The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1903-07-10
PLEASURE SEEKERS
MEET SWIFT DEATH
GREAT Loss of Life Reported
In Pennsylvania.
Dam Near Greensbure Breaks From
Overlooking Waters and Sweeps
Down Valley with Direfui Results
Story Of Disaster.


Down Valley with Direfui Results
Story of Disaster.
GFeenSburg, Pa, July IA water
spout of immense proportions STRUCK
in the vicinity of OakfOrd park at
o'clock Sur.say afternoon and created
flood that caused great loss Of life
and property. II Ia known that al
and rumors place the uumbev Of dead
At more than one hundred
Breaking Of the Dam
At 3 o'clock rain began to fall In tor.
rents in the vicinity Of the park, and
spread over territory covering prob
ably 10 miles.
A half hour later he csoutburs.
occurred. tho waters In the iake north
Of OAkford park began to rise. and
Manager James Mc0rakh, believing
there was danger Of q nAal break In
IL great walls OF the dam. hurried
among the crowds Of pleasure seek.
ers who had gathered under the roofs
Of the eartng stands, the dancing pa,
Wilton and other buildings In line OF
the water, should the banks break,
and warned them 70 run TO the hills.
A half hour after the buildings had
been cleared Of the people the waters
mounted the wall of the dam, and
within five minutes water z fee, deep
was flowing over the entire length OF
400 feet Of the wall. The rain con.
tinued In torrents, and at about 4
o'clock 20 feet Of the wall Of the dam,
TO the east, gave way. The food
rushed down the ravine with a roar
that was heard for miles. A hall
m!'e down, at the junction Of the
Greensburg and jeanette, the park car
barns are located.
Car Washed into Creek.
The entrance gates to the park
were lifted and, with the force OF a
pile driver, the mammoth posts were
hurled by the waters against the ba
sin. Beyond were located the small
waiting room and on the track was
standing car laden with people on
their way from Greensburg and Jean
nette. The electric storm had rem
dered the power south of here useless
and the motorman was unable 10 move
the car. The food struck the waiting
room containing probably IL people
number of them Struggled to q poina
Of safety. but in the excitement that
followed it Is impossible to say how
many were lost
At least 500 persons were at the
park seeking relief from the heat
When the storm burst the greater mum
Der sought the hillside, preferring the
shelter OF the forest trees to the park
buildings because they did not care &c
be below the level Of the dam and but
little above the level of Brush creek
When the dam broke a solid wall OF
water 20 feet high rushed down and
completely filed the narrow ravine
with its car tracks. car barn and res
taurant In front Of the car barn
stood a car containing from so 10 70
passengers, many of them seeking to
return to Jeanette, others using il
as a temporary shelter.
Many Persons EIectrocuted.
With the immense body of water
behind II the crest of the flood bore
down with irresistible force 1t swept
down the narrow ravine. II carried
with ii in its embrace the loaded car
and the crowded restaurant The
sood was filled with men. women and
children struggling for their lives. The
poles earring the heavily charged troll
ley wires were uprooted and strewn
along the grounds. In a number OF
instances-how many it is not vel
known-the victims of the flood. grasp
ing for everything that might save
them from the fury Of the water, seiz
ed the trolley wires and met death by
being electrocuted instead of being
drowned. Several bodies have already
been recovered, showing that death
was the result from this cause.
DR.. Freshwater, of a rescuing party
stated this morning that they had res
cued fully $50 persons who had been
thrown into the streams by their
houses being overturned Almost to
gether with the wreck of Oak Ford
park, the Fort Pitt dam about half
a mile north Of this place, gave way
carrying wide destruction along the
valley Of Bull creek which empties in
to Brush creek in the lower part OF
Jeanette. The Pitt dam served To
supply the Fort Pitt Glass works al
that point.
To add to the alarm caused by the
disaster in OakfOrd park, it was re
ported this morning that the big res.
ervoirs of the Westmoreland Water
company at Radibaugh, about mile
from this town, were likely TO give
way and that the people in the vicinity
had taken fright and fed TO the up-
lands. The reservoir at Radibaugh
covers about 13 acres and supplies
Greensburg, Jeanette, essen Manor
and other points further down the val
ler
The Pennsylvania station culvert is
strewed with debris, under which it Is