Most oil consumed in a short period ???

80 model Ford Granada, 250 in line 6, coming home from work, something dinged the underside of my hood as I pulled away from a stop light. Car has a huge trail of smoke behind it along with an oil trail. 5 quarts in less than a half of a mile. Bakelite sender popped the underside of the hood & it pumped every bit of the oil out. I got it home, put a sender in it, filled it full of oil with a new filter. I drove it for another 3 years & sold it to some girl my brother knew. She wrapped it around a utility pole less than 2 weeks later.