Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-09-24
THE EARTH QUAEES AGAIN.
A BREAK IN THE FEELING OF Sc
CURITY IN TOTTERING
CHARLESTON.
CHARLESTON, s. c., Sept. IL

CHARLESTON, S. c., Sept. 2l.-
There was 10 installing the char
acter Of "diSturbance" that Oc-
CURED at a quarter past five o'clock
this morning. Most Of the people
in The city we're asleep at the time,
but the trcmble of the earth was
sufficiently strong to awake them.
The features OF the phenomenon
and of the atmospheric conditions
were somewhat peculiar. L ne
weather on Sunday and Monday
nights was warm and sultry the
temperature was high, and there
was on both nights an entire alb
Sence of wind of any kind. After
ten o'clock at night the wind seem
ed to have died out entirely. On
Monday night indications OF a
change in the weather were appar-
ent. Despite intensely warm wealth
or, frequent flashes of sheet light
ming were seen in the north, and
occasional rolls of distant thunder
were heard. In the opinion OF
some people, these were seismic
detOnatiOns. But there seems to
be scarcely room to doubt that they
were rolls of distant thunder. The
sky over Charleston al this time
was entirely clear, and the moon
shone brightly. Shortly after mid.
night wind set in rather briskly
from the east, and clouds began to
gather in the sky. Some persons
state that there was a silent shock
about four o'clock, but if there was,
it was not sufficient to arouse any
one who was asleep. 1t was fifteen
minutes past five o'clock when the
shock arrived. This was about the
severest that has been felt in Char
lesion for over two weeks. The
other vibrations that many people
alleged they have felt were child's
play compared with the shock this
morning. Houses were very per
ceptibly shaken, and in many
houses plastcriug was thrown down.
The shock is variOusly estimated
10 have lasted from three to zen
seconds. There seems to be some
question whether it was accOmpa.
MED by the usual rumbling sound.
4 gentleman who was on the sec.
ond floor of a large brick building
states that the shaking of the house,
accompanied by the rafting of the
sashes, the grinding of the joists
and the fall of the plastering, was
all that he heard. The policeman
who was stationed at the intersec-
ton of Broad and Meeting streets,
states, on the contrary, that he felt
avery slight movement of the earth,
but distinctly heard a noise. An.
other man, who was on the street
on his way to his place Ofbusiness,
states that the earth moved violent
", and that the sound was like the
explosion of a thousand pounds Of
dynamite underground. The worst
feature of the shock was additional
injury to the medical college, Of
which a large part of the wall fell
in. 1t is now a gaping ruin, and
apnarently must come down to the
basement. A shock to-day is re-
ported also from Sumerville, Sum-
ter, Blackvllle, Orangeburg, New
berry, Augusta and Savannah
Within three minutes after the
shock had passed there were a good
many people on the streets, al.
though comparatively few of them
were women and children. For
the last few days the scavengers'
carts have been at work, and the
sidewalks have been so cleared of
debris that most pedestrians had
returned to the habit of using the
pavements. 1t was observed this
morning, however, that many kept
in the middle of the rOadways while
walking through the streets. Be-
vond natural feeling of dread and
uncertainty created by the shocks,
the people of Charleston seemed to
have taken the disturbance III a
cool and calm way. There was ht-
tie interruption to business, and
none whatever in the work of re-
pair, which is progressing as rapid
ly as can be expected under the
circumstances. 1t is hoped that
this is about the last of these I'M
welcome visitors that we shall have.
The weather to-day was cloudy,
with brisk easterly winds, which
are to he expected at this time of
year. The relief committee is max.
ING considerable Roadway with the
arduous work before it. Over $500
forms of application tor relief on
account OfinjuIy by the earthquake
to houses and other property have
been issued, and nearly seven hun
dred applications fully filed out
have been received. These appli.
cations come from every class in
the community, and there is no dis
position anywhere to find fault with
or object to the efforts of the COM
mittee to obtain such detailed in
formation as will prevent public
generosity from being abused, and
to put the most merit0riOus cases
in a position to be attended to first.
SAVANNAH, GA, Sept. 2l.-Sa-
vannah experienced another very
distinct earthquake shock at 100
local time this morning. The vi
bration lasted several seconds,
causing slate roofs and windows to
rattle. Hundreds of people were
awakened and many were frlghten-
ed badly, though there was no gen.
eral alarm. Nearly everybody
talks philosophically about il, and
only the more nervous are appre-
hensive of destructive vibration,
COLUMBIA, $. g., Sept. 2l-Last
night there was sheet lightning in
the east at frequent intervals.
During the night subterranean
thundar was heard for several
hours, and at 5:1O \. VI. a long
rumbling sound, apparently pro-
ceeding from a direction a little
west of south, was followed by a
severe shock lasting about a min
ute. Houses we're perceptibly shak-