Corry, PA Fire, Nov 1865

Fire At Corry.----On Thursday evening about 7½ o'clock, a car containing 62 bbls. of crude oil belonging to Van Syckles & Co., of Miller Farm, and consigned to Dean & Co., of Corry, became detatched[sic] from the train and ran down the grade of the P & E Road at Corry, towards the depot, accumulating velocity as it went. Several efforts were made to stop it, but to no purpose, as the brake was not in working order. On coming to a point a little west of the depot, and when opposite Coburn's platform, it came in contact with locomotive 1028, attached to the way freight train going west. The concussion was so great that the car and locomotive stuck immovably together, at the same instant smashing the head light and bursting some of the oil barrels, which immediately took fire. The intense light produced by the 62 bbls. of oil on fire produced a perfect panic among the good citizens of Corry, who rushed en masse to the scene of conflagration. Great fears were at one time entertained the Colman's platform, containing a large quantity of oil would ignite, but fortunately it did not, otherwise the fire might have spread over the whole city. There is no fire engine in that city, and doubtless this narrow escape will be the means of giving to Corry a good fire organization, as the inhabitants appear to be fully awake to their danger in this respect.

Titusville Morning Herald, Titusville, PA 18 Nov 1865
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!