The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-06-06
BT FLOOD And FIRE.
Death and Desolation in Titusvillo
and Oil City.
JoHNsToWN Is RECALLED.
The Bnrs,ing Of Dam precip:tates the
Terrible Disaster.
HUNDREDS OF LIVES SACRIFICED.

while the Inhabitants Sleep the
Rushing Waters Sweep Down Upon
Them, bringing Destruction in Its
Path. E.fgusfing Homes and Fam
ilies, Causing Fatal Fires and Nip-
ing out Millions Of Dollars worth
of Propcrty-Crowd of Homeless
Ones Nainly Searching for Lost
Rciativcs-Fivc Men Meet Death in
n Sea of Fiame-A Bereavcd Father
Driven Insane Over the Loss of His
Wife and Seven CIliIdren-Harro
ing Incidents of the Dread Disaster
at Oil City.
TITUsvIILE, Pa, June G.-Titusyille
was yesterday visited by one of the most
appalling fires and overwhelming floods
in the history of this country. A con
servative estimate places the number of
lives lost at fully hundred from fire
and drowning. AS near as can be gath
cred from reports as they come in the
loss by destruction of property will ag-
gregatc fully 81 800, 900. All this loss is
in this city, with the surrounding coun-
try yet to be heard FROM A large num-
ber of the most extensive and prosper
GUS manufacturing establishments now
lay IN ashes, and hundreds of homes and
business places are utterly wiped out,
while the streets are filled with crowd
OF hungry, homeless, weeping and dis
tracted people, mourning tho loss of
loved ones who have perished in tile
rush of waters or the fiery pillows of
flames, which enSulfed them almost in
the twinkling of an eye us they were
struggling in the vain endeayor to save
their homes
The Coming of the Deluge.
AT this writing the city is filled with
dense and pitehy clouds of smoke aris-
ing from the smouldering ruins of re-
ineries, cooper shops, furniture factor
les, radiator works, hotels, railroad
warehouses, cars, dwellings, etc, while
the waters of Oil creek are rushing
through the streetswith almost resist
less force. No tongue, no pen, no Ian
guage can do justice to the scene Of ter
TOR and confusion prevailing in this
stricken city. The illuminating gas
works, the electric light pant, the CITY
water works are all under water, while
the natural gas mains have been turned
off at Oil City. This leaves Titusyille
without without water, fuel or light, Mt
least from the sources from which these
necessities have been accustomed to
come.
'About midnight Saturday historical
Oll creek began suddenly to rise. Heavy
and almost incessant rains have been
prevalent throughout this entire section
for the past six weeks. This, however.
Was not the cause of the sudden rise,
although at first it was thought to be
the case The huge mill dam owned
by ThoEnson IL Eldred, and located at
the little town Of Spartansburg, seven
miles above this city, suddenly burst.
This body of artificial water was one
anda half miles in length ana n fourth
of mile wide, and quite deep. The
great body of water thus suddenly let
loose made of this devoted valley, in thu
course Of few brief moments a reg
ular inland sea.
Imprisoned Mid Flame and Flood.
This sudden avalanche of water, de-
scendins when most Of the inhabitants
were sleeping, completely and at once
shut them off from tho higher portions
of the city. Notwithstanding this state
vi affairs, the danger to the city was un-
derrated, no one having the slightest
idea that the flood, dangerous as it was,
was to be soon augmented by fire. This
however was true. For at o'clock YES
terday morning, Immediately following
three terrific explosions, which shook
the city to Its centre, n great light went
mp from the direction of the Crescent re-
finery, located at the north side of the
creek, in the East End, and owned by
John Schwartz s. Co. A second look
showed the entire plant to be one vast
sheet OF solid flame, the light from which
illuminated full half mile of surround
ing blackness, and showed to the assem-
bled and Mortified spectators the full ex-
tent OF the great calamity that had be-
fallen the city.
Tonguesof fame shooting 200 feet and
more straight into the heavens, the
shrieks and agonizing cries Of the helm
less human beings Gagged in their dwell
lngs like rats in o trap in the middle of
that rushing and mighty water and
within the very shadow Of death from
burning oil, ben2ine and naptha that
threatened at any time to engulf them,
the shrill whistling of hundreds of
steam whistles, the .Sngle of the fire
bell, the clatSr of the steamers, hose
carts and hook and ladder trucks, the
orackie, roar, rush and rumble OF the
huge body of water and sky piercing
flames, ali went to strike terror to the
strongest heart The people, in their
eagcr haste to get some place out of
danger, they knew not where, in many
cases rushed rell nell over each other,
nnd scores We're injured by being
knocked down and tranpled on. Oil
creek, now swollen To five hundred times
its natural size and reaching from one
hillside to the othe -~ssresented an an
.j}alling picture. Floating swiftly by on
Its bosom were all sorts, manners and
kinds Of animals and inanimate objects,
tanks, still with the steam in them and
blowing off, houses, barns, horses, cows,
chickens = everything almost being
borne onward with a rush.
Onward to Destruction.
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,
oesperate struggles and soul piercing
cries tor aid allseomhining to create i'm.
Pfesslohs in the mind of the beholder
never TO EhStfaced or forgotten. About
one hour from the time the Crescent
works caught another alarm sounded,
and 1T was found the oil discharged
afoin an overturned tank further up the
0rsek had scattered itself over broad
enough expanse of water to reach the
crescent fire, where it got ignited, and
IN moment q large area Of the creek /
was one vast sea of fire. This blaze
soon spread to the International OH
works, owned by j, p Thomas & Co.
I'D they Were, soon In a. blaze. Then
6aSsl lll e sefg i ipg + plant md .soap /