Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-04
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE.
A Graphic Description Of the Desola'
ton Caused by the Charles.
ton Earthquake.
The Scene in the Streets Of the City
Terror and Suffering Of the
Inhabitants.
The Area Of the Shocks, Damage. Done
and Great Loss Of Life
Etc, Etc.

.. ". SepC6hO
positors of the News q Courier decline to
work Tonight expecting fresh shocks of an
earthquake and the paper cannot be issued
tomorrow. The following article was pre-.
pared for publication in the News q
Courier and is t~elegraphed almost in the
writer's own words:
Necessarily any description that ran be
given of the disaster which has befallen our
city Consists in the n%-rratinn OF t e ex-
psr:en~s md observances of individuals,
and the sihj CO bang the same and tn" TX
,,eriets..- i :,it h.i. < nearly alike the story
told By on. c. reful observer may well stand
f.r a hundred others with q slight varia-
ton. Probably the best idea Of the char
acter Of the disturbances, therefore may be
obtained from the narration of the events
ana scenes 4 edn.sday night as they were
presented to a single person while engaged
in his u-ual duties in the second story
room OF the News q C;urier Office. At the
time of the FIRST shock tao writer's atten-
ton was vaguely attracted by q sound
which seemed to come from the office below,
and which was supposed for moment to be
caused by the rapid rolling of a heavy body
AS a heavy laden truck. Accompanied the
sound there was q percept:ble tremor of
the building not more marked. however,
than would be caused by the passage Of a
street car or draw along the street. For
two or three seconds the occurrence excited
no surprise or comment. Then by swift
degrees or perhaps all at once, it is difficult
to say which, the sound deepened in
volume, the tremOr became more decided,
Che ear c ught the rattle of window sashes,
gas fixtures and other loose objects. The
men in the office with perhaps a stimuli
taneous flash of the recollectipns of the
disturbance of the Friday before, glanced
hurriedly at each other and sp,ang to their
feet with startled questions and 8
''what is that ," Earthquake" and then all
was bewilderment and confusion. Then the
long roll deepened and spread into an aw-
full roar that seemed to pervade at once
the troubled earth and still air above and
around. The tremor was now q rude
rapid culver that agitated the whole lofty
and strong walled building as though it
were being shaken by the hand Of an i'm
measurable power with the intent to tear
and bricks abroad as y tree casts it's
ripened fruit before the breath Of the gale.
There was no intermission in the vibration
Of the mighty subterranean engine.
From first to last it was a continuous jar
only adding force at every moment, and as
it approached and reached the climax o!
it's manifestation it seemed for q few ses-
onds that no work of human hands could
survive the shock. The floors were waving
under foot, surrounding walls and parti-
tions visiblv swayed to and fro. The
-s,~L III e. 11sou ooan ~ o%@na nd h~;o1>
and mortar was heard and with the terri
BILE roar which filed the earth seemed to
fill the mind and heart with b%ewildering
thoughts, a d for a few breaths, or while
you held your breath in anticipation of an
immediate and cruel death you felt that
life was already past and waited for the
end as the victim with his head on the
block awaits the
FAL OF THE CPLIFTED AXE.
It is not given to many men to look in
the face OF the destroyer and yet live but it
is little to cay that the group OF men who
stood the experience above family de-
scribed will carry with them the recollection
of that supreme moment to their dying
day. None expected t. escape. A sudden
rush was made to endeavor to attain the
open air and flee to q place of safety, but
before the door vas reached
ALL HkkAED TOGEIHEsH
to the tottering wall and stopped, feeling
that hope was vain, that it was only a
question of death in the building or without
crushed by the topping walls. The uproar
died away in s,eming distance. The earth
was still and oh! blessed relief OF that still
ness, but how rudely the silence was broken
as we dashed down the stairway and out
into the street. Already on every side
arose the
sHRlEKs n CRIES OF PAIN AMI FEAR,
The prayers and w~ailings OF terrified
women and children, commingled with the
hoarse shouts OF excited men. But in the
street the air was filled to the height of
the houses with a cloud of dry, sitting dust
from the lime and mortar n shattered
masonry which, falling on the pavement
and stone roadway, had been reduced to
powder. Through this cloud, as dense as
a fog, the gasIishts flickered, dimly afford
ing but little light, so that you stumbled at
every step over piles Of brick, or become
entangled in lines of telegraph wire. On
every side were
FORMS OF MEN AND WOMEN
bareheaded and partially dressed. Some
were almost nude and many OF whom
were crazed with fear or excitement. Here
a woman is supported in the arms OF her
husband, who vainly tries to sooth her
while he carries her into an open space at
the corner, where present safety seems as
sured. There a woman lies on the pave
ment with upturned faced and outstretched
limbs, and the crowd passes her by, not
p%ausing to see whether she be alive or dead.
A sudden light fishes through q
window overlooking the street. 1t
BECOMES momentari'y brighter and
4 cry OF fire resounds from the multitude.
Rushes are made towards thespot. A man
is seen doubled up and helpless against the
walls but at this moment some where out
at sea or over head or deep in the ground
is heard again the low ominous roll which
is already too well known to be mistaken.
It grows louder and nearer like the growl
OF u wild beast swiftly approaching his
prey, and is forgotten again in the [renzied
rush for an open space whore alone there
is hope of security, faint though it be. Tall
buildings
BLOT . THE SKIES
and stars and seem to overhang every foot
of ground between them. Their shattered
cornices and tops OF their browning walls
seemed piled from both sides t." the center
If the street. It seems that a touch would
now send the masses left standing down
MON people below, who look to them and
shrink together as q trenOr OF tne eartn'
quake again passes under them and mys-
terious reverberations swell and roll along
like some internal drum beat
suMMoNING hen TO DIE
and it passes away and again is expert
enced the blessed feeling of d~eliverance from
impending calamity which it may we'll be
believed evokes a mute but earnest Offer
ing of mingled prayer and Thanksgiving
from every heart in tie throng. From far
| along the street and up from the alley ways
| that lead into it on either side is heard
that chorus nj
wAlLING M LAMENTATIoN,
which, though it had not ceased was
scarcely noticed a moment before. 1t is a
dreadful sound, a sound OF helpless terror
of stricken humanity OF old and young,
! strong and fe ,ble alike, where all are SO
feebly calling for help from their fellow
creatures and raising their anguished voices
in a petition to heaven for mercy where no
human aid could avail them. 1t was no
a scene to be described by any mort |
tongue or pen, 1t was not a scene to b.
forgotten when once it had been witnessed.
The first shock occurred seven minutes
before 10 a. was indicated this forenoon
nv the public clock, the hands on all OF