The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-09-09
The South Carolina City Wrecked
by Violent Earthquake
Shocks.
Not Hundred Houses Left Intact, and
Scores of Persons Buried
in the Ruins.
Fires Add Terror to the Scene-Fearful
Suferings of the PeOple-A Sur
vivors Narrative.
The Business Portion OF Summerville,
s. c., Wrecked, and Many
Persons Killed.

A terrible earthquake shock at Charleston, s.
c., on the evening Of Tuesday, the 3lst ult., was
followed at brief intervals by several others Of
less force. The first shock came from the south
sast and struck the city at : So p. M Tuesday.
During the twonty-four hours following, there
were ten distinct shocks, but they were only
the subsiding Of the earth waves The disaster
was wrought by the first. It's force may be in
TERED from the fact that the whole area Of
country between the Atlantic coast and the
Mississippi River as far to the north as Mil
waukee, felt its power to greater or lesser de-
gree. Charleston, however, was the special
victim Of this elemental destruction. The city
is substantially in ruins. Two-thirds OF
its houses are uninhabitable. What
stores are left are closed, as their owners dare
not go TO them. Churches and other public
buildings are in ruins. Railroads and telegraph
lines are torn up and destroyed. Between nifty
and sixty lives are believed TO have been lost,
ana many people We're manned by falling build
ngs and by jumping from the windows of
houses Fires broke out and added TO the hor-
rors OF the scene. The loss of property is
roughly estimated at $4,000 coo TWo-thirds of
the houses OF the doomed city are rendered un-
tnhabitable, being wrecked either totally or par
tally The approach of the quake, says a
Charleston dispatch, was heralded by the usual
rumbling sound, resembling distant thunder.
Then, as it gradually approached, the earth
quivered and heaved and in a few seconds it
had passed, the sound dying out in the dis
lance The city is n complete wreck. st. Mi
chaels Church and St. Philips Church, two OF
the most historic churches in the city, are in
ruins, as also the Hibemian Hall, the police
stations, and many other public buildings
Three or four fires started in as many sections
with the first shock of the earthquake, and the
city was soon illumined with flame, thus lead.
ing all to believe what was left by the earth
quake would be devoured by fire.
Hardly house in the CITY escaped injury
and many are so shaken and cracked that q
blow would bring them TO the ground. The
shock was severe at Summerville and Mount
Pleasant and on Sullivan's Island, but no loss
OF life is reported there. Fissures in the earth
are noticed from which fine sand, apparently
from great depth, exudes. Asulphurous smell
is very noticeable.
The city is wrapped in gloom and bu siness is
entirely suspended. People generally remain
in the streets, in tents and under iInprovised
shelters, and will camp out tonight, fearing an
other shock
Not even during General Quincy A. Gilmore 8
bomoardment OF the city has there ever been
such deplorable state OF affairs here. The
city is literally in ruins and the people are liv
ing in open squares and public parks.
There is great rush TO the railroad depots &c
get away, but owing TO the earthquakes nc
trains have been able to be dispatched from the
city
1t is impossible to depict the ruin and desola
ton that prevails here. Not single place Of
business in the city is open save drug store
which is busy preparing prescriptions for the
wounded. II is impossible also TO give any cor
rect estimate of the killed and wounded, as
bodies are constantly being disinterred from the
debris of the wrecked houses.
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 womer
and children are experiencing great privationi
in consequence.
Summervile, twenty-five miles from Charles
ton, was nearly destroyed by the earthquake
Many persons were killed and hundreds rem
dered homeless. The whole business portion
Of the town was badly wrecked.