Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-09-10
4 Thrilling At,ss'a'saKl!

A Thrilling Account!
DESCRIPTION OF THE EARTH
QUAKE At CHARLESTON.
The number of persons killed at Charles
ton, S. g., by the earthquake Of Tuesday
night Aug. 3lst, has now been ascertain
ed to be 26. For some days it was i'm
possible to tell who was missing as every
body had abandoned their residences and
were living about the streets, yards and
fields in tents. 1t was found impossible
to deliver letters or telegraph messages on
that account. The following is most
graphic description of the disaster writ
ten on the morning after its occurrence:
Two slight shocks of earthquake have
been felt here since morning, the first at
8:25 A. M. and one about 80 P. M
Neither of them did any further destruc-
tion. Not even during Gen. Gilmore's
bombardment of the city has there ever
been such deplorable state of affairs
here. The city is literally in ruins, and
the people are living in open squares and
in public parks. There is great rush to
the depots to get away, but owing to the
earthquake no trains have been able to be
despatched from the city. Telegraphic
communication is also cut off, excepting
one wire of the Southern Telegraph Com
pany. which is crowded with an excess of
private messages. It is impossible to de-
pict the ruin and desolation that prevail
here. Not single place of business in
! the city save a drug store, which is busy
preparing prescriptions for the wounded,
is open. 1t is impossible also to give any
correct estimate of the killed and wound
ed as bodies are constantly being disin-
tered from the debris of wrecked houses.
One undertaken stated that he had fur
nished
| EIGHT COFFINs
up to noon to-day. Many of the dead are
lying unburied, principally the poorer
classes of coIored people, who will be
buried by the county. There are not a
half dozen tents in the city, and women
and children are EXPERIENCING great priva-
tions in consequence. AS night approach
es most of the heads of families are trying
to construct tents out of bed sheets, spare
awnings, or any other material that comes
to their hands. The sun is about to set
upon another night of horror for poor
Charleston. 1t is calculated that at least
three.fourths of the city will have to be
entirely rebuilt if the houses are to be in
habited. The compositors of the "News
and Courier" decline to work tonight ex-
pecting fresh shocks of the earthquake,
and the paper cannot, therefore, be issued
tomorrow. The following article was
prepared for publication in the News and
Courier" and is telegraphed almost in the
writers own words: Necessarily, the
only description that can be given of the
disaster which has befallen our city con-
sists in the narration of experiences and
observations of individuals and the sub
lject being the same, and the experiences
of all being nearly alike
THE STORY TOLD BY ONE CAREFUL
OBSERVER
may well stand for an hundred others with
slight variations. Probably the best idea
that can be had of the character of the
disturbance therefore, may be obtained
from the narration of events and scenes OF
Tuesday night as they were presented
to single person while engaged in bis
usual duties in the second story room of
the "News and Courler'' office. At the
time of the first shock the writer's atten-
| tion was vaguely attracted by sound
which seemed to came from the office be-
below. and which was supposed for mo-
ment to be caused by the rapid rolling of a
heavy body, as an iron safe or heavily
laden trunk over the floor. Accompanying
the sound there was perceptible tremor
of the building not more marked, how
ever. than would be caused by the passage
of street car or dray along the street.
For perhaps two or three seconds the oc-
currence excited no surprise or comment.
Then. by swift degrees, or, perhaps, all at
at once, lit is difficult to say which) the
sound deepened in volume, the tremor be-
came more decided, the ear caught the
rattle of the window sashes, the gas fix
lures and other loose objects. The men in
the office, with, perhaps, simultaneous
flash of recollections of the disturbance of
the Friday before, glanced hurriedly at
each other and sprang to their feet with
the startled questions and answers, "What
| is that, an earthquake2' and then all was
bewilderment and confusion.
THE LONG ROLL DEEPENED AND
SPREAD
into an awful roar, that seemed to pervade
! at once the troubled earth and still air
above and around. The tremor was now
| a rude culver. that agitated the whole
| lofty, strong-walled building as though it
were being shaken by the hand of an i'm
measurable power with intent to tear its
Joints asunder and scatter its stones and
bricks abroad as tree casts its ripen-
ed fruit before the breath of gale. There
was no intermisson in the vibration of
the mighty subterranean engine. From
the first to the last it was continuous
Jar, only adding force at every moment,
and as it approached and reached the
climax of it's manifestation it seemed for
few terrible seconds that no work OF hui
man hands could possibly survive. Floors