Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-02
THE EARIHQUAhE.
Charleston. South Carolina,
Almost Destroyed.
A NIGHT OF HORRORS.
Mid Cumbling Walls and Crack
iDg TimberS The Citizens Flee
for Safety.
FIRE AND DEATH.
E9By Hillcd and Hundreds WOunded--Flre
ADDS Terror 10 The Carnival.
,Nr~fr r.Vnrl-H nfeCFT NV I'M
BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
historic Churches, the City Hall, Station
Houses, and other Public Build
ings Badly Damaged.
THE SHAKE ELSEWHERE.
The Shocks Felt Mo3t in the
South.
lHy telegraph to the Dispatch.l ]

An earthquake, such rs has never be-
fore been known in the history Of this
city. swept over Charleston last night
shortly after 10 O'Clock, causing more
loss and injury 20 property and far more
loss of life than the cyclone of the year
before. The city is wrecked; streets
ARE ercumbered with masses of fallen
bricks and tangled telegraph and tele-
pbone-wires, and up TO an early hour 1t
was almost impossible TO pass from one
psrt Of The city to another. The first
shock was by far the most severe.
Most Of The people, with their families,
psssed ,he night in the streets, which
even this morning are crowded with
nsople afraid to roenier their homes.
More than sixty persons were killed and
wounded. chiefly colored. Among the
whites killed and fatally injured are NJ.
J. Lynch. DR.. K. Alexander Hammond,
and Aiusley Robson.
Fires broke out in different parts of
tbe CITY Immediately after the earth
opsle. and some are still burning, but
tbde is no danger OF spreading. There
is 10 way Of leaving the city at present.
Tiiiug PCit0n on 0ssa.
TIE DAY BRINGS WITH 1T OTHER
qfEEcks 10 THE AFFRIGHTED
CITIZENS.
lBytelcgpp1 TO the Dispatch.l
CUAEIr>rO', :. c.. September L.
At So5 precis' , this morning another
wave swept or the city, coming, as
the other did, from the southeast and
going in northwest direction. by
that time the people who had been on,
II the public parks and open places all
night had many Of them yentured into
their houses TO get clothing and some-
thing to eat. The approach Of the
quake was heralded by the usual rum
bling sound resembling distant thun-
der; then it gradually approached, the
earth Quiyered and heayed, and in three
seconds il had passed, the sound dying
out in the distance. This is the oolj
wave felt since $50 this morning. Il
was not destructive, all the destruction
having been done at 9:j5 O'Clock last
night.
A COMPLETE WRECK.
The city is q complete wreck. St.
Michse's church and St. Phillips, two
of the most historic churches in the
city, are in ruins so is the llibernian
Hall, the police station. and many other
public buildings. Fully two thirds OF
The residences in the city are uninbabi-
table wrecked either totally or partial
". 1t is impossible at this time to
give a correct estimate Of the casual
ties. 1t is expected that between fifty
and one hundred persons have been
killed and several hundred wounded.
At the time Of the first shock fires
broke out in five different places in the
city. About twenty houses were de-
stroyed by fire. Scarcely one hundred
houses in the city are occupied at this
time-the people being all encsmped IN
the open places. All the stores arc
closed and scarcity Of provisions is
feared, not from want Of provisions,
but because no one can be got to reach
the stores to sell them.
FIssURFs IN TIE EARTH AND A SUI
PHUROUs SMELL.
CHARLESTON, S. c., September L.
The city Is wrapped in gloom and busi-
ness entirely suspended. People gene
rally remain in the streets in tents and
other improyised shelters, and will
camp out tonight, fearing another
shcck. The gas-warks arc injured,
and probably the city will be without
light tonight. 81. Michael's church is
shattered and the steeple will come
down, likewise the steeple Of st. Phi
l'p's. The steeple Of the Unitarian
church has fallen. The porticos OF Hi
bernian Hall and the main station
house are demolished. There is much
injury to the mansions on East and
South Battery. The portico Of the
Kayepal mansion is down. Hardly q
house in the city escaped injury, and
many are so shaken and cracked that a
hard blow would bring them to the
ground. The shock was severe at
Summeryille and Mount Pleasant and
SulliyaD's island, but 70 loss of life Is
reported there. Fissures in the earth are
noticed, from which fine sand apparent
ly from a great depths exudes. A sui
phurous smell is very noticeable.
THE SUN SITS on ANOTHER NIGHT
OF TERROR.
CHARLESTON, $. c., September L.
Two slight shocks Of earthquake have
been felt since, the first at S:25 this
morning and one at about 1870 p. NJ.
Neither Of them did any further de.
struction. Not even during General
Gilmore's bombardment Of the city
was there such a deplorable state OF
affairs here. Tho city is literally IN
ruins, and the people are living in the
open squares and public parks. There
is a great rush 10 the railroad depots TO
get away, but, owing TO the earthquake
no trains have been able to be dis
patched from the city. Telegrsphic
communication is also cut off, save one
wire ofthe Southern Telegraph Company,
which is crowded with anxious private
messages. 1t is impossible to depic;
the ruin and desolation that prevail
here. Not a single place Of business
in the city is open save drugstore,
which is busy preparing prescriptions
for the wounded. II is impossible,
also, TO give any correct estimste of
the killed and wounded, as bodies are
constantly being disinterred from the
debris Of the wrecked houses. Oae
undertaken who was interviewed stated
that he had furnished eight collins up
TO noon to-day. Many Of the dead are
lying unburied, these being OF thu
poorer classes Of colorsd people, who
await burial by the county. There are
halfdozen tents in tho city, and
women and children are expert
Gig grea. pf;yations Ia conseonencc,