The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-06-10
scoURcED BY FIRE ANDFLooD.
TitusviIIe in Tears for Lost Loved
Ones Drowned and Burned.

fire. At 2 o'clock this morning the
dam at Spartansburg and Newtown
gave way. A great volume of water
came down Oil creek, overlooking
its banks and flooding the city as
far north as Spring street, extend
ing south half a mile, inundating a
large portion of the city. 1t is es-
timated that one hundred and
seventy five people are drowned
The large refneries caught fire, how
it is not known. The burning oil
floated down the stream and set
fire to every thing in its path.
Twenty-Five dwelling and business
houses were destroyed. The water
works were under water and there
were no means of fighting the
flames.
As near as can be gathered from
reports as they come in the loss by
destruction of property will aggre-
gate fully 81, 500, 900. All this loss
is in this city, with the surrounding
country yet to be heard from. A
large number of the most extensive
and prosperous manufacturing
establishments now lay in ashes,
and hundreds of homes and bust
ness places are utterly wiped out,
while the streets are filled with
crowd of hungry, homeless,
WEEPING AND DISTRACTED PEOPLE,
mourning the loss ofloved ones who
have persisted in the rush of water or
the fiery blows of flame which en-
quilted them almost in the twinkling
of an eye as they were struggling in
the vain endeavor to save their
homes.
At this writing the sky is filled
with dense clouds of smoke arising
from the smouldering ruins of refin-
cries, coopers shops, furniture fac
tories, radiator works, hotels, rail-
road warehouses, cars, dwellings, etc.
while the waters of Oil creek are
rushing through the streets with
almost resistless tide.
NO TONGUE, NOPEN, NOLANGUAGE,
can do justice to the scene of terror
and confusion prevailing in this
stricken city as the sun goes down
tonight. The Illuminating gas
works, the electric light plant, the
city water works are all under water,
while the natural gas mains have
been turned off at Oil City. This
leaves Titusville without water, fuel
or light, at least from where these
necessities have been accustomed to
come.
Parents and children stood by
without the power to aid one anoth-
er's struggles against the clutches of
the flood until eventually they
went down to rise no more. AS
sad and sickening scenes as ever
transpired in the valley of the
Conemaugh three years ago, were
repeated here to-day while thousands
look on
UNABLE TO AVERT THEM.
One father tonight is a maniac
oyer the loss of his whole family o.
wife and seven children, one babe
three days old. A brother was res
cued from burning building where
he was forced to leave a sister, her
husband and two children to perish.
Many such cases, sad in the extreme
are heard. Many are the fathers,
mothers, sisters and brothers wan
dering aimlessly in search of miss
ing ones, who in all probability will
never again be heard Of.
Thirteen bodies have already been
recovered in this city and reports
from further down Oil creek are
that seventeen more bodies have
been picked up. Fully one-third
of the business and residence por-
ton of Titusville is in ruins.
THE TERRIBLE FLOOD
with mighty roar rushcs through
the streets this evening never before
touched by floods, with almost as
great fury as when the first tidal
wave broke over the confines of
the usually small stream. Brave
men with ropes tied about their
waists are breasting the current res
cuing the unfortunates who from
last midnight until now have
patiently awaited their turn, A
little four year-old boy just brought
to shore from the wreck of hand
some residence, was placed in the
handso f friends. When asked where
his parents were he replied with:
"PAPA AND MAMA 'BoF DROWNED"
The people do not yet realize
the enormity of the calamity. 1t
is too full of horror to be grasped.
Fully seventy-fve people are yet
unaccouted for. 1t is an impossi-
bility, however, to give at this time
accurate figures of the loss of life.
Fully 1000 people witnessed five
strong men perish together. Hold
ing to a piece of timber they were