The Portland daily press., 1886-09-03
Estimating the Damage.

Estimating the Damage.
The people are gradually taking account
of the details of the injury worked by the
earthquake, and list of the damage to prep
erty is startling. A limited section In the
south of the city is sample of the whole.
Standing at the postoffice, and looking west,
an almost impossible roadway of debris
meet the eye. The building of the chamber
of commerce is badly damaged, portion OF
the south and east walls having been thrown
down by the violence of the shock, and the
buildings of Walker, Evans & Bogswell have
also suffered, while the heavy granite slabs
which formed the parapet OF the News and
Courier building lie upon the sidewalk. Al
most the entire front of the building, occu-
pied by Myers cigar store and Smiths stem
Gil establishment is torn out, leaving the up
per floors exposed Most of the buildings on
the street are more or less damaged, but the
violence of the earthquake is most perceptl-
BILE at the historic intersection of Broad and
Meeting streets. The police station is al
most complete wreck, The worst wreck
in the locality. however, is st. MichaePs
church, which seems to be doomed to de-
Struction.
The fashionable boulevards of Charleston
presents scene of des0lation Commenc--
ing at Broad street one passes through
block of burned houses, the fire starting at
No. 49, the third building from the corner OF
Broad street on the east side, and consumed
the entire row of buildings as far north as
Tully's old stand, next to the Quaker grave
yard. The few houses left on that side OF
the street are more or less shattered and gut
ted. A few houses on the west side of the
street, north of Broad street, have escaped
the general fate, but although the damage is
not so great as in other portions of the street,
yet they are badly shaken. An immense va
cant lot on the west side OF the street IS occu,
pied by the families who lived in the burned
houses, and who are camped out on the
Sward with a few household effects saved
| from the flames. From Queen street to Hoyt
| back alley, almost every house is shattered,
| the tops of the walls near the roof being
From market to Hazel street the damage
| does not seem to be SO great as In other por-
| tieus of the CITY,.
A handsomd block of stores from Beanfair
| to Wentworth streets has been singularly
| preserved very few French plate glass
| fronts being broken, though here and there
| parapet is thrown down and bricks DIS
| placed from the walls. Masonic temple
| the buildings between this point and Cal
| houn street Is not so great so lar as outward
| appearances go. - =.
| In Wentworth street the handsome hall OF
| the German Artillery is badly damaged. Inc
| northeast ard northwest corners OF the
| building are both gone. Coming down Meet
ing street from Calhoun, signs OF the eartnI
| quake are very plain. Both the high school
and Freundschaft's band hal! are compare 1io
| Charleston Water Works on George street is
| uniniured. and SO, strange to say, is the
| immense 100000 gallon reservoir on the
| premises, although brick house opposite IN
| George street is badly damaged.
| WASHINGTON, Sept. 2.-An application
was received at the treasury department this
| forenoon from the mayor of Wilmington, N.
| c., for transportation OF a relief committee
from Wilmington to Charleston. The reVe.
nue. cutter ColfaX was Immediately placed at
| the disposal of the committee. Gen. Raum,
acting Secretary of war, has directed that
tents be sent to Charleston to shelter home
less people and as the railroad communlcaa-
tions are interrupted revenue cutters VIII
transport the tents to the distressed city.
SAVANNAH, Sept. 1.-Two slight shocks Ks
were felt here between three and four o'clocK <
this morning. Citizens are still alarmed,and
many are staying in the streets.
AUGUSTA, Ca, Sept 2.-The excitement
about the earthquake has subslded here, am allu
apprehension has ceased. Liberal contrlbu-
tions were made today for the Charleston
sufferers by citizens of Augusta.
Description of an Eyewitness.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Sept. 2.-The follow
ing description of the earthquake in this
city was prepared for the News and Courier
Wednesday night, but the compositors de-
clined to work, as they feared fresh shocks
The paper was not issued this morning. The
unpublished article is as follows:
Necessarily the description that can DC
given of the disaster which has befallen oul i
city consists in the narration of the eXperl;
enceS and observations of individuals, ano
the subject being the same, and the expert,
ences Of all being nearly alike, the story tolo
by one careful observer may well stand tor :
hundred others, with slight variations ProD %
ably the best Idea that can be had Oh tnt
character OF the disturbance, therefore, may
be obtained from narration of the events
and scenes OF Wednesday night as they vert
presented to single person.
While engaged in his usual duties IN tne
second story room of the News and Courier