Huntsville gazette., 1892-06-11
underrated, no one having the slightest

idea that the food, dangerous as it was,
was to be soon augmented by fire. This,
however, was true, for at 2 o'clock this
morning, Immediately following three
terrific explosions. which shook the
city to its center, great light went up
from the direction of the Crescent re-
| finery, located on the north side of the
| creek, on the east end, and owned by
John Schwartz & Co. A second look
showed the entire plant to be one vast
sheet of solid fame, the light from
which Illuminated full half mile of
| surrounding blaclxness, and showed to
the assembled and Mortified spectators
the full extent of the great calamity
| that had befallen their beautiful city.
The tongues of flame shooting 200
feet and more straight into the heav
ems; the shrieks and agonizing cries of
the helpless human beings Gagged in
their dwellings like rats in trap in
the middle of that rushing and mighty
water, and within the very shadow of
death from burning oil, benzine and
naphtha that threatened at any time to
engulf them; the shrill whistling of
hundred and one steam whistles: the
| jangle of the fire bell: the clatter of
the steamers, hose carts and ladder
| trucks; rattle Of the cars: rush and
rumble of the body of water, and the
! sky piercing flames all went to strike
terror to the stoutest heart.
! The people, in their eager haste to
| get to some place out of danger, they
knew not where, in many cases rushed
pell NELL over each other, and scores
were injured by being knocked down
and trampled on. Oil creek, now swol-
len to 500 times its natural size and
reaching from one hillside to the other
presented an appalling picture. Float
ing swiftly by on its bosom were all
sorts, manners and kinds of animals
and inanimate objects, tanks, stills with
the steam in them and blowing off,
houses, barns. horses, cows, chickens
everything, almost, being borne on
ward with rush. Clinging to various
objects, such as driftwood, pieces of
boards, timbers and any other object
they could lay hands on were scores of
human beings, their white and terror
stricken countenances, desperate strug
giles and plaintive soul-piercing cries for
aid, all combining to create impressions
in the minds of the beholders never to
be effaced or forgotten.
About one hour from the time the
Crescent works caught another alarm
was sounded, and it was found that oil
discharged from overturned tanks fur
4 +l~~ -
over broad enough expanse of water
to reach the Crescent fire, where it at
once ignited and in moment large
acreage of the creek was one vast sea of
fire. This blaze soon spread to the In
ternational oil works, owned by J. I'll.
Thomas & Co., and they were soon in
blaze.
Then came the large refining plant and
soap factory of Rice & Robinson, which
the flames in short time reached and
consumed.
The wind was in the right quarter,
and op sped the fire, arriving in due
time at the Oil Creek refinery and wax
plant-as fine one as was in this
country and but recently completed.
These works are at the present time on
fire and burning brightly. Three stills
have already exploded and fears
are entertained that further exten-
sive damage may be done during
the course of the fire in wiping out
the three big refining plants, the lar
gest independent plants in the city. 1t
has destroyed the large furniture fac
tory, store and store room of Casperson
& Rowe, located on South Franklin
street, the Cullen hotel, opposite the
Western New York & Pennsylvania
passenger depot; the Western New
York & Pennsylvania freight depot, and
about seventy yfve private dwellings.