The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-07-29
MORE S70RM VICTIMS.
Thirteen Carried OF with a Board
ing House at Cecil, Pa.
SEVEN OF THE NUMBER DROWNED.

Heroic Sacrifices of Two Men Who, Hav-
Ing Saved Themselves, Gave Up Their
Lives in superhuman Efforts to Rescue
Others.
PITTsBURG, July 20 Eight persons were
drowned in the fool Monday night
Screen Of these met death at Cecil min
ing and oil hamlet in Washington county
the eighth victim going down at Carnegie.
The dead are; Mrs Samuel Mckinney,
90 years old Margaret Mckinney, her
daughter, 30; James Mckinney, her son,
g. Claude Beatty, 81, oil we'll pumper, of
Sistersville, w. Va. g. c. Higgins 45, oil
we'll pumper, of Bradford, Pa Vincent
Wilkinson, 25, Gil we'll employee, of Vo-
Wrinkle, Forest county, Pa; Jennie
Holiness Is, daughter of a Cecil county
miner; John Wright (colored) II, employee
ola liveryman at Carnegie.
Samuel Mckinney kept boarding
house at Cecil for the accommodation of
oil men and mSers. The house was sit
uated on the banks of Millers run, q
tributary Of CHARTERS creek. Ordinarily
the run, which flows through valley
banked by high and steep hills, would
scarcely float a chip, but Monday night a
cloudburst filled in its closely confined
quarters to such an extent that every thing
along its banks was endangered.
There were thirteen people in the Nc
Kinney house when the water commenced
to rise, but no serious danger Was appre-
hended. The men busted themselves car
rying the household goods to the second
floor, and the female portion Of the house
hold continued their dressing for the
dance which was being held in a neghbor-
ing hall. Suddenly the house, "a two story
frame, was washed from its foundation
into the seething waters and rapidly car
ried down stream. 1t was then too late
for any one in the house to escape.
Below the site of the house, about 200
yards, stands an old fashioned country
bridge, which spans the stream. The
house crashed against this structure, the
roof was torn of and the rest of the build
ing was crushed like an eggshell in being
forced under the bridge. Higgins died
there, but Whitner made most miracu-
lous escape. Just below the bridge the
wreckage Of the house struck on sand
bar, with those of the party who were still
alive clinging to the pieces, with scarcely
hope of being rescued.
Thomas Hayes, Vincent Wilkinson and
Others formed a rescuing party. Whitner
was rescued while fast in the wreckage by
Wilkinson, who also dragged the dead
body of Higgins from its lodgment.
Samuel Mckinney was also saved by Wiki
inson. After assisting in Other rescues
Wilkinson heard cry for help from the |
opposite side Of the stream and notwith-
standing the extreme hazard attached to |
the attempt the brave fellow made the
effort to swim across with rope When
about half way over a log struck him on
the head and broke his neck His body
was found several hundred yards below,
lodged in tree.
Claude Beatty was another hero of the
disaster who lost his life. He made SIREN
uous efforts to save Margaret Mckinney
and Jennie Holmes, and had them lodged
In tree, when a wave came along and
swept all three to death. Beatty had sew
eral opportunities to save himself, but re-
fused to leave his weaker companions
Those of the unfortunate party who were
rescued were taken from the branches of
trees and portions of the wrecked house
Wright, the colored livcryInan, while
attempting to drive across a bridge at
Murray Hill, was caught by the high
water of CHARTERS creek, near Carnegie,
and drowned.
Several houses in the valley were swept
away, but the occupants, SO far as learned,
all managed to seek places of safety before
their homes were carried down the stream.
Some of the occupants were rescued in
skiffs.
The rigging in many oil wells was swept
away, and the men working about them
were compelled to flee for their lives as
The torrent bore down the valley on its
course of death and destruction.
AtEllwood Lawrence county, the pump
ng station was struck by lightning and
Charles Mitchell, the engineer, paralyzed
His condition is critical. At Turtle
Jreek, a new house was struck by light
hing and demolished. Four children who
lad sought shelter in the house from the
torn escaped injury.
In Fayette county, seven bridges were
washed away between Connellsyille and
jniOntown.
At West Newton, the building of the
Vest Newton Ground Cement and Lime
ompany, were crushed like egg shells by
alling debris from the overhanging cliffs
1t Penn station a two story house belong J :
lg to John Drestadt was completely de- :
lolished. The family was not hurt
The greatest damage, however, was in
Washington county, which was the scene
yesterday mornings cloudburst. Hun.
reds of bridges have been washed away,
nd traffic has been suspended on the
Washington and Waynesburg railroad. In
10 oil fields an enormous amount Of oil