Russell City lust night was one that
drove terror TO the hearts of the sou people
| who inhabit the place. AT 10 O'Clock
brisk vest wind spraDg up and famed the
burning underbrush and hemlock timber
| into one solid mass of fire. covering Il
stretch Of three miles i'll width.
The people, who were about exhausted
from lighting the flames for the past three
days, were forced to flee for their lives.
The flames spread so rapidly that the
people had TO leave everything and run to
| the clearing, two miles distant, to High
land Corners. Women with children in their
arms shreliing and bemoaning their fate,
ran and stumbled as they escaped from the
fire Many women fell exhausted and
were trampled OIL, but reached Highland
Corners in safety. Nothing is left of the
once hnstling little place. The fire is still
| DuEulA5 llcFCcly hllOIiE ehC oil NSilo'
OIL WELLS AND TANKS BURNING.
The Northern Oil Co. has 20 oil wells
and number Of tanks burning at this
place now and there is no abatement of
the fury of the flames. 1t Is impossible to
estimate the loss.
The woods leaning 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 com
prehension. There is no communication
Of any description with this place and
none was obtainable from there, but there
is no doubt that everything was burned III
the path of the fire, as there was no pro
lection OF any kind,
Every available man is out fighting fire
and there are not half enough. There !:
fire in every direction and all efforts tC
check its progress seem futile.
COON RUN oBLITERATED.
Coon Run, three miles from Russell City
which was wiped out yesterday afternoon
was entirely obliterated from the face o.
the earth and nothing remains to show
that there ever was such place as Coot
Run. The place consisted of q buildings
pumping station, school house and saw
mill.
A. b. Fowler, superintendent of thu
Northern Oil Co., says while he and hi.
men were at work "back-firing," stiff
breeze, from the west came up as II BY
magic and IN less time than it takes to tel
it the fire was upon them. They ran Il
the town and aroused the people to tiee TO
their lives. Men. women and children
ran wildly for the railroad track. dis
lance Of five miles, while the flames played
havoc with all their belongings.
Lost 10 OIL WELLS.
The Northern Oil Co., lost 40 oil wells O
this place and large mum eeT.of new rig
that had been built for new wells. Abou
% tanks of oil were consumed and len
energy to the flames. The Elk Oil Co. i
also heavy loser. The pipe lines los
both their pumping stations with
quantity Of crude oil, The loss will b.
very great. No estimates can be made un
til the fires atate,
The fire ut West Kane, which threatenet
/ the destruction of that place. is now .unde
control. The damage done was the burn
ing OF nine oil well rigs ownedsby tn
Griffith Co. and one engine and ne'dwell
ing. The fire reported at Knapps Cree
is still raging and has done large amour
: Of damage. The fire has spread to Bell
, Camp and IS oil wells are on fire.
: THE LOSS WILL DE ENORMOUS.
: Reports from Duke Center state that tn
entire valley is on fire and tile loss to OF
I and lunb ermen will be enormous. Kansa
: Branch, Davis City, Summit City. Dalla
City, Oil Valley, Timpton, State Line
Derrick City and Red Rock are all 10 il
and unless rain falls soon. there is no tel
ing what the result will be. The sky
, black with smoke and the mountains ar
= L. s..E.