Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-06-10
4 STORMS AWFUL HAVOC.
OVER TWO HUNDRED DEAD.

LIONS OF PROPERTY LOST-FIRIl AND FLOOD.
&C., &C., &C.,
Another appalling disaster has overtaken
the people of Pennsylvania which in point of
destruction to lie and property is only second
to that OF the great Johnstown horror of three
years ago. In this instance the inferno of
water and fire swept down at night upon
sleeping cities and prosperous communities.
For eighteen miles along the famous Oil
Creek a fire crested flood swept Sunday morn
ing from Titusville to Oil City. 1t is known
that more than 200 lives have been lost and
many millions worth Of property. Constant
rains had soaked the earth and filled the
streams so that when the great cloud burst
came it raised the already swollen stream to
mighty torrent. A dam seven miles above
Titusville, a half mile long and quarter mile
wide, gave way IN the night and with an il
resstible rush it came down upon the doomed
city, oyerturning a large Oil tank in its path
This Immediately spread upon the water and
was set fire to by the sparks from passing
locomotive and with explosion after eXplo-
sion the fire was scattered in all directions
The burning oil was thus borne down by the
water into the town and what the flood had
spared the insatiate flames devoured, and places
where prosperity and plenty had ruled were
transformed in an hour into abodes of desOla-
ton. Upon the level country the waters
spread far and wide. surrounding MANY
houses and cutting off retreat The inmates
were thus confronted with the alternatives of
being burned if they remained, and OF being
drowned OF burned if they attempted to es-
cape. At least one-third of the town was
burned. OF the fate of the villages along
the stream between Titusville and Oil CITY
little IS known, save the fact that the waters
spread for 40 acres over the country on either
bank as it rushed on. In Oil City several
thousands of persons, nearly ten hours later,
were out to see the on-cOming rush of the
flood. 1t was oil-laden and steaming with es-
Gaping gas. There was an explosion, a terri
BILE stampede to the hills and at least $50 per-
sons are known to be dead there. In three
minutes an entire ward was in flames and the
town in an awful panic.
SCORES OF PEOPLE PERISH II THE FLOOD AND
FLAMES.
TITUsvILLE. Pa, June 5.-The city of
Titusyille has been visited during the past "a
hours by one OF the most disastrous fires and
floods in all the history of the region A vio-
lent rainstOrm like cloud-bu caused Oil
Greek to overflow its banks from the west,
and for hours it assumed the proportions OF an
line of Spring street. The city is without
electric light. The water works and gas
works are surrounded by water and inundated
The flood came on before daylight, and
fully 100 lives have been lost in this city since
last night, and S2,O00,0OO ofproperty destroy
ed by the tre-crested Oil Creek. which is
swol len by cloud-bursts and dams giving way.
Fully one-third of the business and resident
portion OF the city is in emberS, over which
the terrible waters still rush with undated
wet, hungry. hopeless and despalring men,
women and children, most Of whom have lost
their all, in both property and loved ones.
STREETS ALL FLOODED.
The water still floods the Streets the sky is
black with heavy smoke from the burning
refiaeries, cooper shops, radiator works,
hotels, furniture factories and freight depots.
The waters OF Oil Greek are rushing through
the streets in the lower part of the city with
resistless fury. From house-tops, windows
and driftwood piles come walls and screams
of anguish and distress from the helpless vic
boats and ropes battled against the terrific
current, and hundreds of the captives were
brought safely to land.
ONE HUNDRED VICTIMS PERISH.
Fully one hundred persons, OF all ages,
were seen going down with the flood. Five
persons, all males, were seen to perish while
grasping piece of timber. Just as the thou.
sands OF spectators who were looking on with
bated breath, unable to render the Slightest
assistance, were led to believe that the suffer
ers would reach land, neighboring tank of
burning oil exploded in close proximity, and
a moment later the men were enveloped in
ilames and death came speedily to relieve
their sufferings. Their bodies were at once
swallowed up in the raging waters.
AT o'clock this morning heavy eXplo-
sion, followed by several others was heard
AN AWFUL NIGHT SCENE.
Immediately streak of flame fully 200 feet
high pierced the inky darkness and threw
glaring light over the angry water. At once
the cry rang out that the Crescent Oil Refine
to the North bank of the east end, was on fire.
Never before did fire seem to spread so rap
idly, and in less than three minutes from the
time the explosion was heard the. vast plant
was afiame. Then it was that pandemonium
seemed to break loose and terror reigned.
Thousands OF persons rushed peil nell
through the streets, tumbling over and
knocking each other down in their endeavors
to cape from what they appeared to imagine
was the crack of doom. The bright light
appalling sight. On the roofs and in the win
dows of the upper stories of most of the houses
in the flooded districts appeared men, women
and children dressed in night clothes and all
plltUuoIy appealing 1Ol dlu Oll1lSlllS W UIlc
driftwood timbers and other debris as they
were borne onward down the stream were
| scores of human beings, their white and ter
rOr-Stricken faces and desperate struggles
and cries for aid combining to create impress
sions never to be forgotten. About one hour
from the time the Crescent works took fire
another alarm was sounded. Oil on the
creek, spilled by the water overturning tank
located some distance up stream, had taken
fire, and the eXpanse of creek for a number
of a ii q cO1iH h1o1p
THE MONEY LOSS NEARLY 50, O0O, 900.
TITUsvILLE, PA, June 6.-The money loss
will run from s., 900 to $1,000 200. Over
two miles of buildings were destroyed, in
Guiding railroads, factories, refineries, pri-
vate dwellings, etc.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
George Stephens, prominent merchant
here, says 1.-The fire was caused by spark
from passing train on the Western, New
ted the oil alongside the line. The oil set fire
to every building with which it came in con-
tact. Mechanic street was known as resi-
dence street for the poorer classes and was
of dwelling on that street remains stand
ing. This is where the greatest loss of life
occurred
Edgar Hale, a lumber merchant, when
asked about the calamity, said: Il noticed a
dark cloud in the north Saturday afternoon
and while standing watching it saw it split
in two. the larger portion seeming to go up
the river. The rain began falling, and a
short while afterward Oil creek began rising
did not think anything particularly about
it, as it began to recede about II o'clock that
night 1t must have been about that time
that the dam at Ryeville gave way The
creek rose with terrible rapidity, and the
volume of water was accumulated by the ad-
dition of another large volume of the dam at
Spartansburg.'
FIFTY-SIX RODIES FOTND
Up to noon Monday fifty-six bodies have
been found and taken to the lnorgue Many
are totally unrecognizable There is no COM
munication by rail with Oil City, and travel
through the country is almost impossible be-
cause of the fact that the only bridges left
standing are few iron railroad bridges.
OIL CITY, Pa, June 6.-Eighteen miles of
death and deSolation is the story in brief of