Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-07
HELP CHARLESTON.

Charleston must have aid, broad-handed
and big-hearted aid. The people will need
ten millions of dollars, say the dispatches
With 5000 frceholders that would be
$1,000 each. 1t is improbable that there
are 5000 freeholders in Charleston who
need any such a sum to set them on their
feet again, for their houses are not total
wrecks, and some part Of each is to be
saved and built int new structures, and
many others can be permanently repaired.
But as Charleston has nearly 10000 inhab-
itants, let Us suppose that 1000 freeholders
need aid to put habitable houses on the
lands again, and that $1,000 to each of
these would sufficiently set them up to
give them the needed Roadway. This
gives the sum of 100000 that would be
needed, and if we add 100000 for relief of
those needing food and care in their poy-
erty, and not great sum is to be raised.
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati
and st. Louis are rich cities, and with the
aid of score of lesser ones and the
country generally, can, if they choose, raise
the money. 1t is certainly no extravagant
estimate to say the 50, 100000 are needed.
The dispatches say that 100000 are re-
quired. To fix the sum at half that figure,
then, is the minimum in all reason that
will be needed. Charleston was built |
many years ago. 1t is very old city, in
deed, and into her brick structures there |
did not enter that material which gives
walls of masonry to-day ability to resist
most shocks Of earthquakes. 1t is prob
able that such shaking as has demoralized
Charleston would have been withstood by
most houses in San Francisco where ce-
Inent, much anchoring and binding pre-
walls in building When the residences
of Charleston are rebuilt they will prop
ably be mainly of wood, and at least
cement will enter in larger degree into
foundations, and to an extent into wall
construction and wall anchors be far more
frequently inserted, as is done in San
Francisco, so that should Charleston be
again visited by similar i'll to that of last
week she will suffer comparatively little.
We are told that the damage TO houses in
Charleston is very much greater than any
have yet estimated. There is scarcely, it
is said, brick house that has not been
dangerously wrenched and racked If this
is true, it is a very serious matter To re-
build city of the great age of Charleston
Is u vast undertaking. Even if all the
householders had the means at hand to
build, it would take some years to COM
plete the work The mass of them have
not the means, and as capital is a coward,
it is improbable that they can borrow upon
the basis of realty extremely liable to be
broken up by earthquake assures and to be
covered with exuding sand and mud.
But the people must have aid. The
60O00,0O0 Of the United States must help
the 10000 of the stricken city of the
South. Without aid it will be a decade of
trial and hard credit; with it will be but |
year or two of rigid economy. There are
plenty of people in Sacramento ready
to give to the Charleston fund. Some of
these had called to say that they wish to
put it into common fund in the name of
this city, which has itself known the need
of charity and of sympathy in the hour of
sore visitation. Shall not the fund, however
small, or large, be at once raised?