The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-02

climax OF its a1ifeetations il seemed
for few terrible seconds that no work
OF human hands could survive the
shocks. The floors were heaving
under foot, the surrounding walls aud
partitions swsying to and fro, the
crash OF falling masses of stone and
br ck and mortar was heard over head
and without the terrible roar filed
the ears and seemed to fill the mind
and heart, d zing perception, bewilder-
ing thought, and for few pant
ing breaths, or while you held
your breath in dreadfdl alticipsticn n
of INN Adiate cruel death, you feel
that life was already past and waited d
for the end as the victim with his
head on the block awaits the fal of
the up lifted ak. 1t is not given to any
man to look into tue lace of the de-
stroyer and yet live, but it is little to
say that the group of stroug men who
shared the experience above family
described will cary with them the
reco lection of that supreme moment
to their dying day.
NONE EXPECTED TO ESCAPE.
A sudden rush was simultaneously
made to endeavor to attain the open
air and fee to a place of safety, but
before the door was reached all reeled
together to the tottering wall and
stopp ID, feeling that hope was vain
that il was only a question of d.a.h
within the building or without; to be
bu led by the sinking roof or crushed
by the topping walls. The uproar
slowly died away in seeming distance.
The earth was still, end oh the blessed
rel eff of that stillnes. Bat how rude
ly the silence was brokenl As we
dashed down the stairway and out
into tbs street, already on every side
arose the shneks, the cries OF p in
and fear, the prayers and wall
ings OF terrified women aud children,
commingled with the hosrse shouts
OF tx ited men out in the street. The
air was Fl led to the hight OF the
houses with a whitish cloud of dry,
stiff ing dust f'om the lime and mortar
and shattered ma onry which, falling
upon the pavement and stone road
way, had been reduced to dust.
Through this cloud, dense as fog, the
gsslights 1ickered dimly, 10 that you
Stumbled at every step on the piles OF
brick or became entaOgled ia the lines
OF telegraph wires that depen nded in
every direction from their broken sup
ports. On every side were huriying
forms OF men and women bareheaded,
partially dressed, some almost nude,
and many of whom were
CRAzRD WITH FEAR AND EXCITEMENT.
Here woman is supported, half
faintipg, in the arms of her husband,
who vainly tries TO soothe her while
he carries hsr into the open space at
the street corner, where present safety
seems assured; there a woman lies on
the pavement with upturned face and
outstretched limbs, and the crowd
passes her by for the time, not pa 70.
ing to see whether she he alive or
dead A sudden light flares through
a window overlooking ths street; it
becomes momenlarily brighter, and
the cry OF fire resounds from tho null
ttuds; rush is made toward
the spot; man is seen
doubled up and helpless against
the wall, but at this moment
somewhere out at sea, overh cad, deep
in tne.gtound iBheard again Tie low,
omiGous roll which is all eady too we'll
known to be mistaken. 1t grows
louder and nearer lie the growl Of a
wild b, asst swiftly app oachiog his
prey, aid forgotten again in the
lr,nzed with for the open spare
where alone there IL hope OF secor ty,
faint though it be. Toe ia | bni dngs
nn tithtr hand bot cut the skies and
the stars are seen to oeerbaug every
lGot of ground between them Their
shattered .cornic, s nd copip gs, the tops
of their ffowning walls msd p'lei
from both sides to the center Of tae
street. 1t seems that q touch would
now send the shat cred masses left
staoding down upon the people below
who look upon them ami shriok t.
gether as tde tremor OF the earthquake
again passes under them and the mys-
terious reverbefatons swell and roll
along like some internal drum beat
sUMMoHING THEM TO DIE,
and it pissss away, aad again ia ex-
perienced the blessed feeling OF de-
llverance from impending cslamity,
which, it may we'll be believed,
evokes mute but earnest offering OF
mingled prayer and Thanksgiving from
eytry heart in the thIong Again,
far along the street, aud up from the
aleyways that lead into il on either
side, is heard that chorus of wailing
aud lsmentation which, though it had
not ce ast d, was scarcely noticed mo-
ment before. 1t is dreadful sound,
the sound OF helpless, horror stricken
humanity, old aud young, the ut ong
and ths feeble aiike--where ell srs so
feeble, calling for help from their iel-
low creatures, and their voices in pc.
ttion to heaven for mercy, where no
human aid could avsil. 1t is not
scene TO be described by any mortal
tongle or pen. 1t iBnot a scene to be
forgotten, when onc9 it has been wit
messed, aud when the witness has
shared all its danger and feels all its
agony.
THE FIRST SHOCK
occurred at 953 o'clock and was in
dicate d this morning by the public
clocks, the hands on all Of wuich had
stopped at that iateful hour, as though
to max the end OF time for so many
who had heard ,he prec ding hour
pea ed forth by ST. Michasl's chimes,
without thought but of long and
happy life. The second shock, wbich
was but a faint and crisp echo of the
tirst, was felt eight minutts la:er. AS
it passed away the writer started
home ward 10 find the ecenes enacted
on Broad street around the NelDs and
Courier Office repeated at every step Of
the way. 81. MichAel's steeple lowered
high, aud while shove the gloom,
sesmin9ly uniDjured. The Station
House, massive brick building,
across the street hsd apparently lost its
roof, which Lad fallen around it. A
little fur her on the roof Of the portico
of the Hiberniau Hall, a handsome
building in the Grecian style. had
crashed to the ground, carrying down
part OF the massive granite pi Ia With
il. All the way up Meeiug street,
which in respect OF its general dirsc-
tim and importance may be called the