Huntsville gazette., 1892-06-11
A FEARFUL VISITATION.
Flood and Flames Work Havoc at
Oil City and Titusville.
bcores of People Burned to Death or
Drowned and the Towns Nearly
Demolished by the Water
or Burning OIL.

rille special to the Times says:
Titusville was to-day visited by one
of the most appalling fires and over
whelming floods in the history of this
country. A conservative estimate
places the number of lives lost at fully
twenty-five from fire and drowning.
As near as can be gathered from re-
ports as they come in, the loss by de-
struction of property will aggregate
| fully 1880, 900. All this loss is in the
| city, with the surrounding country yet
to be heard from. A large number Of
| the most extensive and prosperous
manufacturing esta ablishments now lie
| in ashes and hundreds of homes and
business places are utterly wiped out,
while the streets are filed with crowd
| of hungry. homeless, weeping and dis
tracted people, mourning the loss of
loved ones who have perished in the
| rush of waters or the fiery billows Of
| fame which engulfed 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 and pitchy clouds of smoke aris-
| ing from the smoldering ruins of re-
fineries, cooper shops, furniture facto-
ries, radiator works, hotels, railroad
warehouses, cars, dwellings, ETC., while
| the waters of Oil creek are rushing
| through the streets with almost resist
less tide. No tongue. no pen, no Ian
guage can do justice to the scene of
terror and confusion prevailing in this
stricken city as the sun went down yes
terday. 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 with
out water, fuel or light, at least from
the sources from which these necessi-
ties have been accustomed to come.
Parents and children stood by with
out the power to aid one another's
struggles against the clutches of the
flood, until eventually they went down
to rise more. As sad and as sicl1en-
ing scenes as ever transpired in the
valley of the Conemaugh three years
ago were repeated here to-day, while
thousands looked on unable to avert
them.
One father tonight is a maniac over
the loss of his whole family of wife and
seven childr en-, one babe three days
old.
A brother was rescued from a burn
ing building, where he was forced to
children to perish.
Many such cases, sad in the extreme,
are heard. Many are the fathers,
mothers, sisters and brothers wander
ing aimlessly in search of missing ones
who in all probability will never again
be heard of.
Thirteen bodies have already been re-
covered in this city. and reports from
further down Oil creek are that seven
teen more bodies have been picked up.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, June Gully one
third of the business and residence
portion of Titusville is in ruins. The
terrible flood with mighty roar rushes
through the streets 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 and breasting the terrible cur
rent are rescuing the unfortunates who
from last midnight until now have
patiently awaited their turn. A little
4-year-old boy just brought to shore
from the wreck of handsome resi-
dence was placed in the hands of
friends. When asked where his par
ents were he replied with sob: Papa
and mama bof drowned"
The people do not realize the enor-
nifty of the calamity. It is too full of
horror to be grasped. Fully seventy
five people are yet unaccounted for. 1t
is an impossibility, however, to give at
this time accurate figures of the loss of
life.
Fully 1000 people witnessed five
strong men perish together. Holding
to piece of timber they were strug-
Cling to make the shore and just as
they reached out for a grasp at the bank
number of oil tanks exploded, and the
river of burning oil enveloped the men.
Death came almost instantly.
About midnight Saturday historical
Oil creek began suddenly TO rise.
Heavy and almost incessant rains have
been prevalent throughout this entire
section for the past six weeks This,
however, does not seem to have been
the cause of the sudden Oil creek rise,
although at first it was thought to be
the case. Late reports say that the
huge mill dam owned by Thompson &
Eldred, and located at the little town
Of Spartan burg, seven miles above this
city, suddenly burst. This body of
water was one and one-hah miles in
length and one-fourth Of a mile wide
and quite deep. This great body of
water thus suddenly let loose made OF
this devoted valley in the course OF
few brief moments regular inland sea.
This sudden avalanche of water de-
scending when most of the inha bitants
were sleeping silently, at once shut
them off from the higher portions
of the city. Notwithstanding this state
Of affairs the danger in the city was