Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-09-10
The Commercial Pride OF the Palmetto
State an Awful Scene of Wreck
and Death.
Three 0urths of Charleston DESTROYED
by Earthquake and Upwards Of
One Hundred Lives Lost.

possible to pass from one part Of the city to
another. The first shock was by far the
most severe. Most Of the people, with
their families. passed the night in the
streets, which this morning were crowded
with people afraid TO 1e-enrer their homes
To add to the horror Of the scene
MANY FIRES HsoER OUT
and were Intellectually fought by the fire de-
part,nent The night was hideous with the
groaus of the wounded and the prayers of
the uninjured. Fully swo- thirds OF the resi-
1ences in the city are uninhabited and
wrecked either totally or partially.
The loss by fire and earthquakes can be
placed safely
AT FIVE MILLION DoLLARa
AS far as could be ascer tanned during the
night fifteen to twenty were killed and
much grea ter number wounded in all sorts
Of ways The loss of human life will be
large, and it will take days to get at the &C
curate number.
AN EDITORS IMPRESSIONS
The compositors of the News and Courier
decline to work to- night expecting fresh
shocks Of earthquake, and the paper cannot,
therefore, issue tomorrow. The following
article was prepared for publication In the
News and Courier:
Necessarily the description that can be given
OF the disaster which had befallen our city con-
sists OF the narration Of experiences and obser-
vations Of individuals. and the subject being
the same and the experiences OF all being nearly
may we'll stand for a hundred others, with slight
variations. Probably the best idea that can be had
the character Of the disturbance. therefore, may
be obtained from narration OF the events and
scenes Of Tuesday night a. they we're presented
to single person. While engaged in his usual
duties In tho second story room OF the
Of the an" first sheek ehs srses ae
ton was vaguely attracted by a sound
which seemed TO come from the Office below. and
by the rapid rolling of heavy body. as al iron
safe or a heavily laden truck over the floor.
Accompanying the sound, there was percept-
ible trenor OF the building, not more marked,
however, than would be caused by the
massage OF q street car or dray along the street.
For two or three seconds the occurrence excited
no surprise or comment. Then the sound
dcepened in volume, the tremor became more
decided, The ear caught the rattle OF window
aashes, gas fixtures and other loose OBJ
| tects. The men in the Office, with per-
haps simultaneous fash of recollcctions,
OF the disturbance OF the Friday before glanced
hurriedly 1t each other sprang to their feet with
startled questions and answers What is that?"
and confusion. Then the long roar decpened
and spread into an awful roar that seemed
to per H at once the troubled earth
The tremor was nov a rude, rapid culver that
agitated the whole lofty, strong walled building
as though 1t were being shaken by the hand Ct
, an unreasonable power with intent to tear it's
joints asunder and scatter Its stone aud bricks
abroad as tree casts It's over-ripened fruit be-
fore the breath Of the gale There was Nc inter
mission In the vibration Of the mighty SUBJ
ter anean engine. From the first to the last
1t WAS a continuous jar. only adding force at
every moment, and az 1t approached and reached
seemed for a few terrible seconds that no work
OF human hands could possibly survive the
| shocks. The floors were heavtn4 under foot. the
surrounding walls and partitions visibly swayed
to and fro.
TIE CRASH OF FALLING STONE
and brick and mortar was heard overhead, aud
without the terrible roar 1illed the ears. aud
seemed to fill the mind and heart. dazing percep-
ton, bewildering thought. and for few painting
breaths, or while you held your breath in dread
ful anticipation Of immediate death. you
felt that life was already past and waited for the
end as the victim with his head on the block
awaits the fall Of the upifted It ia not given
to many men to look in the face Of the destroyer
and vet live, but 1t is little to say that the group
OF strong men who shared the experience
above faulty described, will carry with them
| the recollection Of that supreme moment to
sudden rvsh was simultaneously made to en-
deavor to attain the open air and fee to
place ,o,o Of safety but before the door
shs ' tost es wall and sopp eds'0f Feline
that hope WAS vain, that 1t was only question
Of death within the building or without to be
DuTleQ Dy tne SINKING ROOT, or crushed by the
toaplins walls. The uproar slowly died away
| IN seeming distance. The earth was STILL and oh.
the blessed relief Of TINT stiffness but how
.sSs dns tSs ws n AS
street. already on every side arose the shrieks.
the cries Of pain and fear. the prayers and vail
ing OF terrified women and children, co-mingled
with the hoarse shouts OF excited men Out in
the street the air WAS filed to the heiR hr OF the
houses with a whitish, dry, sitting dust from
| the lime aud mortar and shattered masonry
| I1YlNN he Won't oVo1 ntn
roadway. had been reduced to powder. Through
this cloud. dense ~ fog, tho gas lights flick
cred dimly. shedding but little light. SO that
you stumble at every, step over the piles Of
Of telegraph wires that depended
In every direction from their broken
OF men and women, bareheaded, partially
dressed some almost nude aud many OF whom,
were crazed with fear or excitement Here
tho arms Of her huspand who VainlV
tries to soothe her while he carries her
into the open space at the street corner.
woman lies on the pavement with up-turned
face and out-stretched limbs and the crowds
pass her by, not psusine to ace whether she ia
! alive or dead. A sudden light flashes through a
window overlooking the street. il becomes mo-
lnentarily brighter and
CRY OF FIRE
resounds from the multitude. rush Is made
toward the spot. A man Is seen doubled up and
helpless against the wall: but this moment out
at sea, overhead, deep in the ground is heard
again the low oninous roll which Is already too
we'll known to be mistaken. It grows louder
and nearer. like the growl OF Wild beast swiftly
approaching his prey, and is forgotten again in
the frenzted wish for the open space where alone
either hand blot out the skies and the Stars
ond seem to overhang every foot OF
ground between them Their shattered
1alis seem piled from both sides to the cente1
OF the street. It seems that touch would send
the shattered masses down upon the people be-
trsnaor Of the earthquake passed ove1
them, and mysterious reverberations swell and
! roll along like some internal drum beat sum-
is experienced the blessed feeling OF release
from impending caiamity. Again lar along the
street and up from the alley ways tina.
lead into 1t on either side, is heard that chorus
had not ceased, was scarcely noticed q mo-
ment before, 1t is u dreadful sound,
the sound Of the helpless horror Of
and feeble alike, where all are SO feeble calling
for help from their fel ow crea: ures and raising
their angushed voices in petition for mercy. i!
to be forgotten when once ace Witnessed sat
and where the witness has shared all danger and
minutes OF 10. This wss indicated this morn
ing by public clocks, the hands OF all Ut which
had stopped At that fatetul hour. The second
snoGhs ~OlCu was OuG 1alnE 3nC Cr1SC
echo OF the first, was felt eight minutes
later. As tt passed away the writer started
honeward to dna Ehe scenes enacted on Broad
| street e-o-1d the News aud Courier Office re-
peateS At. every step OF the way. The station
house. q massive brick building ACROSS the
street, had apparently lost its root which had
fallen around it. little further on the root Of
the portico OF Hibernian hall. a handsome build
ing. had
CRASHED TO THE GROUND,
carrying down part OF the massive granite pill
lars with it. All the way up Meeting street.
which. in respect Of its general direction snd
importance, mag be called the Broadway OF
Charleston. the roadway was allied with debris
from tho tops OF the walls In the Charles
ton hotel which the third shock was