The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-04
TIIIuLLING SCENES,
Experiences of Visitors WHO We're Caught
IN tho Earthquake.

Ill inc fhrthuuukc.
WASHINGTON, y. G., Sept. 3.-The first
passengers coming north from Charleston,
South Carolina, arrived this morning
They were unable to leave Charleston un.
til yesterday morning on account the In
terrupted railroad communication. Thos
II. Folsom, Of Baltimore, one Of the pas
sengers gave reporter an account oil his
experiences. ~ was stopping at the
Charleston Hotel," he said. II was in my
room, which was on the third floor.
When / lit my gas heard
noise and supposed had bro.
ken something but could find moth.
ing broken. went 10 place
my hat on q bureau and just then the
shock came. would have fallen II | had
not thrown my hands out and Clung to
the window. 1t seemed as though the
hotel was lifted up and swung backwards
and forwards distance OF fifteen or
twenty inches at each vibration. l was
terrified. At the first shock the lights In
the house oil went out. Then the plaster.
ing began to fall. II flashed on my mind
that should endeavor 10 get out Of the
house, and got out into the corridor and
groped my way in utter darkness and fall
ing plaster. Other people In the house
were likewise cropping their way out.
The air was filled with plaster dust. All
around was q terrible roaring and moan.
ing sound, and the din was heightened by
the falling Of tinbers.
MARROW ESCAPE.
I found the front door OF tho house
closed, a fortunate thing for me, as It saved
my lie. 1t took me o moment to find the
knob and as was looking for 1t, tons OF
brick fell down from the upper part OF the
house, in front OF the door. l ran out
through the heaps Of fallen bricks and fell
twice In getting TO tho middle oithestyeet
There / remained terror stricken. Two
shocks Cam0 RitOr reached the middle OF
the street, q faint one seven minutes after
the first, and another more violent, nine
minutes later. The three shocks oc.
Cured within sixteen minutes. | re.
mainod In front Of tho hotel
until o'clock. ! did not know what 10
do. was 20 unnerved that could
scarcely stand As II became quieter and
no more shocks occurring l went up the
street to an open space and remained
there until three o'clock. There we had
another slight shock. AT . o'clock /
went to the Battery Park and found II
crowded, several Thousand Of terrified
people having assembled there, There
remained during the remainder Of the
night. At5 o'clock another faint shock
WAS felt. At daylight | like others felt
more encouraged aud moved around 10
see what destruction had been done,
WORK or DESTRUCTION
Hound at the battery front some Of the
most costly houses In the city cracked
from the ground to the top, aud some por.
tons Of the buildings were destroyed com.
nletely. The terror among the people dur.
Ing the night were intense. They rushed
through the streets irantiCally calling on
God 10 have mercy Upon them. People
who perhaps tleyCr prayed before then
prayed aloud. Tho greatest terror aud
confusion reigned everywhere. The peo.
pie, when the shock came ran, Men, wo.
men and children came out Into the
streets In their night clothing and remain.
cd in that way dutlng the night huddled
together In the streets. None would ven
tufe back into the houses,
Mr.. FOLSOM said that he thought the pub,
llehed estimate ot damage was TOO low and