Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-09-09
CHARLESTON In RUINS.
The Commercial Pride of the Palmetto
State an Awful Scene of Wreck
and Death.
ghree.Fourths of Charleston Destroyed
by Earthquake and Upwards of
One Hundred Lives Lost.

more loss OF life than the cyclone of a wear
before. The city is wrecked, the streets are
| encountered with masses of fallen bricks
and tangled telegraph and telephone wires
and up to an early hour 1t was almost i'm
| possible 10 pass from one part of the city to
another The hrst shock was by far the
most severe, Most of the people, with
their families. passed the night in the
streets, which this morning were crowded
with people afraid TO re-enter their homes.
To add to the horror of the scene
MANY FIRES BROKE OUT
and were Intellectually fought by the fire de-
| partment The night was hideous with the
groans OF the wounded and the prayers OF
the uninjured Fully two-thirds of the resi-
dences in the city are uninhabited and
wrecked either totally or partially.
The loss by fire and earthquakes can be
| placed safely
AT FINE Million DOLLARS
As far as could be ascettaiued during the
night fifteen to twenty were killed and q
much greater number wounded in all sorts
OF ways The loss of human life will be
large, and it viii take days to get at the &C.
curate number
AN EDITORS IMPRESSIONS
The compositors of the News and Courier
decline to work tonight, expecting fresh
shocks of earthquake. and the paper cannot,
therefore, issue to morrow The following
| article was prepared for publication in the
News and Courier,
| Necessarily the description that can be given
| OF the disaster which had befallen our city con-
sists OF the narration of experiences and obser-
yations OF individuals. 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 3 hundred Others, with slight
variations Probably the best idea that can be had
the character OF the disturbance. therefore, n,ay
| be obtained from anaration OF the events and
scenes or Tuesday night as they were presented
to single person. While engaged in his usual
duties In tho second story room OF the
| News and Courier Office at the time
| 81 the first shock, the writer's atten-
which seemed to come from the office below and
which was supposed for 3 moment to be caused
| by the rapid rolling of heavy body, as an iron
| safe or heavily laden truck over the floor.
accompanying the sound, there was percept-
ibie tiemor Of the building, not more marked,
however, than wonld be caSsed by the
passage OF street car or drsy along the street.
| For two or three seconds the occurrence excited
| no surprise or comment. Then the sound
ueepened in volume, the tremor became more
decided, the ear caught the rattle OF window
sashes, gas fixtures and other loose OBJ
4 Jects- The men in the Office. with per-
haps simultaneous fash OF recollections
OF the disturbance OF the Friday before glanced
hurriedly at each other sprang to their feet with
startled questions and answers. What Is that3~
Earthquakeg And then all was bewilderment
and confusion Then the long roar deepened
and spread into an awful roar that seemed
TO pervade at once the troubled earth
and the stiii air above aud around.
The trenor was row a rude, n rapid Quiver that
agtated the whole lofty, strong walled building
| as though II were being shaken by the hand Of
an inmeasuresble power with intent TO tear its
JOINTS asundeT ana scatter its stone and bricks
abroad as tree casts its OVERTURNED fruit be-
fore the breath of the gale. There was no inter
mission In the vibration OF the mighty sub
NaFT
1t was a continuous jar, only adding force az
every moment, and as IL approached and reached
and reached the climax OF Its manifestation. it
seemed for few terrible seconds that no work
Of human hands conld possibly survive the
shocks. The floors were heaving under foot the
surrounding walls and partitions visibly swayed
to and fro.
THE CRASH or FALLING STONE
and brick and mortar was heard overhead and
without the terrible roar filled the ears, and
seemed TO NIL the mind and heart. dazing percep-
tion, bewidering thought. aud for few painting
breaths, or while you held your breath in dread
tul anticipation of immediate death, you
fet that life was already past and waited for the
end as the victim with his head on the block
awaits the fall OF the uplifted ak. IL IL not given
TO many men 20 Look in tie face of the destroyer
and yet live, but It is little TO say that the group
OF strong men who shared tho experience
above fsiutly described. will carry with them
the recollection Of that supreme moment to
Sudden rush was simultaneously made to en-
deayor to attain the open air and flee 10
place Of safety, but before the door
the tottering wall and stopped, feeling
that hope was vain, that Il was only question
OF death within the building or without TO be
buried by the sinking roof, or crushed by the
topping walls. The uproar slowly died away
In seeming distance. The earth was still, and oh,
the blessed relief of that stiffness but how
rndely the silence was broken. As we
dashed down the stairway and out into the
street. already on every side arose the shrieks
the cries OF pain and fear. the prayers and wall
ing OF terrtf1ed women and children. co-mingled
with the hoarsc shouts of excited men. Out In
the street the air was filled to the height OF the
houses with "a whitish, dry, sitting dust from
the lime and mortar and shattered masonry
which, falling upon the pavement and stone
roadway. had been reduced TO powder. Through
this cloud. dense as a fog, the gas lights flick
cred dimy. shedding but little light, so that
Yen stumble at every step over the piles OF
brick or become entaneled in the lines
Of telegraph wires that depended
In every direction from theIr broken
supports. On every side were hurrying forms
OF men and women, bareheaded, partially
dressed some almost nude and many OF whom
a woman is supported han .ssstf5s "a
the arms OK her huspand, who vanity
tries to soothe her while he carries her
into the open space at the street corner
where present safety seems assured There a
woman lies on the pavement with uI-turned
face and out-stretched limbs, and the crowds
alive or dead. sudden iigh. flashes through
window overlooking the street, 1t becomes mo-
mentarily brighter and
A CRY OF FIRE
resounds from the multitude A rush is made
toward the spot. A man is seen doubled up and
helpless against the wall; but this moment out
at sea. overhead, deep in the ground is heard
azain the low ominons roll which is already too
well known to be mistaken 1t grows louder
and nearer. like the growl of wild beast swiftly
approaching his prey. and is forgotten again in
the frenzied wish for the open space where alone
is the hope of security. The tall buildings on
either hand blot cut the skies and the stars
ond seem to overhang every foot of
ground between them. Their shattered
cornices and capings, the tops of their frowninv
walls seem piled from both sides TO the center
OF the street. 1t seems that a touch would send
the shattered masses down upon the people be-
low, who look mp and shrink together as the
tremor Of the earthquake passed over
them, and mysterious reverberations swell and
roll along like some internal drum beat sum
monine them 70 die. 1t passes away, and again
Is experienced the blessed feeling Of RELEASE
from impending calamity. Again far along the
street and up from the alley ways that
lead into it on either side IS heard that chorus
OF waiiing and lamentations, which, though 1t
the sound of the helpless horror OF
stricken humanity; old and young, the strong
and feeble alike, where all are SO feeble calling
or help from their fel .ow creatures and raising
heir anguished voices In petition for mercy Il
not scene to be described by any mortal
ongue or pen. IL is not : sScra
osaE-ssy ..rvosssil when once witnessed.
nd where the witness has shared all danger and
cells safe. The first shock occurred at seven
minutes Of 10. This was indicated this morn
ng BY public clocks, the hands of all Of which
lad stopped at that fatefnl hour. The second
shock, which was but q faint and crisp
.scho Of the first, was felt eight minutes
later As IL passed away the writer started
homeward to find the scenes enacted on Broad
street c.S-1d the News aud Courier Office re-
peated at every step Of the way. The station
house. massive brick building across the
street, had apparently lost its roof, which bad
fallen around IL A little further on the roof OF
the portico OF Hibernian hall, handsome build
ing had
CRASHED TO THE GROUND,
carrying down part OF the massive granite pill
lars with IL. All the way ap Meeting street.
Importance, may be called the Broadway of
Charleston, the roadway was filed with debris
from the tops OF the walls. In the Charles
felt about teH minutes after the second, aad OF
course caused the greatest alarm in that neigh
borhood as elsewhere. At Marion square |
great crowd had collected, as the |
edges II the wide spaces embraced in 1t |
could not be reached by even the tallest build |
composed Of men. women and children, arose in
cesant calls and cries and lamentations. while |
o-cr the motley. half-dressed throng was |
which had broken out just beyond the |
'quare Immediately after the first shock. and |
iad now wholly enyeloped several buildings in |
ne same time large fires were observed under |
I'll headway. and the awfulness OF the earth |
lake may be more fully appreciated. when it is |
with these tremendous fires blazing up /
- 1nce around them and threatening the city |
ish tcal destruction, the people whom you |
et on DE streets or saw congregated in /
70 open places evidently did not give |
EN- thought tsszicies were ranged /
lines on the streets surrounding the |
uare. while the horses stood as though sniff |
z the ground In anxious inquiry The colored /
opie were loud In their declamations of aarm. /
M, icy were singing hymns ond offering appeals |
~ Gods mercy. in which appeals Il
many a proud heart devoutly and sim /
cereIy Joined. Danger brings ali OF MS 70 The