The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-12-25

letter received by lady in Deer
Park from friend in Charleston, sc.
1.-THE wife of a Unitarian Clergyman.
The letter was not intended for pub
lication, but as it gives such graphic
and interesting description of events
during the earthquake disturbance
there, 1t has been kindly furnished
for publication. believing that it will
interest our readers
AIKEN, S. c., Dec. I'd, 1886.
MY DEAR FRIEND:-I am sure
you have given us an occasional
thought in these weeks of trouble
and terror we have been enduring; on
that dreadful first day of September,
/ mailed you paper merely to indi-
cate ne were not in poor, Inflated
Charleston, on that night of doom.
Mr.. B. was very i'll with malarial
fever through July; as soon as able
to travel, the doctor said he must get
away from the lowlands, but must
not 90 North as the change would be
too great for him in his enfeebled
condition. Early in August we went
to the mountain region of Georgia,
where he rapidly gained-it is a de-
lightful section of country. We were
in Marietta, at the foot of Kennesaw
Mt, at the time of the great earth
quake ;we felt it there, as we thought,
severely, little dreaming that after
experience was to make it seem tri-
vial. 1t was a very long vibration
sffree minutes-and houses rocked
and strained with an Cminous creak-
ing sound. We all huddled in alright
or excitement according to SEX in
the parlors of the hotel, discussing
the phenomena, and as we dispersed
for the night, saying confidently to
one another, earthquakes meyer do
any real injury in this country"
Alas for the weakness of our reassur-
ing assertion, morning brought news
of the widespread visitation, and
far worse of the fears for the one
point from which there was no news.
Then followed hours of distress, re-
calling so yividly the confusion and
anxiety following the Chicago fire,
when, although so near as KeOkuk.
we could get no kilograms, no def
mite reports, and we so anxious for our
dear ones there. 1t was time Of
utter decentralization in postal, tele-
graph and railroad service-the rail
roads the whole length of the State
from Charleston to Augusta in dis.
order by the crevasses and the shift
ing of the road bed.
AS soon as trains were running
again, in four days, Mr.. B. FASTENED
back and one week later l followed
him. l had read every word of all
the reports of the catastrophe, yet l
utterly failed in adequate realization
of the state of the city; the reign of
terror was by no means over, al
though wet weather had driven most
families from their tent shelters back
to their rent and still tottering homes;
shocks were recurring several times a
day, the earth tremors or pulsations
were constant, like the painful shiver
that runs through ship in a fierce
storm. Even light shocks sent peo.
pie wildly flying into the streets, and
1t was not to be wondered at, the aw-
full experiences of that first night
had unnerved all but the stoutest
hearts, and even they, amidst heroic
efforts to aid and calm the helpless,
acknowledged that they thought the
day of doom had come, and in such
awful guise. 1t must have SEEM
ed like lurid scene from Inferno"
the tumult and darkness only lit up
by flames, which broke out in vari-
GUS parts of the city ; the gas was ex'
tinguished by the breaking of pipes.
and for twelve hours the shocks cot :
tinued violently at short intervals,
accompanied by the appalling roar Of
subterranean thunder.
To look upon the destruction
wrought that night-not street, not
a square escaped few buildings were
uninjured, and the public edifices and