Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-09-02


city has there ever been such deplOrable
state OF affairs here. The city is literally
IN ruins and the people are living in open
squares and public parks. There is a great
rush to the railroad depOts to get away,
but owing 10 the earthquakes no trains
have been able to be dispatched from
the city. Telegraphic communication
is also cut of save one wire of the South
ern Telegraph Company, which is crowded
with anxious private messages. 1t is i'm
possible to depict the ruin and desolation
that prevails here. Not single place of
business in the city is open, save a drug
store, which is busy preparing
PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE WOUNDED.
1t is impossible also to give any correct
estimate Of the killed and wounded, as
bodies are constantly being disinterred
from the debris of wrecked houses.
One undertaken who was interviewed,
stated he had furnished eight cofins
up to noon to-day. Many Of the dead are
lying unburied, these being OF the poorer
classes Of colOred people, who await burial
by the county. There are not half dozen
tents in the city, and the women and
children are experiencing great privations
in consequence. As night approaches,
most heads of family are trying to con-
struct tents out Of sheets, spare awnings
and any other material that comes TO their
hands. The sun is about to set upon
ANOTHER NIGHT OF HORROR
for poor CharlestOn-heaven only knows
what it may bring forth Without any
other violent shock of earthquake, its cal
culated that ut least three-fourths of the
city will have to be rebuilt entirely, if the
houses are TO be inhabited.
A Graphic story Of the Disaster.
CHARLESTON, S. c., September 1.-The
compOsitorS of the Nerrs and Courier de-
cline to work tonight, execting fresh
shocks of earthquake, and the paper cannot
therefore issue tomorrow. The following
article was prepared for publication in the
NcqrS dHd Courier, and is telcgraphed al
most in the editors own words:
Necessarily the description that can be
given of the disaster which has befallen
our city consists in the narration of the
experiences and observations of indiyid-
uals, and the subject being the same and
the experiences OF all being nearly alike,
the story told By one careful observer may
well stand for 4 hundred others, with slight
variations.
PROBABLY THE BEST IDEA
that can be had of the character of the dis
turbance, therefore, may be obtained from
a narrative of the events and scenes Of
Wednesday night rs they were presented
to n single person. While engaged in his
usual duties in the second story room Otthe
.ScsrS and Courier office ut the time Ofthe first
shock. the writer's attention was vaguely
attracted by a sound which seemed to
come from the office below, and which was
supposed Tor a moment to be caused by
the rapid rolling Ola heavy body, Us an
iron safe or Il heavily laden truck over the
door. Accompanying the sound there was
4 perceptiblc
TRESIOR OF THE BUILDING,
not more marked, however, than would be
caused BY the passing of Il street car or
dray along the streets. For perhaps two
or three seconds the occurrence excited no
surprise or comment Then by swift de
grees, or perhaps all at once,
il is difficult to SOY which, the
sound deepened in volume, the tremOr
became more decided, the ear caught
the rattle of windows, gas fixtures and
other loose objects. The men in the office
with perhaps a simultaneous flash OF rec
objection of the disturbance of the Friday
before, glanced hurriedly at each other and
sprang to their feet with the startled ques-
tions and answers: What Is that
.'Earthuuake?" and then all was bewilder-
ment and confusion. Then the long roll
deepened and spread into
AN AWFUL ROAR
that seemed 20 pervade at once the troubled
earth and the still air above and around.
The termOr was now a rude, rapid qulver
that agitated the whole lofty, strong walled
building rs though il were being shaken
by the hand Of an immeasurable
power with intent to tear its joints asunder
and scatters its stone and brick abroad as
a tree casts its Oyer-ripened fruit before the
breath of the gale. There was no inter-
mission in the vibration of the mighty sub
terraueau engine. From the first to the
last it was q continuous jar, only adding
force nj every moment, and rs Il ap-
proached and reached the climax OF ITS
manifestation it seemed for a few terrible
seconds that
NO WORK OF HUMAN HANDS
could possibly survive the shocks. The
floors were heaving and the surround
inc walls and partitions viSibly swayed TO
and fro. the crash of falling masses OF stone
and brick and mortar was heard over head,
and without the terrible roar filled the
ears and seemed to ill mind and heart,
dazing perception, bewildering thought
and for few painting breaths, or when you
held your breath in dreadful anticipation
of immediate death, you felt that HE was
,Iready past and waited for the end AS a
victim with his head on the blocks awaits
the fall of the uplifted axe.
1t is given to many men to look IN the
ace of the destroyer and yet live, hut II Is
little 10 say that the group Of strong men
who shared the experience above faintlS
described, will carry with them the re'0i-
lection Of
THAT SUPREME MOMENT
to their dying day. None expected 10
escape A sudden rush was simultaneous
" made to endeavOr to attain the open an
and flee to a place of safety, hut before the
door was reached all reeled together to the
tottering wall and stopped, feeling tna'
hone was vain. That it was only aquestlon
of death within the building or wlthout-tC
he buried by the sinking roof or crushed
by the toppling walls. The uproar slowly
died away in seeming distance. The eartn
was still, and oh!
THE BL ESSED RELIEF
of that stiffness. But how rudely was tne
silence broken. As one dashed down the
stairway and ont into the street already
ON every side arose shrieks and cries oil
main and fear and the prayers and walilnSS
IF terrified women and children eommln'
Uled with the hoarse shouts Of excited men
| Ont in the street the air was filled to the
beiobth of the houses with the clond o.
dry sitting dust from lime and mortar
and shattered masonry, which, falling on
the payement and stone roadway, had peer
reduced to powder. Through the cloud
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