Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-03
CHARLESTON, Sc, VISITED AND TER
RlBLY STRICKEN.
Thirty five Victims in Charleston Three
quarters of the City Deatroyed-The
shocks Felt in Georgia Terrified
PeOple and Ruin EXerNMhere

People and kuln Everywhere,
CHARLESTON, SC, Sept. Am earth
quake swept over. Charleston last night,
shortly after ten, causing more loss to
property and far more loss of life than the
cyclone of the year before. The city is
wrecked, the streets are encumbered with
a mass of fallen bricks and tangled tele-
graph and telephone wires, and up to an
early hour, it WAS almost impossible to
pass from one part of the city to another.
The first shock was the most severe. Most
Of the people with families passed the
night in the streets. which even this morn
ing are crowded with people afraid to re
enter their homes. More than 80 people
were killed and wounded, chiefly colUred.
Among the whites killed and fatally in
iured are: NJ. j. Lynch, Dr. Il. Alexander
Hammond. aud Alnsley Robinson. Fires
broke out in different parts OF the city inn
mediately after the earthquake, and some
are still burning, but there l. no danger
of their spreading There Is no way of
leaving the city at preselt.
AnOCher earthquake shock was felt at
5:lJ pm. to-day. The situation of things
Is becoming horrible, worse even. ii is
said, than when Gen. Gilman bombarded
the city. 1t Is cut off from communication
with the rest of the world, and haunted
by the prospect of immediate death.
Women and children are running about
in the open air greatly agltated No
trains have departed or arrived
in - hours, and lines leading into the city
are said to be crippled. II is reported
that all the railway tracks are twisted
like snakes There are ) or steamers
in port including the buoy tenders, and
many inhabitants are provided with
berths on these boats. Fortunately the
weather has been good and the hardshlps
are not as severe as they might have been.
There NOT "A half dozen tents the
city, and for tonight many heads OF
families have constructed rude shelters
ont of bed sheets, awnings, and any other
material handy, Three tourtn. of the
city will nave to be entirely
rebuilt if the houses are to
be inhabited. The city is literally in
ruins and people are living in open squares
and public parks Telegraph communi-
cation is cut off with the exception of one
wire of the Southern Telegraph company,
which is crowded with anxious private
messages. Not a single place OF business
in the city is open, save one drug store
which is busy preparing prescriptions tor
the wounded, 1t Is impossible also TO give
any correct estimate OF the killed and
wounded, as bodies are constantly beng
dlsinterred from the debris. one under
taker states he had furnished eight
collins up to noon today. Many OF the
dead are lying unburled, principally the
poorer classes of colored people. There
were in all five shocks diminishing in
violence from the first. The side
walks in the streets were dotted
with mothers, daughters and wives with
their protectors waiting III ANXIOUS eNpec-
tation, still another agony. The air WAS
thick with horrid rumors, aud the livid
glare of fires but heightened the general
ruin.
Again at 34O this morning another Sc
we're shock occurred. Everybody remain
ed in the streets all night. Few If any
L la f4l,t h..ll al 1AI