Persuasive Essay Topics of Today and Yesterday: Oil Fire
Devastates Coon Run. Headed for 1000 Pounds of Nitro!
Persuasive Essay Topics of Today and Yesterday is living
proof that there really is nothing new under the sun. So you
think the current oil crisis in the Gulf Of Mexico is bad? You
better be glad you aren't in the middle of the Northern
Pennsylvania Oil Inferno and Sea of Fire! Can even the smallest
part of Coon Run be saved? Will the fire reach the stockpile of
Nitro? Let's hover safely overhead in our air conditioned time
machine and find out!
The World of the Now
In May of 2010 an oil rig blew apart in the Gulf of Mexico
releasing an underwater volcano of gushing oil, causing an oil
spill, or maybe it's an oil gush of historic proportions. One of
the early methods used in trying to disperse the growing black
gold and crude menace was to set it alight. However, wise
federal gubment environmentalists put a stop to it, wisely
noting that burning water causes smoke which will increase
global warming, which is far worse than the oil itself
devastating fisheries and wetlands when it arrives ashore later.
Oil fires are nothing news, however, and history proves that
while exciting and bad at the time, the earth does recover...
Witness the breathless description of the impending doom of Coon
Run, Pennsylvania! It looked like the whole world was a goner...
The World of the Then
Historical material from the most decidedly short lived St.
Paul Daily Globe, which is rewritten here, while keeping the
pure essence of the article. June 4, 1895. Up to the
day telephone reports. Staff Writer.
OIL, FIELDS OF NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA A SEA OF FIRE.
MILLIONS IN DAMAGE DONE.
FLAMES SWEEP EVERYTHING BEFORE THEM AROUND RUSSELL CITY. COON
RUN IS WIPED
Reports Are Meager,, and Full Extent of Damage Cannot Be
Recorded.
RUSSELL CITY, Pa. June 3
Everything between Iron Run and this city is burned,
including all rigs and tanks of the Elk Oil company station and
Standard pump station. Fire has crossed the railroad north of
Russell and is sweeping everything before it with a strong wind
from the West. If the wind don't change Russell City will be
wiped out before morning.
BRADFORD, Pa., June 3
The woods about Ormsby are on fire and a number of oil rigs
have been destroyed. All communication has been
cut off. Fires are also reported along the New York, Lake Erie &
Western railroad as far as Allegheny, N. Y.
On the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg road, at Dent, the
property of the Emery Oil company is threatened.
Oil rigs all through that section have been burned, as well as
millions of feet of standing timber. The most fear is felt at
Rutherford Run, where 1,000 pounds of nitro-glycerine is stored.
Coon Run, a small settlement ten miles south of here in the
heart of the oil fields, has been wiped off the face of the
earth by the flames.
People had to flee for their lives, and great excitement
prevailed. The fire came so suddenly that many women and
children were panic-stricken and became unable to move, and had
to be carried to places of safety in the clearings. Passengers
who arrived here to night over the Pittsburg & Western road say
the woods for ten miles in the oil field is a roaring mass of
flames.
Conductor Tanks says the people on the oil leases are fleeing
for safety, but the fire spread so quickly that he can not see
.how all of them could have been saved. So far as reported only
several
are missing. Telephone messages state that fire is raging in the
oil field near here, and GREAT DAMAGE has been done.
At the state line on the Western New York & Pennsylvania
railroad, seven dwellings, together with their contents and a
large amount of lumber, have been consumed. A lumber camp,
composed of seven dwellings, at Oil Valley Junction was
destroyed, together with thousands of dollars' worth of lumber.
The fire may now be said to extend over the entire northern oil
field of Pennsylvania. It is impossible as yet to give any
computation of the damage, or the number of deaths on account of
the great scope of country which the fire covers.
A telephone message at 9:45 o'clock, via Olean, N. V., from
Knapps Creek, says the leases of Messrs. Burns, Russell and
Curtis have | been fire swept, and fifty rigs are destroyed.
Several dwelling houses have burned, and should any wind arise
during the night it will likely carry the flames to Knapps Creek
and destroy the town. Knapps Creek is located midway on the
mountain between Bradford and Olean, on the W. N. Y. & P.
railway, and has a population of 1,000..
PHILADELPHIA, June 3.—
A special to the Press from Bradford says: Forest fires are
again raging in McKean and Elk counties, and it is estimated
that the loss will reach into the millions. The extreme warm
weather has made the forests as dry as tinder, and a spark from
a locomotive set fire to the woods. At Hunter's Run, seventeen
miles southwest of Kane, 200 men were engaged all Saturday and
Sunday fighting flames. Much property is in danger. The Midland
Oil company lost five rigs, two tanks, two boiler houses and
considerable lumber; J. K. Campbell 5,000 feet of hemlock
lumber, and Robert Brown a large number of logs. At West Line, a
few miles from Kushqua and the terminus of the Mount Jewett ,
Kizea & Ritterville railroad, a fire broke out Saturday
afternoon.: A force of men fought its advances all night with
considerable success, but a brisk wind gave energy to the
mouldering embers and caused them to start again with REDOUBLED
FURY.
The course of the destructive conflagration was in the direction
of Tallyho. A large house, owned and occupied by Sydney
Hathaway, together with considerable of the contents, were
consumed. Elisha K. Kane lost several thousand feet of logs. A
Buffalo firm is also said to be a heavy loser. B. F. Hazelton
lost a small skidway of logs and several hundred cords of wood
at Hazlehurst. At a late hour tonight the fire was reported
under control. At Sugar Run, Hammond and Andrews lost several
hundred feet of logs. At Ormsby the forests are on fire. At
Dent, and at McAm-
bley's, the woods are burning. At the latter place scarcely
anything is left to be devoured except a few houses.
The East Hill at Load Hollow is a mountain of fire. Capt. Jones
has lost one or two rigs and more property is in danger.
Here at Persuasive Essay Topics of of Today and Yesterday
we're ferociously excited to bring you the serious news of
the day. The story we have been following by mail and telephone
is that of the oil fire devastation in Coon Run. If the nitro
blows, you'll be the first to know. We do appreciate your
attention in these trying times, but we thank the Almighty for
the telephone and mail.
Persuasive Essay Topics of Today and Yesterday is
written by the dynamic team of Norm and Vicky Morrison, miners
of great stories from the past for the world of tomorrow. Their
latest works include a poignant website about the massively
popular travel stuff. It's
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