The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-09-23
TRIP TO CHARLESTON.
THE SCENES OF DEVASTATION ON
EVERY HAND.
Letter From a Gentleman Who Has Re-
Gently Visited the Stricken Metropolis
OF the Palmetto State.


change the appearance Of things from
that of the day or the week following the
earthquake. Much of the rubbish and
debris that then filled and blockaded her
streets has been either removed or sys-
tematlcally piled up on either side TO open
a pass way. All the streets are now pas
sable except those where the proximity of
prOpped walls or lOosened pillars renders
passing hazardous. Hardly more than
twenty-five occupied tents remain IN the
quarters we visited. Growing more con
tident that the shocks are over, the in
habltants have mostly taken themselves
back to their shattered homes and many
are now doubtless living in houses which
are positively dangerous. The ruins on
Meeting street, Bay, Broad Tradd and
the East and South Battery afford good
example of the worst, while Legare street
ought to be visited in order to see tie
contrast between the damage done IN
some quarters and that done in others.
Legare street has suffered much less than
some of her neighborS, illustrating the
tact called to our attention by dlstln-
gGIShed scientific gentleman OF Charles
ton that there seemed to be within the
city focl of worst disturbance. We spent
most of the day in viewing the scene OF
devastation. 1t is no eXaggeratiOn to say
that there is not brick or stone building
IN Charleston that entirely escaped injury.
From those which lie a heap of irrepara-
bic ruins to those which escaped with only
fallen chimney or a cracked wall, all are
damaged. 1t was our good fortune to
meet up with Dr. Chas. U. Shepard, Jr.,
Charleston's well known chemist and
scientist, who very kindly pointed out
many features of interest connected with
the earthquake and many freaks of the
same which otherwise would have passed
us unnOtlced or unknown. He said that
houses had been rent almost in twain and
yet frail articles of brio a-brac therein
We're found unharmed; that whole wall
Of plastering had come down and left un
scratched a little picture hanging on a
slender nail driven in one of the laths:
the whole front of Hibernian Hall tumbled
into the street, yet broke not piece of
glass IN two street lamps which stood just
IN front; ard the case OF the Unitarian
and Lutheran churches, which | will site
presently, is another case in point. DR..
5. said he would show US a house which
was counted as one of those which had
escaped all injury, namely, his own
laboratories and offices, comprised in q
brick house of three stories. Although a
rear view from the outside showed fallen
chimney and a cracked wall yet the front
view from the street would lead one to
truly believe that the house had escaped
entirely. Yet when we went over the
entire interior from top to bottom we
found its handsomely frescoed walls and
ceilings cracked here and there in hun
dred places, SO much so that the doctor
estimated that he could not repair the in
terror for less than So, 900, and this is one
of the buildings classed as ''uninjured."
ct
cious and very handsome residence of
brick and stone not yet completed. 1t
was remarked by one Of us that there was
house which had entirely escaped in
jury. And yet its owner told one of our
party, as he showed him through the in
terror, that he would gladly close a con
tract with anybody to repair his damages
for eighteen thousand dollars! In many
instances whole fronts have dropped away
showing the different rooms and floors,
some with articles of furniture still left
IN them, one above another like IL doll
house whose front has been removed.
Others are completely demolished and re-
duced to a mass Of rubbish like the oil
store Of W. NJ. Bird & Co. The handsome
Unitarian church is a total wreck It's
massive tower parted at point about on
a level with the church's roof and, falling
backwards, struck full force on the roof
and crushed the whole edifce like an egg
shell. Hardly fifty yards away the
Lutheran church IS comparatively unin-
jured. The saddest ruins are those Of the
old churches and those along the East and
South Battery Charleston pride. The
waterfront called the Battery-one of the
pretticst to be seen anywhere-is lined
with an array Of handsome, stately, aris-
tocratic old residences, the homes of old
families. Upon these the earthquake
seems to have vented its fury. Almost
every one is either SO shattered or cracked
as to be unsafe and is deserted. There is
grave reason for fear that many of them
| will never be rebuilt or repaired and the
greatest glory of Charleston will then
have passed away. A walk along the
Battery Sunday night showed hardly a
| light in those grand old houses. Darkness
and stiffness were there Death seemed
to have set his seal upon them and they
may never awaken,
The partial ruin of the old churches,
especially st. Philips and st. Michaels,
are sad to contemplate. The parish OF
| st. Michael was established in 1851 and
the present church was opened for service
one hundred and twenty-five years age
the first day Of last February. Its vener-
able old spire is supposed to be safe and
It's lluc-uOuOfeu cu1neS Stlll ring out
Every quarter of an hour they seem tc
make 4 beginning at the old air OF
''Strcams of Mercy" but never get beyond
the first three notes, 'Streams of Mer-
Streams of Mer-.n 1t is good that the
old tower escaped for its mas sive portice
and pillars are now only kept from fallins
by huge props of strong timbers; and ar
ugly crack runs down the side of the ole
church near the front from top to bottom
The sidewalks around are covered with
bricks and mortar from its crumbled corni
ces and angles. Within, the ceiling is cracked
and partly fallen, and chancel and pulpit
pew and aisle are a mass of rubbish ant
debris. Not in our day, if at all, cal
Charleston It cover from this Last vista
ton The damage to property and to tn
business of the city, cannot be estimated
in dollars and cents, and she was not to-
progressive and thrifty before. Some O
our party thought they saw a settled sad
ness and melancholy stamped upon tn
faces of her people. Certainly they Sc
enough all around them to put it there.
AS finale for our day of sad inspee
ton we directed our steps Sunday nigh
toward a quarter in the direction of whic
came waited on the night air the sound @
wailing and lamentatiOn. Following tn
sound we came nearer to it until a pitia
bic sight met our eyes. On back alley
in one of the closest, hottest, most sui
locating shantieS a crowd of poor, lgnOl
, ant negroes of both sexes were engage
in what they considered a worship G