The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-09-09

corner, where present safety seems
assured. There II woman lies on the
pavement, with upturned face and out
stretched limbs, and the crowd passes
her by Tor the time, not pauSing to see
whether she be alive or dead.
y sudden light flames through q win
dow overlooking the street; it becomes
momentarily brighter, and the cry of
fire resounds from the multitude. A rush
is made towards the spot. A man is
seen, dolblcd up and helpless, against
wall; but at this moment, somewhere
out at sea, overhead, deep in the ground,
Is heard again the low, Ominous roll,
when is ulrcady too well known to be
mistaken. 1t grows louder and nearer,
like tho growls Of wild beast swiftly
approaching his prey, and all is forgot
ten again III the frcnzicd rush for open
space, where alone there is hope of
security, faint though it be.
The tall buildings on either hand blot
ont the skies and stars, and seem to
oVcrhang every foot of ground between
them; the shattered cornices and copings,
the tops Of their frowning wells, seemed
pllcd from both sides to the centre of
the street. 1t seems that touch would
now send the shattered masses left stand
ing, down upon the people below, who
look up to them and shrink together as
the trcmor of the earthquake again
passed under them, and the mysterious
rcVerberations swell and roll along like
some internal drum-beat summoning
them to die. And it passed away, and
again is experienced the blessed feeling
of dellverance from the impending
calamity, which, it may well be believed,
cvokes a mute but earnest Offering of
mingled prayer and thanksgiving from
every heart in the throng.
Again. far along the street, and up
from alleys that lead into it from either
side, is heard that chorus Of wailing and
lamentntion, which, though it had not
closed, was scarcely noticed moment
before. 1t is n dreadful sound-the
sound ofhelpless, horror-stricken human
lty, old and young, strong and feeble
alike, when all are SO feeble, calling for
help from their fellow creatures and
raising their anguished voices in petition
to Heaven for mercy, where no human
aid could avail.
1t Is not a scene to be described by
any mortal tongue or pen. It is not q
scene to be forgotten when it has been
witnessed, and when the witness has
shared all its danger and felt all it's
agony.
The first shock occurred at seven
minutes of 10, as MAS indicated this
morning by the public clocks hands, all
OF which had stopped at that fateful
hour, as though to make an end of the
time for SO many who heard the proceed
ing hour pealcd forth by st. Michacl's
chimes without thought but Of long and
happy life.
The second shock, which was but q
faint and crisp echo of the first, was felt
eight minutes later, AS it passed away
the writer started homcward, to find the
scenes enacted on Broad street around
the News and Courier Office repeated at
every step of the way ST. Nlichael's
stceple lowered high and white above
the gloom, seemingly uninjurcd. The
station house, q massive brick building
across the street, had apparently lost its
roof, which had fallen around it. A
little further on, the roof of the portico
OF Hlbcrnian Hall, a handsome building
in the Grccian style, had crashed to the
ground, carrying down part of the mas
slve granite pillars with it. All the way
up Meeting street, (Which, in respect Of
ITS general direction and Importance,
may be called the Broadway of Charles
ton,) the roadway was piled with debris
from tops of walls
In passing the Charleston Hotel,
which, to carry out the comparison above
indicated, occupies tie position of
Stcwart's up town store in New York,
the third shock was felt, about ten
minutes after the second, and Of course
caused the greatest alarm in that neigh
borhOOd, as elsewhere.
At Marion Square, corresponding ex-
actly with Union Square, New York, a
great crowd had collected, as even the
edges OF the wide spaces embraced in it
could not be reached by the nearest
building IN the event of their fall. From
this crowd, composed of men, women
and children of both races, arose inccs-
SAINT calls and cries and lamentations,
while over the motley, half-drcsscd
throng was shed the lurid light of q con-
migration which had broken out inst be-
%ond the square Immediately after the
hrst shock, and had now wholly enycl-
oped several buildings in flames.
III three quarters of the town at thc
same time similar large fires were oh.
served under full Roadway: and the
a"lul significance of the earthquake NAV
|, DC most fully appreciated, perhaps, when
1t is sad that, with these Tremendous
fires blazing up all at once around them
and threatening the city with total do.
Stmcton, the people whom you met on
the streets or saw gathered together in
groups III open places evidently did not
give them thought. No one watched
the ruddy flame or pillar Of cloud risino
high into the still night air. All wcro
too intent on listening with strained
sense for the dreaded recurrence of that
horrible growl or groan of the power IN.
der the seas and under the land to oivo
thought to the new terror, though it had
threatened his own home md many
homes in the doomed city.
Crowds poured in from every direction
to the square just described, as though
it had been, indeed, charmed circle,
aud life depended on passing within it's
grassy bounds. Street cars, carriages
and other vehicles we're ranged in lines
on the streets surrounding the square,
while horses stood stock still with turned
heads, as though smiling the ground in
anxious inquiry.