Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-09-10

~ AnN 49,
the topping walls.
"The uproar slowly died away IN
seeming distance. AS we dashed
down the stairway and out into the
street, already on every side arose
the shrieks, the cries of pain and
fear, the prayers and wailings OF
terrified women and children, com.
mingled with the hoarse shouts OF
excited men. Out in the street the
air was filled to the height of the
houses with whitish cloud of dry,
sitting dust from the lime and NOR
TAR and shattered masonry which,
falling upon the pavement andstone
roadway, had been reduced to pow
der. Through this cloud, dense as
fog, the gaslight tlickered dimly,
shedding but little light, so that
you stumbled at every step over the
piles of brick or became entangled
in the lines of telegraph wire that
depended in every direction from
their broken supports.
"On every side were hurrying
forms of men and women, barehead.
ed, partially dressed, some almost
nude, and many of whom were
crazed with fear or excitement
Here a woman is supported, balf
fainting, in the arms of her husband,
who vainly tries to soothe her while
he carries her into the open space
at the street corner, where present
safety seems assured ; there a wo-
man lies on the pavement with up
turned face and outstretched limbs,
and the crowd passes her by for the
time, not pausing to see whether
she be alive or dead.
ga sudden light flares through a
window overlooking the street. 1t
becomes momentarily brighter, and
the cry of fire resounds from the
multitude. A rush is made for the
spot. A man is seen doubled up
and helpless against the wall. But
at this moment somewhere out at
sea overhead deep in the ground,
is heard again the low omlnOus roll,
which is already too we'll known to
be mistaken. 1t grows louder and
nearer, like the growl of a wild
beast, swiftly approaching his prey;
and all is forgotten again in the
frenzied rush for the open space,
where alone there is hope of secur-
ity, faint though it be. The tall
buildings on either hand blot out
the skies and the stars, and seem
to Overhang every foot Of ground
between them ; their shattered COLI
nices and copings, the tops of their
frowning walls, seemed piled from
both sides to the center of the
street. 1t seems that touch would
now send the shattered masses left
standing down upon the people be-
low, who look up to them and shrink
together as the tremor of the earth
quake again passes under them, and
the mysterious reverberations swell
and roll along like some informal
drumbeat summonihg them to die,
and it passes away, and again is ex-
perienced the blessed feeling of de-
liverance from impending calamity,
which it may we'll be believed
evokes a mute but earnest offering
of mingled prayer and thanksgiv-
ing from every heart in the throng.
"There was no distinctions of
place or power, pride or caste, in
the assemblages that we're gathered
together in Charleston on Tuesday
night. 1t was curious spectacle
to look back upon. 1t is a good
one to remember for white and
black alike. There were instances
of unseIfsh devotion, Of kind and
loving regard between master and
servant, mistress aud maid, in the
presence of common i'll and OF
threatened ruin, that showed, as
nothing else could show, how strong
is the tie that binds our white peo
pie and our black people together
and this lesson of the dread visitor
we may hope, too, will never be for
gotten.
{ "Invalids were brought out oil
I mattresses and deposited on thu
i. roadway. No thought was giveI
{ to treasures left behind in the ef
: fort to save the peculiar treasure
of life itself, suddenly become 81
D.. precious in the eyes of all, the in
n valid woman and the robust mai
6 alike. Until long after midnigh
n the streets we're filled with fugitive
!. in sight of their homes. ThrougI
n the long hours that followed fey
A we're the eyes even Of childhoo'
r that we're closed in sleep. Charles
4 ton was full of those who watches
,. for the morning, and never in an
q city IN any land did the first era
!. shades that mark the approach @
O dawn appear so beautiful and S
q welcome to eyes as they appeare
n to the thousands of people VIII
.. hailed them this morning from III
4 midst of the countless wrecke
Il homes in our thrice scourged, br
il still patient, still brave, still hop
N fol, still beautiful city by the sea
,e LAST NIGHTS SHOCKS.
e Dispatches from many souther
Is points last night show that thefret
id shocks of last night were general
2 ] Al