The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-09-02

OF the gaze 1hert Was no intermis-
sion IN the vibration of the mighty sub
terranean engine. From first to last it
was continuous jar only adding force
at every moment, and as it approached
and reached tAe climax OF It's mani
festa'IOn 1t seemed for a few terrible
seconds that no work of human hands
could possibly survive the shocks. The
floors were heaving under foot, the
surrounding walls and partitions Wis
IDLY sWerved to and fro; the crash of
the folling masses of stone and brick
and mortar was heard overhead and
without the terrible roar filed the earth
and seemed to fill mind and heart. daz-
ing perception, bewildering thought
and fO- a few painting breaths, and
while you held your breath in dreadful
anticipation OF Immediate and cru |
death, you felt that life was already
past and waited for the end as the vic
tim with his head on the block awaits
the fall OF the uplifted axe 1t is not
given to man to look in the face of
the destroyer and vet live, bur
it is little to say that the
group of strong men who shared the
experience above finally described Will
carry with them the recollection of that
supreme moment to their dying dav.
None expected to escape. A sudden
rash was simultaneously made TO en-
desvor TO attain the open air and fee to
a place of safety, but before the dor
was reached all reeied together to the
totrerlng wall aud stopped, feeling that
hope was vain, that iC was only a cues
ZION death within the building or
without,to be buried by the sinking roof
Or crushed by the topping walls. The
uproar slowly died away in the
seeming distance. The earth was
still AID Oh! blessed relief of that
stiffness, but how rudely silence
WIS broken. As we dashed down
the stairway and out into the street,
already on every side arose the shriekS
and cries OF pain and fear. Prayers and
WailiugS of terrified women and child
rem commingled with the hOarse shouts
of excited men. Out in the street the
air was filled to the height of the houses
with a whltiSh cloud of dry, sitting
dust from lime and mortar and shat
tered masonry which, falling upon the
pavement and stone roadway, had been
reduced to powder. Through this cloud,
dense as fog, the gaslight hickered
dimly, shedding but little light, so that
you stumbled at every step over piles of
brick or become entangled in the
lines of telegraph wires that
depended in every direction from
their broken supports. On every side
were the hurryiIAs forms of men and
women bareheaded, partially dressed,
some almost nude, and many of whom
were crazed with fear or excitement.
Here a woman is supported, half
fainting in the arms of her husband
who vainly tries TO sOOth her, while he
carries her into open space at the
street corner where at present safely
seems assured. There woman lies on
the pavement with upturned face and
outstretched limbs. and the crowd
passes her by for a time, rot
pausiDg to see whether she be
alive or dead. A sudden light
flashes through a window overlooking
the street. Ii becomes momentarily
brighter, and the cry OF FIRE rescunds
! from the multitude. A rush is made
! towards the spot. a man is seen
doubled up and helpless against the
walls, but at this moment somewhere
out at sea, overhead, dee IL the ground,
| is heard again the low, ominous roll
which is already too well known to be
mistaken. 1t grows loader and nearer,
| like the groWl of wild beast, safely APP
preaching his prey, and is forgotten
again In frenZied rush for the open
space, where alone there is hope of Sc
curity, faint though it be. Tall build
| ings on either hand blot out tbe
skies and stars and seem to overLans
every foot of ground between them.
Their shattered cornices and copings.
! tops of their froWning walls, seem piled
| from both sides to the centre of the
street. 1t seems that a touch would
now send the shattered masses left
standing down upon the people below
who look to them and shrink together
as the tremor of the earthquake again
passes under them and mysterious re
verberations swell and roll along like
some internal demon beat summOning
them to die, and it passes away and
sgain is experienced the blessed feeling
/ of deliverance of impending calamity
which it may well be believed eVokes
a mute but earnest Offering oil
mingled prayer and Thanksgiving
from every heart in the .throng
Again, far along the street and up from
the alleyways that lead into it on either
side. is heard that chorus Of wailing and
lamentation which, though 1t had moi
ceased, was scarcely noticed a moment
| before. It is e dreadful sound, sound
OF QOD6lGSS, uOIIOI-SlIlCkcn humanity
old and young, strong and feeble alike
where all ale so feeble, calling for help
! frCm their fellow creatures and raising
their anguished voices in a petition to
heaven for mercy. where no human aid
could avail. 1t is not scene to be de-
scribed by any mortal tongue or pen
1t is not a scene TO be for often
when once it had been witnessed
and when the witness has shared
its dangers and felt its agony
The first shock occurred seven minutes
to ten as was indicated this morning by
the public clocks, the hands on which
had stopped at that fatal hour, a;
though to mark the end of time for SC
many who had heard the preceding
hour peaIed forth by st. Michaels
chimes without thought but of Ions
and happy life. The second shock
which was but faint and crisp echo o.
the first. was felt eight minutes later
AS it passed away the writer started
:, homeWard, to find the scenes enacted or
Broad Street around the News ana
Courier Office repeated at every steE
of the way. st. Michael's steepl'
lowered high and white above
the gloom, seemingly uninjUred. The
station house, a massive brick building
across the street, had apparently los