Crawford avalanche., 1886-09-09
The South Carolina City Wrecked
by Violent Earthquake
Shocks.
Not a Hundred Houses Left Intact, and
Scores of Persons Buried
in the Ruins.
Fires Add Terror to the Scene-Fearful
sufferings of the PeOple-A Sur
vivor's Narrative.
The Business Portion OF SummeryilIe,
s. G., Wrecked, and Many
Persons Killed.

terrible earthquake shock at Charleston, s..
o. ON tho eSaniRs OF Ruesday the 51st uit, w~s
followed at brief intervals by several others Of
less force. The first shock came from the south
east and struck the city ut 8 sc p m, Tuesday.
During the twenty-four hours following, there
We're ten distinct shocks, but they were only
the subsding q the earth-waves. The disaster
| was wrought by tho first It's force may be i'm
ferred from the fact that the whole area OF
country between the Atlantic coast and the
Mississippi River, far 10 the north as Mil
waukee. felt its power to greater or lesser de-
gree. Charleston, however, was the special
victim OF this elemental destruction The city
ls substantially in ruins. Two-thirds Of
Its houses are uninhabitable. What
stores are left are closed as their owners dare
hot go 10 them. Churches and other public
Dulldlngs are in ruins Railroads and telegraph
Ilhes are torn up and destroyed. Between fifty
anu Sixty lives are believed TO have been lost
ana many people were manned by falling build
ihgs ana by jumping from the windows Of
houses: Fires broke out and added to the hor-
rors OF the scene The loss .of property is
ttSSughly tSg estimated at SloOO0,OOo. Two-thirds Of
.ne houses OF the doomed city are rendered un-
inhaDitable, being wrecked either totally or par
Ihlly' Inc approach of the quake, says a
charleston dispatch, was heralded by the usual
nunDllng sound, resembling distant thunder
Ihen as it gradually approached, the earth
qulVered and heaved, and in a few seconds it
lance: The city is complete wreck st. Mi
chaels Church and ST. Philips Church, two OF
the most historic churches in the city, are in
runs, as also the Hibernian Hall, the police
staIlons, and many other public buildings.
Three or four fires started in as many sections
with the first shock Of the earthquake, and the
city was soon illumined with flame, thus lead
ing all Co believe what was left by the earth
quake would be devoured by fire.
hafdly a house in the city escaped injury
ana many are so shaken and cracked that a
IN ha
snock was severe at Summerville and Mount
Pleasant and on Sullivans Island but no loss
OF life is reported there. Fissures in the earth
are noticed from which fine sand, apparently
is very noticeable.
The city is wrapped in gloom and bu siness is
entlfely suspended. People generally remain
IN the streets, in tents and under improvised
other shock
Not even during General Quincy A. Gilmore's
DomDardment OF the city has there ever been
such deplorable state OF affairs here. The
city Is literally in ruins and the people are liv-
ing in open squares and public parks.
Ihere is great rush to the railroad depots to
ess AWAY but. eYipS~ tSs, t9S +Aedba qRSdASv no
city
1t is impossible to depict the ruin and desola-
ton that prevails here. Not single place Of
business in the city is open save n drug store,
wounded. 1t is impossible also to give any cor
rect estimate Of the killed and wounded, as
bodies are constantly being disinterred from the
debris of the wrecked houses.
Many of the dead are living unburied these
boing Of the poorer classes OF colored people,
who await burial by the county There are not
q half dozen tents in the city, and the women
and children are experiencing great privations
in consequence.
Summerville, twenty-five miles from Charles
ton, was nearly destroyed by the earthquake.
dered homeless. The whole business portion
OF the town was badly wrecked,