Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-05
CHARLEsToNs OUTLOOK.
The People Making Temporary Re
pairs to Tide Over the Winter.


pairs to Tide Over the Winter.
CHARLESTON, OCT 4.-Charleston en-
ters upon the sixth week OF her great
aftliction with the same undaunted spirit
and pluck she displayed when she arose
on the morning of Sept. l, dazed and
bleeding from the fearful blow that she
had received the night before. In the last
two days she has had a touch OF winter,
and some of the inconveniences OF the
situation have just been developed. The
city is Ill prepared for winter. Not three
! chimneys cut of ten destroyed have been
rebuilt, and fires are, In these houses al
least, a forbidden luxury. Then. too,
there are scarcely hundred houses in
the city today that ara habitable with
any degree of comfort or safety to health.
The plastering has been destroyed in al
most every sleeping room In almost every
house In the city.
SUMMER HOUSES.
| AS every one knows, the majority OF
| houses In Charleston are what may be
called summer houses. When they were
built the builders made no calculation for
winter; hence the great amount OF suffer
| ing here during the severe freeze OF anu
arv last. 1t may be easily understood,
| then, that the plsstering being down, the
wintry Winds have free play through the
| laths that constitute the sole protection OF
sleeping room. 1t may be wondered
| how, more than month having elapsed,
since the earthquake and so generous
| relief fund having been provided, some
! thing has not been done to prepare for
| winter. The reason is obvious. In the
| first place, the Relief Committee have un-
dertaken the repairs themselves aud have
only recently commenced them, the time
having been consumed IN getting in the
applications for relief and examining into
their merits, The necessity for this will
be seen when it is known that
men who own as many aS twenty
houses have applied for relief.
ExoRBITANT CHARGES.
Then again, those who are disposed to
repair their houses without the aid OF the
Relief Committee can hardly afford to pay
| $40 day for plasterers, and this is about
the prevailing rate. A great many peo-
! pie have resorted to wood interiors
as less expensive, more comfortable
aud less liable to damage. Others
who cannot afford this, and the tenants OF
hired houses are investing largely in old
newspapers, which they tack on the walls
and ceilings, and with which they expect
to be able to 20 through the winter. A
| visitor TO Charleston, therefore, will be
struck by the literary, not to say primi-
tive, style Of interior decorations which
will meet his eve,
Another difficulty which stares us in
| the face is the want of water. Nearly all
the cisterus in the city have gone dry In
consequence OF the long drought, there
| having been no substantial rainfall for
over seven weeks and the water company
being unable to supply the entire city
with artesian water.
BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
Here, however, the people are between
two fires, so to speak. Very few houses
are in condition TO stand a heavy rain,
and vet the people are pinched for water.
1t is an embarrassing situation.
Yesterday the city was alive with Wis
itors from the North and elsewhere. The
Atlantic Coast Line excursion, the pro-
ceeds of which are TO be given to the re-
lief fund, brought 1875 people from the inte-
rior of this State and Southern North
Carolina, and 603 from points North, a
total of 928 excursionists. 1t is expected
that the proceeds will add over So 900 to
the fund, which now amounts to about
| $400, 900, IL is said.
There nave been no shocks here since
Friday last.
To-day passed without the slightest
shock, ana the feeling is that the disturb
ances have entirely ceased. The weather
has been cloudy, with rain Indications.
The temperature is higher and the con-
dltions generally are favorable for the
work Of reparaton, which is being en-
ergetically and generally prosecuted.
Applications for relief in repairing
property are still coming in
slowly, and as fast as examined
and the houses inspected, money Is ad-
vanced and the work of repair begun.
The committee have fixed Oct. 9 as the
last day for receiving applications, when
the work VIII progress rapidly. Presl-
dent Cleveland has sent 800 To the Con-
federate Home, accompanied by sym
pathetic letter.
JUSTIN MCARTHY'S LECTURE.
New YORK. Dot. 4.--The announce
ment that Justin Mccarthy, member of
Parliament, who IL on visit TO this cOun-
try, was TO speak tonight for the benefit
of the sufferers by the Charleston eartn-
quake, drew an audience OF immense size
TO the Academy OF Music. Among those
on the platform were Henry George, the
labor candidate for Mayor OF the city,
Judge Browne, Gems. Sickles and ker-
win, Patrick Ford Gen. James, eX Post
master General, Levi p. Morton
and Others. Mayor Grace opened the
meeting and Introduced the speaker. MIR.
MCCARTHY stepped forward mOdestly and
was Obliged 10 await until the applause
had subsided. The speaker introduced
his topic by alludng to the sufferers Of
the Charleston convulsiOn aud then talked
"A