The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-09-09
CHARLESTON.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS IN
THE RUINED CITY-THE
PEOPLE IN DREAD.
THEORY ABOUT THE ORIGIN of
THEFEARFUL SHOCKS OF
TUESDAY NIGHT.

c.,.x,u septemher 1.-Noon-Three distinct
sbocks have been felt here since midnight Inc asi
occurred at ~ a. m. All the shocks were sol' an an
mot violent People are stu greatly eAeiu So
sitting ont in the streets and squares, or cIo"uS
aronpd telegraph and newspaper oihces' no HoIu
can be obtained from Charleston. Inc Eeheial III,
preston is that the city has suffered serlQusy, ~
s snnposed the cable under Ashy river 70 D Iohein,
Al Tybee island, at the mouth OF the Savannah
river the lenses in the lighthouse were destroyer,
People on the island telephoned to the Guy tney
we're In state of terror There was no IN ~.
otion with the mainland until daylight, and al me
inhabitants we're assembled on high land lheil
chief cause OF fear is from tidal wave, the lsahu
having been swept in August, 1851
RELIEF FOR THE SUFFERERS
SAVANNAH, Ga, September la reIei IRAN ram nt 'e
been despatched to Charleston frem thls cIy' 40 10
render assistance to sufferers, ana 10 repair "e
railroad
THE SHOCKS AT CHARLESTON.
CHARLESTON, September IAN earth4aa ahn,
sncb as has never before been known IN Lne hs!oi;
- this city swept over Charleston last hiSht
shortly after 10 o'clock, causing more loss ana ID
inry 10 property far loss OF life tnan the Sy
clone the year before. The city is wrecked H.. Are
streets are encountered WIN Iasseg W. ,.;rsa
bricks and tangled telegraph and teephone
and nm TO an early hour II was almost inlpossloie
10 pass from one part of the city TO another, d.,
The first shock was by far the most severe; REQ o
MIA with their families passed the night IN the
streets which even this morning are crowued wltn
neople afraid 10 re.enter their homes. More IN 4
sixty persons were killed and wounded, Ghleily
colored Among the whites killed ana iatallv ln-
iured are M. j.. Lynch, Dr. r. Alexander Ham
mond and Ainesey Robinson Fires broke OUT III
different parts of the city immedlately aver tne
earthquake, and some are sun ouling, nut
danger of spreading. lhere 10 nv WY Va
the city at present. ,.,.a ho,,o hoor
Three slight shocks of earthquake have peeh
felt since the first one at 1928 ms moIhhg' anu
one at about 1881 D. m, neither dong any
tnr,har destruction Not even during General
Quincy A. Gilmore's bombardment OF the citya has
there ever been such deploraole STATE Oh hlIaLs
here The city is literally in ruihs ana PeoP1h are
is a great rush the railroad depots 10 gst a"ny,
but owing to the earthquake trains nave Dten NJ.
able to be dispatched from the clty Ieiegrapat
Communication lie alec cut off, save on one wire Oh
the Southern Telegraph company, which ID cio"ueu
with anxious telegraph messages. ,.,..,.,,
1t is Impossible to depict the ruin ana desoiaeon
that prevails here Not single place OF business
in the city lie open, save the drug stores, Whicn
are busy preparing prescrlptll0}ns oisn
The wounded 1t Is Impossible als9
to give any correct estimate OF the ht n;n,arnJ
younded AZ bodies are constantly being dlslhleIeu
from the debris of wrecked houses. one uhgel
taker who was interviewed, stated that ne hed tur
niehed eight collins up TO noon 10 Day MANY uea1
are living nnbured, these being OF poorer Classes Vi
colored people who await burial by the county.
There ie not a half dozen tents in the CITY, ana Wo
men and children are experiencing great prNhtiohs
In consequence ,.d0 ot Sar,i
lies are irving TO construct tents out OF Ded shee
SD re awning and any other material that comes IN
hand. The sun Is about to set upon another hlgn'
of horror for poor Charleston Heaven onIy
knows what il will bring forth II is calculated
that at least fourths of the city VIII nave 10
be rebuilt entirely If the houses are 10 De
At57 p M today another eaf1h9 s,a s"o and
Columbia, $. c. At Augusta the Vibrations were
noticeable for about two minutes
AN EDITORS ACCOUNT.
CHARLESTON, September l.-NIGHT,-The print
era in the Office of the News and Courier tonight
refused TO work. expecting fresh shocks. The fol
lowing will be the only publication in the paper IN
the morning, and is teegraphed almost In the
writer's own words;
unnecessarily description that can be given of
the disaster which has befallen our city, consists
in the narration of the experience and OBSERVATIONS
of an individual, and the subject being the same,
and the experience of all being nearly alike, the
story told by one careful observer may well stand
for a hundred Others with slight Variauons'
Probably the best idea that can oe
NAV be obtained from a narration OF the events
and scenes of Wednesday night, as they were pre-,
scented to a single person while engaged IN his
usual duties in a second story room OF the News
and Courier office.
Atthe time of the first shock the writer's atteD.
ton was vaguely attracted by sound which seem q
TO come from the Office below, which he suppost
for the moment TO be caused by the rapid rolling IT
a heavy body, NJ iron. on a heavily laden truck
over the floor. Accompanying the sound there was
atremor of the builaing not more, however, than
would be caused by the passage of street car or
draw along the street For, perhaps, two or three
seconds the occurrence excited no surprise or com.
ment. Then by swift degrees the sound deepened
In volume; the tremor became more decided, as
also did the the rattle of the windows and gas fix
tures and other loose objects In the Office. sDrang
TO my feet with startled questions and answers
"What is that
"An earthquakel'
Then il was bewilderment and confusion; then
the long roll deepened and spread into an awful
roar that seemed to peryade at once the troubled
earth and the still air above and around. The ire
NOR now became rapid culver that agitated the
whole. lofty, strong walled building, az though 1t
were being shaken by the hand of an unreasonable
mower, with the intent to tear its joints asundcr,
and scatter the bricks and stones abroad. There
was no intermission in the vibrations of the mighty
eubterranean engine.
From first TO last II was a continuous jar, only
adding force at every moment, and as u approached
and reached the climax Of lie manifestations, II
seemed for few terrible seconds that no WORK of
human hands could possibly survive the shocks.
ing walls and partitions visibly swayed 10 and
fro: the crash of falling masses OF
stone and brick and mortar was heard
overhead and without the terrible roar filled the
care and seemed to fill the mind and heart with a
daZed perception Of bewilderiIg thought. And
while You held your breath through anti ipa-
ton of a cruel deatl you felt much rs the victim
with his head On .e nSCk o ascs ,s 0 o' Tue
A sudden rush was simultaneously made to en-
deayor TO attain the open air and flee to place OF
safety bat before the door was reached all reelet
together 10 the lettering wall and stopped teelinl
that the hone was vain: that 1t was only question
of death within the building, OF without TO he bur
led by the sinking roof, or to be crushed by top
pling walls. -,--,.. =
The uproar slowly died away, and seemingly in
an instant the earth was still, and oh, the blessed
relief of that stiffness. But how rudey the silence
was broken as we dashed down the stairway and
out in the street. Already on every side arose
shrieks cries of pain and fear prayers and waiing
of terrified women and children, coming with the
hoaree shouts of excited men. But in
the street the air WAS hlled 10
the height Of the house, with awhitish cloud OF
dry, sitting dust from the lime and mortar which,
falling upon the pavement and roadway, had been
reduced 10 powder. Through this cloud the gas
ights Aickered dimly shedding but little light, Sc
that you stumbled at ever step or became entangled
in lines Of telegraph wires, that depended in every
direction from broken supports.
On every eide were hurrying men ana women
bareheaded partially dressed: some almost nude;
many crazed with fear or excitement Here is q
woman supported, half fainting in the arms of d
hueband, who vainly tries TO eooth her, while he
carries her into the open etreet, where present
safety seems assured. There, woman lies on
the pavement, with uppermost face, outstretchet
limbs, and the crowd passed her by for the time
not stepping 10 see whether she be alive or dead.
A sudden light flares through the window over
looking the street IL becomes momentarill
brighter, and the cry of fire resounds from the
multitude. A rush is made towards the spot. 4