Year: 1870

ing but it was not improbable that their buildings
might be destroyed. This company is pretty fully
insured. The loss of Forsythe Srothers, by burning
OF tank, is estimated at $4,000, on which there IS
no insurance. The Astral OH Works lose $4,000;
probably not over 1920. The loss of the National
Works will likely be upwards OF $4,000 Eight cars
aeV earosd all IN front Sn OF the Citizens oil refinery
were burned, and also the same number at one OF
Of the rehneries below. The Sharpsburg bridge was


The most Of the property destroyed was insured
in Eastern companies great deal OF it through the
agency OF Swearingen McCandless.


THE DEATH OF MR. FOSTER.


Our reporter conversed with Mr.. John Moreland,
who found the charred body of Mr.. Foster, and he
stated that the remains ere found Just where Mr..
Foster, who was bookkeeper OF the firm, was likely
to have been.


The body was subsequently identinend as that of
Mr. Foster by the finding OF his pocket-kntfe and
other articles near the charred remains the articles
being recognized by DIR. Tweddle last evening Mr..
MorelaHd, the telegraph operator of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, whose Office is in the
same building with Mr.. Foster stated that when he
left the office but few minutes before the fire, Mr..
Foster was there. 1t appears that Mr.. Foster had
been up town about ~ O'clock but had returned
shortly before the fire. 1t is not Improbable that he
and failed to recover in time to make his escape.


Mr. Foster was brother of the late stephen
Foster, and most worthy and estmable citizen.


VARIOUS INCIDENTS.


An employe of the Citizens Oil Refinery 1t is
stated, observed the fash OF lightning and saw it
strike the tank alluded to. He also felt the shock
pTOuuCeu Dy III anu CdUse near DSlnR pTOSUrhLeu
Almost instantly however, he rushed frantically
to window in the second story and leaped out BY
this time his brother and several other persons
poyed in the refinery who also felt the shock, had
run upon the bridge, and the immense vol
ume of flame and smoke which Immediately
thereafter entered the opening this side of the
river caused an exciting chase the bridge, the
brother on this side of the river, and who was the
only person who saw them run on to the BRIDGE
being fTenzied in regard to their safety The time
consumed in the burning OF the bridge only
eight minutes, and we can imagine the feelings OF
these men on the bridge, who, having once entered
1t, were terrified at beholdlng the burning oil sweep
ing after them with velocity almost double what
they could run.


A car Of the Citizens Passenger Railway well
filed with passengers, had just turned the curve in
the road leading to the bridge when the lightning
struck the tank and sent the burning oil high in the
air. and the driver barely had time to check the
before getting into the midst of the fire, there a
very steep grade here. had it reached its usual
stopping place, there would have been little hope for
the passengers, for number of them would either
have been on the bridge crossing, and possibly all
of them would have sought shelter In the bridge, a
slight rain prevailing at the time, or been in the
Office of the Eclipse Oil Works, where Mr. Foster
was located, as it was generally used as the railway
station Of the passenger rail way by those acquainted
with Mr.. Foster, whose geDiality tor him many
friends In any event, these passengers would have
been hemmed in on all sides by the fire, and escape
would have been next to impossible.