The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-06
STRICKEN CHARLESTON.
How the Sabbath Was Spent in the
Unfortunate City.
The People Beginning to Recover
from Their Great Misfortune.
The Brave-Hearted Citizens Devisins
Means to Rebuild the City.
Another Slight Shock at Charleston
Last Night.

Another Slight Shock at Charleston
Last Night.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Sept. 4.-Last nights
shock in this city has greatly impaired con-
fidence. The slightest noise, such as the
jarring of door, will empty any house of its
inhabitants. 1t is still very difficult to de-
liver kilograms as few people can be found
in their usual places. At o'clock this
morning the Western Union succeeded in
clearing up its business with all cities for
the first time since the earthquake. No
great damage was done by last nights
Shock. Two untenanted houses are reported
to have fallen, together with part of the
coping of the Charleston Hotel. The svibra-
ton during the shock was not especially
great but the sound was alarming Ihe peo-
pie had come to the conclusion that tne
shocks were at an end and their disappolnt-
ment was agoniZing.
The sensation today was the falling of
showers of pebbles in the lower part Of IN me
city. The first fall was at 7.30 O'Clock this
morning and another about IL o'clock. They
appeared to fall in a slanting direction from
of flint among them and all we're plainly
worn by the action of water. The fact OF
the fall is vouched for by several trust
worthy persons.
A writer who has yie-ged Charleston ny
daylight gives the following description OF
what he saw: ''You pass sidewalks piled
high with debris: Every other house, ana
for blocks every house, has lost Its coping,
porticos and often its entire front; Great
cracks from an inch to two feet wide seam
the buildings in every part. Often chimneys
have plunged through the roof, and piazzas
are hanging without support A house un-
scathed in front is apt to have its entire rear
demolished, or, safe at both ends, Will nave
its centre roof crushed in. L saw hundred
houses with both ends out, and the fur
nished rooms exposed to view. Perhaps one
house in hundred is leyelled to the earth
But the deepest impression is that ninety OF
the others are just balancing ana on tne
point of falling. The steeples are out OF
plumb, towers are tottering, columns are
aiar, cracks are yawning, roofs are trem-
bling, walls are. bdlged, and people glance
uneasily at high buildings as they hurry
through the narrow streets. A severe gale
would produce ten times the actual damage
and loss of life that came with the earth
quake The eauinoctial gale is awaited with
At $50 tonight another shock of about
thirty seconds duration startled the people.
1t was not nearly so severe as the shock last
night.
The Situation at Charleston.
CHARLESTON, Sept. 5.-Charleston is quiet
today and the Sabbath silence is only broken
meetings which have been held in open air:
Hardly church in Charleston is considered
safe for occupancy, and the ministers of the
different denominations have Tor THIS reason
held their services in different pubic
parks, and in the grounds adjoining the
churches. There is no doubt that the esti-
mates of the loss blythe earthquake are far
below the mark, The city appraiser, who has
gone over the whole city and is familiar with
the value of property, estimates that it Will
Of or 000 tO nut GharleSt0Q In
a position as good as that which it occupied
only a week ago. Buildings which were
considered entirely safe are new discovered
to be in a dangerous condition, and persons
who thought they had escaped without In
Jury find themselves confronted by damages
which are entirely beyond their means to
repair. 1t is for this reason that there is
so much anxiety. Two of the government
engineers are expected tomorrow, and In
addition to these the Secretary of the Treas
ury has been requested today to detail
number of competent civil engineers from
the office of the supervising archltect OF tne
Treasury to assist in the work OF examining
thoroughly every building, so that the ex-
tent of the injury and whether the building
is habitable and can be allowed to stand may
be definitely known. The relief committee,
with the assistance given and promised, VIII
be able very shortly to provide adequate shell
ter for homeless refugees and can furnish
them also with such food as they require.
There are today in Charleston many persons
who are suffering from the want of bread
and meat and who are unable to help them
The wants, however, begin to be known and
will be quietly met. Government tents nave
been erected in encampments in different
parts of the city where full attention VIII be
given to sanitary requirements, but 1t is cal
culated that at least 5000 persons VIII need
shelter for weeks to come and 1t is proposed
to erect huts in public grounds for the ac-
/ commodation of those for whom tents VIII
| not suffice Ample accommodations will be
provided for the colored refugees as well
as for the whites. 1t can be seen at glance
that the generous assistance aed given 70
throughout the United States will be en-.
| tirely inadequate to meet this emergency. II
| Charleston is to be rebuilt, if the shattered
| houses are to be restored, IL those that are IN
| a dangerous condition are to be made safe,
! Charleston must have at an early day the
| command of at least $4,000,000, to be lent at
| a low rate of interest upon the security OF
| property to be rebuilt or restored. No es-
| pecfal plan in this regard is especially adyo'
| Gated
Indeed, there is a disposition to await the
arrival of Mayor Courteny, who reached
New York from Europe today, and will be
here on Tuesday. In his courage and ability,
| and in his comprehenslveness, as well as
mastery of detail, the people have full confl-
denee. His presence here will be worth a
thousand men to Charleston.
| There has been no shock OF earthquake
since abont II o'clock last night, and this
helps to make the people hopeful; but they
are confronted by the terrible INJURY 10 tnell
homes, and this tends to oppress them:
The prevailing belief here tonight is that
the worst is over, and that the inhabitants
are reasonably secure from further vista
tions of the earthquake. ThlS Delle1 is
based mainly upon assurances OF sclentlstSS
who say there is only the slightest prob,
ability of recurrence of the more powerful
| shocks after lapse of so much time. With
the feeling of comparative security thus en-
gendered, the citizens who left the city II
hot haste to elude the danger nave Desun te
return in small numbers, and visitors ano
sightseers are putting in an appearance
Four times as many people were registered
for dinner at the hotels today than at any
time since the first visitation OF the eartn-
quake, and all available rooms at the various
hostelries are engaged for tonight. Few, 1
any, of these rooms would be occupied IL
case of another shock, and that may CONT
with the pressure of the tide at midnight. =,
Very few of the regular inhabitants VII
return to their homes during the week. Ii
fact, it is the most daring of the strangers
who venture inside of building, and tnes'
do so because they have no true appreciation
of the effect that severe shock would nave
at this time, when the houses hang togethe
by slender threads.
Two pedestrians in their wandering
through the ruins today discovered man,
new and interesting freaks of the earthquak
Some of them were found at the residence
Major j. FL. Robinson, a well known citizen
The building was badly wrecked in som
places, while in others it seemed to have escap
ed injury. In one bed room of the house tn
strangest freaks imaginable took place. VI
one side of the chamber oil paintings wer
thrown from the wall with such force as t
| destroy the canvass and crush the frames
while on the mantel-piece few feeJ away
in the same room, stood slender tall vase
which retained its perpendicular, On ar
other wall in the room two or three sma
photographs in frames were left undiSturbe
while within three feet of them the plaster
ing was as if it were .wrcnched off, an
ground into dust, and the scantling upo
which the lathing was nailed was torn out {
its place. A lounge was hurled across til
room and broken to pieces, while chairs
! few feet away were not even overturned
: In some places gate post on one side of a
! entrance was twisted off, while the othe
: post three or four feet distant was neithe
. ioosened nor cracked. A native describe
the sound of the most damaging shock
| have resembled the noise made by a ball in
} ten pin alley, and the trem0r to have bee
l like the motion of window pane when tn
l thumb is passed firmly over it in such way
4 to make a harsh rattle. Chimneys. fronts
5 buildings, walls and brick fences did indee
!, fall like tenpins. Forts Sumpter and Mou
trie of rebellion fame are plainly in viey
a As the snn poured through scrub oaks al
: into the tents this morning the inhabitan
responsively turned out to greet their fir
: Sunday morning since the disaster and
q | +hrillino coopo ,x,oc nrpSantad ScoreS of Ii