The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-09-09

less damage to property, but without
known loss of life.
Not far from Charleston, on the road
clay were thrown up. and hillocka of
sand, and in most cases in the shape
of inverted cones, the hollow part Of
which had evidently been formed by
the action of the water returning into
the earth rom which it had been
Iuised. These evidences of great con.
vulsion are not sporadic; they extend
FIR and near in every direction from
the city limits of Charleston to Sum.
merv le, and at the latter place it Wa
found that the cracks aud fissdres a.
everywhere visible for miles and miles
around. Some of these were in active
operation, and the constant shocks
that We're felt at Summerville sent me
water out of these assures in jets to
the height of Is to 20 feet.
The situation in Summerville on
Wednesday was much intensified by
certain manifestations that were not
observed in Charleston to any great
extent. All during the day there was
a constant series of detOnations, now
east, now west, and from all possible
directions. 1t resembled the discharge
of heavy guns at intervals of about
ten minutes, and was like the sound
of bombardment at great distance,
A rtx xoh1 70 in
respect to the bulging of the water
from the interior of the earth. Nearly
all of the wells had been at low water.
There was a sudden rise in all of these
wells, and the additional water was
pure. Looking down into one of them
the observer could, on the eve of any
of the loud detOnations, see the rivers
rise up the walls of the wells, and af-
ter the shook again subside.
In many places along the track of
the South Carolina and Northeastern
Railroads, and for spaces of several
hundred yards in width, the dreadful
energy of the earthquake was expend
ed in two different ways. First, there
were intervals of a hundred yards or
more i'm which the track had the ap-
pearance of having been alternately
raised and depressed, like a line OF
waves frozen in their position. The
second Indication was where the force
had oscilated from east to west, bend.
ing the rails in reverse curves, most Ol
them taking the shape of a single, and
others of double letter 8, placed lon.
gitudinally. In other places the track
had the appearance of being kfnked
for miles, but always in these cases in
the direction of the rails.
At 1853 Friday another terrific
shock shook the city, nearly equaling
the first in violence, though happily
attended with but one or two fatalities
Though nerves were of steel, and cour
age supreme, it would pale in the rep
etition of the encounter with such
fearful visitations, and the stoutest
heart would quail in the presence o
such an agency of death and desela
ton. CONSERVATION seized upon all
The parks and open spaces were agair
filled with men, women. praying fol
deliverance. Lips that were stranger.
10 prayer, uttered fervent appeals t.
Him who alone is ahle to shield.
The shock was felt along the Allan
tic coast from the Gulf to Washington
AT Savannah and Augusta, Ga, Go
lumbIa and Beaufort, s. c., and othe
Southern cities, chimneys were pros
trated and strong walls cracked, caus
ing the people to flee to open spaces
but no loss of life Is reported.
Nearly all the cities of the countr,
are sendipg relief to the stricken city
of which they are greatly in need.
Notwithstanding the ruin and desc
lation wrought, the News aud Courie
has the following:
Charleston is ready for business
despite the earthquake and its rayages
The warehouses give ample accommo
datiOn; the wharves are in excellel
condition the cOmpresses are full,
up to their work, and the merchant
and factors, uhdaunted by misfortune
have girded up their IONS anew TO
the battle of commercial life.n
The following dispatch was receive'
by cable from Queen Victoria:
BALMoRAL, September 3. 1885.
To the President of the United States:
/ desire to express my prOfOun,
| sympathy with the sufferers by tn
late earthquakes, and await with anx
iety fuller intelligence, which hop
may show the effects to have been les
disastrous than reported.
The QUEEN.
The Government has taken prOmp
action in atfording relief. and has sen
Colonel p. M. Batchelder, depot quar-
termaster. to Charleston to issue tent
, to the homeless, and to render sue
, aid as it may be within the power G
the Department to extend.
, Many theories as to the cause of tn
disturbance are advance, the correct
ness of which seems to be more of
, matter of speculation than absolut
knowledge.
The officers of the revenue cutie
witnessed the grand pyrOtec hnicaf dis
play when off Smiths Point, whicl
they relate as follows:
The Ewing left Fortress Monroe o
Tuesday afternoon, and all went we
until between and II o'clock tina
night. At that time o strong gal
came out from the north, catching tn
, Ewing in the vicinity of Smiths Poin
!; All ut once there was strange an
weird appearance abont everything
Nothing looked natural, In the heav
ems the stars were shooting in ever
, direction, and the breaking seas wer
charged with phosphorus to such
pronounced degree that no one o
board recOllected ever seeing such
display. The fixed stars seemed t
move, and balls of ire first appearp,
on one bow, then on the other, whicl
Pilot Madigan thought were vessels
lights, and kept an anxious watch a
he progressed. 1t was only when the,
became general that the pilot foun,
they were due to atmospheric disturb
ances. A haze peculiar i0 earthauak
countries was visible along the Fhori
zou aud it excited the interest of Lieu
Tenant i;rann, who had u thrilling ex
I H.