Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-09


$4,000, and the answers to the inquiries
received to-day will tomorrow swell the
subscription to double this sum. Already
there have been requests for aid from 300,
ana this number is hourly being swclled.
This by no means represents the total
number of sufferers, US many Of them
have friends here who haye provided for
them.
GREAT marco Ar TITUSVILLE.
Streams of Fire and Water Garry Death
and Destruction Before Them.
TITUsvtLLE. June 5.--Fircs and floods
swept this city to-day, resulting in an APP
pal!ing loss of life and the destruction Of
thousands of dollars worth of property.
Oil creek overilowed its banks from the
west and above the water and gas works to
the city line below, and for hours assumed
the proportions of an almost resistesS
Hood, reaching almost up to the line Of
Spring street. Iron bridges were swept
away like mere planls across stream,
and scores of frame dwelling houses in
the lower part Of the city were wrecked.
When morning broke hundreds of anx-
ious people looked out Of the windows or
stood on the roofs of the houses, waiting
for IA helping hand and trembling for their
fate. Strong and brave men. by means Of
boats and ropes, succeededin reaching and
saving those who had II secure position till
help arrived or till the waters began TO re-
cede.
To add to the horror of the scene fire
broke out in the refineries ut different
points and the burning oil sweeping down
the current was communicated to other
manufacturing plants and establishments
and the destruction was increased hun
dred fold.
People fled from their houses to be
burned to death or remained inside only
| to be drowned
SEARCHING FOR THE BODIES.
| Thirty dead bodies have already been
recovered and the search continues.
Among the losses by fire are the Inter
| national oil works, the Hiram Brothers
| cooper shops, Troy and Robinson reiiner
| les the Titusville radiator works, the w. n.
| Y. Il +. railway freight offices, Casperson's
| furniture works, store and residence,
Cullens hotel and the Crescent oil works
of John Schwartz & Co.
The freight Office of the railroad was
| burned with its contents, including all the
books and papers of the freight office
$4,000 worth OF merchandise received for
delivery and a large amount of furniture
awaiting shipment.
RELIEF FOR THE DESTITUTE.
| A meeting of citizens was held at noon
mt the city hall and subscribed Mt once
$1,000 for the immediate relief of the des-
titutc, Joseph Slep and j. u. Mckcnney
heading the list with $500 each. Miller
Sibley of Franklin, wired $500.
Quarters have been obtained for the
| poor and homeless. For food, clothing
and lodging, the benevolent ladies of the
| city are OH hand to render all possible re-
lief at Company KS armory, Music Hall
| and Masonic Hail. which have been Sc
cured for that purpose.
AN APPEAL FOR HELP.
| The following was issued this afternoon:
1
| Great loss Of life aud destruction Of property,
| a large portion Of our manufacturing interests
| wiped out ny Hood and IRE, hundreds of fani-
lie, homeless ant destitute. In absence of our
mayor we appeal 10 "A generous public for help
(slgned) WILLIAM McNAuonTow,
President Select Council.
UNABLE TO REACH HOME.
The churches have not opened to-day
for divine service. Rev. Mr.. Stevenson Of
the Presbyterian Church. and DR.. Henry
Burton of the Episcopal Church, were out
of town and have joined an excursion
party at Canadohata Lake.
Many of the leading citizens of the
town and their wives and children were on
the excursion to the lake and are still de.
tanned there. They can neither reach the
city by railroad nor the turnpike, nor can
the citizens reach them, as there are wash
outs on the railroad at Riceville and the
bridges on the turnpike have been swept
away.
Among the citizens detained at Cana
dohata at this crisis when their presence is
desired are Mayor Emerson, G. N. Payne
manager of the National Transit; Superin-
tendent Streeter, of the public schools, and
all the teachers of the high school; NJ. f.
Luce, manager of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. Lawyer Byles, OF the Ga
lena works; W. 7. Scheide, NJ. II. Hong
cashier of the Commercial Bank, and 4
| score of others
Never in the history of this city or of til,
old region has there been such n terrible
disaster as the one that swept down Oh
Titusville this morning. The horror has
been brought on by both flood and fire
and at IL o'clock, u. m, fully 81, SOC, 00l
had gone up in flames and smoke, while
the loss of life is conservatively estimated
mt 36 souls, with the chances greatly il
favor of that being an underestimate. TIL,
loss is all in the city, while the news from
the tributary towns shows proportional,
| losses.
Fully one-third of the business and resi-
dent portion of this city is u mass %
charred etnbers over which the terribl,
waters still rush with unabated fury. Tn,
streets are filled with crowds of wet
hungry, homeless and despairng men
women and children, most of whom hay,
lost loved ones and all their property.
The water still floods the streets and tn,
sky is black with heavy smoke from tn,
burning retineries, copper shops, radiato
works, hotels, furniture factories, freigh
depots and dwellings. The big reiiner.
and wax plant owned by Wood IL Com
pany, caught fire exactly at noon, and tn
black smoke blowing directly over the cit,
turned midday almost into the blacknes
of night. 1t was indescribably awful, an,
|. as the rain continued to come down il
bucketfuls, what the outcome was to b.
was past even conjecture.
The waters of Oil creek were rushing
through the streets in the lower part D
the city with seeming resstless force, Will,
from house to house, windows and drift
wood piles, located directly IN the midst o
I the torrent, came beseeching walls an
screams of anguish and distress from tn
helpless victims, all imploring aid BRAY
men with boats battled manfully agains
the terrific current and hundreds of til
+, captives We're brought safely to land.
, 1t is simply impossible to give the rcade
! al idea of the horrible scenes enacted il
] our midst. People do not as yet realiz
. through what they are passing Fully 8
= | people arc US yet unaccuunted for, and il
: the present crush. excitement and conf
! sion, it is out of the question to correctl
i. state the number exactly drowned an,
burned to death.
1 Many sad cases are reported. Anon
: them is that of a mother with her bah
clasped TO her breast with one hand, Will
with the other she chung to a piece o
plank. The plank drifted with great fore
g toward the Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley
. Pittsburg depot around which the waite
& was rushing fnriously at depth of liv
& feet So swift had been the current that
!. platform of the station. As the mothC
( | and hahe rpnchpd this mint the stirti in