The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-09-08
A TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE!
DREADFUL DESTRUCTION NOFPRoPF.,rY
AND HUMAN LIFE.

The earthquake shock experienced in
different parts of the State on the night
of Tuesday the 31st nit, was felt with
dreadful effects in the city of Charleston
The loss of property was dreadful, one
estimate putting it as high rs five mil
lions of dollars actual and incidental
One report states that there are only one
hundred houses left altogether uninjur-
cd. This is perhaps an oxaggcration,
but it is safe to say that the number Of
buildings injured will include the larger
portion of the structures in the city.
Twenty buildings, in different parts of
the city, were destroyed by fire caused
by the ovcrturning of lamps. Below
will be found an interesting account of
the disaster, taken from the telegraph
reports to the daily picss: 't'
CHARLESTON, S. c., September l.
The compositors of the News and Couri-
CT decline to work tonight, expecting
fresh shocks of earthquake, and the
paper cannot issue tomorrow. The fol-
loving article was prepared for publica-
ton III the News and Courier, .d is
tcleRraphed almost in the writ, own
words, necessarily the only d, ..Dtion
that can be given of the disast ~ which
has befallen our city. 1t consists in the
narration OF experiences and obscrva-
tlons OF individuals, and the subject be.
ing the same and the experiences of nil
beng nearly alike, the story told by one
careful observer may we'll stand for nm
hundred others, with slight variations.
Probably the best idea that can be had
OF the character of the disturbance,
therefore, may be obtained from n mar,
ration of the events and scenes OF Tues
day night as they were presented to a
single person while engaged i'll his usual
duties In the second story room Of the
News and Courier Office. At the time OF
the first shock the writer's attention was
vaguely attracted by n sound which
seemed to come from the office below.
and which was supposed for Il Iuomcnt
to be caused by the rapid rolling of a
heavy body, rs an iron safe or heavily
laden truck, ovel the floor. Accompa
nying the sound there was n pcrccptible
tremor of the building, not more mark
cd, however, than would be caused by
the passage of n street car or dray along
the street. For perhaps two or three
seconds the occurrence excited no sur
PRISE or comment Then, by swift de-
grces, or, perhaps, all at once, it is
difficult to say which, the sound deep
ened III volume, the trcmor became more
decided, the ear caught the rattle of
window sashes, gas fixtures, and other
loose objects. The men in the Office.
with perhaps simultaneous fash of the
recollections of the disturbance OF the
Friday before, glanced hurricdly ut each
other, and sprang to their tect with
startled questions and answers, "What
Is that?' Earthquake" And then all
was bewlldermcnt and confusion.
nhe long roll decpcned and spread
into m awful roar, that seemed to per-
wade at once the troubled earth and still
air above and around. The tremor was
now n rude, rnpid quivcr, that agitated
the who.c lofty Rtrong-wallcd building as
though it were being shaken by the hand
of an immcas,wable power, with the in
tent to tear its joints asundcr and scatter
its stone and bricks abroad as tree
casts it's ripCnCd fruit before the breath
of the gale.
There was no intcrmission in the
vibration of the mighty subtcrranean
engine. From first to last it was II con-
tinuous jar, only adding force ut every
moment; and as it approached and
reached the climax of its manifestation,
it seemed for n few terrible seconds that
no work Of human hands could possibly
survive. Floors were under foot, the
surrounding walls and partitions visibly
swa we'd to and fro, the crash of falling
ma.sses of stone and brick and mortar
was overhead and without; terrible
roar filed the ears and SCENE to fill the
4 ~
wildering thought, and for few pant
ING brcaths, or while you held your
breath in dreadful anticipation OF imme-
diate and cruel 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 mp lifted axe.
IL is not given to many men to look iii
tho face of the Destroyer and yet live,
but it is little to say that the gang of
strong men who shared the experience
above family described will carry with
them recollcctions of that supreme mo-
ment to their dying day No one OK.
pected to escape.
A sudden rush was simultaneously
made to endeavor TO attain the open air
and flee to place of safety, but before
the door was reached all reeled together
to tho tottering wall and stopped, feeling
that hope was vain; that it was only a
question of death in the building or
without, to be buried by the sinking
roof or crushed by toppling walls.
The uproar slowly died away in the
seeming distance. The earth was still,
and OH! the blessed relief of that still
ness! But how rudely the silence was
broken. AS we dashed down the stair
way and out into the street, already, on
,eO, cry side, arose shrieks, cries of pain
and fear, prayers and wailings of terrified
,gome,) and children, commingled with
sbe hoar, yer shouts of excited men. Out
in tbe sire ct the dir was filled to the
heiobt of a house with q whiteish cloud
of dry, sitting dust, from the lime and
mortar and shattered masonry, which,
falling upon the pavement and stone
roadway, had been reduced to powder.