The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-04

the knob, and, as I was looking for it, tons of
brick fell down from the upper part of the
house, in front of the door. | ran out through
the heaps of fallen bricks and fell twice IN get
ting to the middle of the street. There re-
mained terror-stricken Two shocks came after
reached the middle of the street-a faint one,
seven minutes after the first, and another, more
violent, nine minutes later. The three shocks
occurred within sixteen minutes. | remained IN
front of the hotel until l o'clock. / was so
unnerved that could scarcely stand. AS it be-
came quieter, went up the street to an open
space and remained there until o'clock Then
we had another slight shock. At o'clock
went to the Battery Park and found it crowded
several thousands of terrified people having as
sembled there. There | remained during the
remainder of the night At 8 o'clock another
faint shock was felt. At daylight I, like others,
felt more encouraged, and moved around to see
what destruction had been done | found at the
Battery front some of the most costly houses in
the city cracked from the ground to the top, and
some portions of the buildings were destroyed
completely. All of the Charleston residences
are built with porches in 'front.' many having
substantial pillars, and these porches we're all
thrown down There was not house in
Charleston that had its chimneys standing
''The terror among the people during the
night was intense They rushed through the
streets frantically, calling on God to have mercy
on them. People who, perhaps, never prayed
before, then prayed aloud. Then to this were
added the shrieks of the wounded and the lamen-
tations of those who had lost friends Here and
there parties with lights were looking through
the ruins for missing people The greatest ter
ror and confusion reigned every where. The peo-
pie, when the shocks came ran-men, women
and children-out into the streets in their night
clothing and remained in that way during the
night, huddled together in the street. None
would venture back into the houses"
Mr. Tolson said that he thought the published
estimate of damage was too low, and that three-
fourths of the city would have to be rebuilt The
people killed were killed while leaving their
houses by the falling debris All who could leave
the city were leaving yesterday.
Mr.. P. T. Bonnell left Charleston, yesterday,
on the first outward train. There were five cars
packed with refugees. For the first two miles
the train moved very slowly. The rails were
twisted. AS the train went along the people in
the car noticed another shock. This further
twisted the rails. It was, however, possible to
proceed slowly The people are at work digging
in the ruins for bodies, and until that work is
completed it will be impossible to tell even
guess anyway accurately at the number of casu-
altes.
Have the reports of the disaster been exag-
gerated!'
mot bit Of It, 1t would be impossible to put
into words any description of the disaster and
its effects. My wife and | spent two nights on
the commons, as did thousands of others. To
depict the dreadful scene would be beyond any
mans powers There is not one house in ten
that will not have to be rebuilt. There
p5CulldE Oluof6uC0 lIl tH0 MANNER III WHICH UFlCk
and frame buildings went under. The walls of
the brick buildings swayed and fell over, while
the buildings built of wood simply collapsed"
''Were there any peculiar conditions preceding
the shock2"
''Yes. 1t became terribly hot about twenty
minutes before the shock. 1t peculiar,
scorching heat that | never felt before. l saw
people on the streets taking off their coats and
vests as they passed along Then there was
rumbling nose. It was like train of cars passing
under tunnel on the top of which one stands.
This rumhling and were followed by the
shocks and terrible swaying movements. and
then the falling of walls On Wednesday all
you could get to eat was canned goods. All the
stores were closed, and all the hotels No one
would go into the houses to cook"
In leaving Charleston Mr.. Bonnell noticed, on
both sides of the track, evidences of volcanic
eruptions, where phosphate. colored red and
blue, and water, had been forced UP.