Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-01

some carriages street cars and trucks stopped
and refused to move From the parks, great
focks of birds, at rest for the night, took
wing into the streets, dashed against win
dows, where candles and oil lamps had been
substituted for gas and dropped helpless and
stiff upon the pavement.
Women screamed and gave up the ghost.
Children chung to their mothers skirts, halt
ed in their frightened rush and stood speech
less. Hardened rcneGades, suspicious char
acters, confidence operators, criminals, at
first bent upon puIaging the crowd when
darkness came on, now sank upon their knees
and for the first time in life prayed for their
souls salvation Men rushed for opposite
sides OF the street, threw up their hands,
wthered in their tracks and fell dead!
The horse attached to my cab gave forth u
piteous neigh, reared upon his hind feet and
toppled over, carrying the shafts down with
him. Jumping from my box, rescued my
still unconscious darling, bore her dead
weight in my arms to the edge Of the mob.
shook her back to her senses. claspcd her
hand in nine and told Der to follow Away
We ran, as fast as our legs would carry Us
up Broadway TO Thirty-third street, through
Sixth avenue to tho Fortieth street entrance
ure, we took refuge, nestled as Close TO the
wall as possible and looked back upon the
scene of destruction.
As we stood by the wall, the long row Of
houses lining the south side Of Fortieth street
between Fifth and Sixth avenues. had dis
appeared giving clean view over 10 the
south By this time the very pavernents had
begun TO crackle and cruTnble into al indefin-
rs IL
bits Of wire and vanished into uothinzness
Countless burning electric waves from the
subways had burst forth and lesped up 70
meet the flaming wires overhead, as the poles
gave way. The entire ground on Manhattan
island had become overcharged with al cleo
trio current that had taken on fire wings and
swung about on is awe-striklng NILSSON Of
whitening death. Ire people living south 81
Bowling Green, east Of Avenue G, west of
Ninth avenue and north Of Fifty ninth street,
having foreseen the danger Chat portion o.
them who did not run into the jaws Of death
to learn what il was al about scattered -
Central park, and the docks. boarded tie
ferries and boats and made for midstrssn
Hundreds Of persons jumped into the harDor
and rivers and were drowned
TIE lurid Games had now crept into every
crevice In the afflicted district aud snriveled
more than a quarter q a million O. persons
into unrecognizable shapes. A. the buildings
went down, one after another, flames broke
cut and the strse1s for miles were swept by al
a.i-consumizg corG2gration taat licked up
even the feSh AID boaes q TIE dead
Ny wife AID were saved from destruc-
ton - tlis point Only b. tee mercy q the
wind, as II famed tie beat from the ues.
II - -
voir But the cas-. wall crurnh!ed and gave
way, spilling tie millions c. gallons q water
and flooding TIE entire distric; from Fifth
svenue 70 tee East river. sweeping from the
face Of tie earth every vest4ss q ehA-rsi
human remains ard burning iinsoers for
breadth Of ten souAxes
Ae-cisEl Coo rast wreck
Eo. bsilding EFF, from PItty-uirth
stre@t 20 Bowling Green between tee avs-ssss
named
How did ws escape the general electric
raralyslsi
! hardly know, unless Il vas because
ws-e rubsers. which served 70 iasuia.e O. 81
FRS ! ais something q az electrician. as
you know, AID son "a Ne took po<
sessson q re ca. wrsypess nays.g IN
hEgs rubber coat bslo1gsag 70 To- driver
Tearing tks bsavr rg5r@g LAP oovsy froza re
daae board, 70 ~ni-A Il 49, astztAsa-
wound Il around ruy brsds untll sAe foSEsd
Ike = E1znry. Il t5ss Ez2nrer re r.z
tEronVh t1s crowd. That Is lie o9Iy explains
tsc1 iaA- car give for or szss ce-sy~rases
Bat. q courSs. ,aas oould &c. have ssv.a izs
Il We had besa s-Tuc< bv snT a tie fAlls2g
r--es- Fortunately, SO w.rs sEsr~6 tssas
Ee-. SF@!tseazsay We Wal 81 AL snT Lon
eez Aod rest tseTs- pendisx.tsS TssS2slc@