Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-09-09
THE EARTHQUAKE.
Charleston, s. G., Almost Destroyed and
Many Lives Lost.
Details OF tho Terrible Calamity,
which Has Destroyed Millions OF
Dollars Worth OF Property.

which Has Destroyed Millions OF
Dollars Worth OF Property.
CHARLESTON, s. c., Sept Shorty after
10 O'Clock last night an earthquake Of such
violence never before experienced occurred.
The whole city was shaken violently, causing
heavy loss Of life and doing immense damage
to property. The streets are completely block
AIDED with the debris of ruined buildings. We.
hicles cannot be driven through the streets and
Professionalism is dangerous and difficult. The
people have been In the streets since the occur
renee of the first shock, wringing their hands
and crying aloud to God to save them, and
state OF widest terror exists, A difference Of
opinion exists as to the number Of shocks, some
saying two, others three or more. The first
shock was most severe and caused the great
est damage. A large number of buildings were
wrecked, but it is impossible to ascertain how
many in the present state Of excitement. Sew
eral houses caught fire and are still burning in
various parts of the city. So far as can be
learned GO or 70 people are killed and wounded,
but it is feared that when canvass of the
wrecked district is made the number will be
largely increased. But few names of those
killed or injured have been obtained as yet.
The Majority Of the victims are colorcd people.
1t is impossible to give an estimate of the loss
of property but it will reach far into millions.
The city is completely isolated owing to the
inundation of tracks and no means either of
entering or leaving the city.
The earthquake destroyed the principal bus
Of thn aft nnI h,,,I Il.
rendered homeless. The main station house,
city hall, Hibernian hall and many other we'll
known public buildings, including ST. Nicho-
las church are iTeparably damaged. Broad
street this morning presented a spectacle Of
utmost horror. Even women, armed with
hatchets, worked to rescue the imprisoned I'M
fortunates. Meeting street from Broad to
Hazel is wreck and lined with homeless peo-
pie. To add to the horror many fires broke
out and the night was made hideous with the
groans of the dying, shrieks of the wounded
and. prayers OF the uniniured. Up to 10
O'Clock this morning ten shocks have been
felt. Summerville, a fourishing town twenty
two miles distant, Is reported as nearly de-
stroyed.
Since the first shock last night people have
been encamped in open places, and but few
houses in the city are occupied. The streets
are all closed aud scarcity of provisions is
feared. Fully two-thirds Of the residences in
the city are uninhabitable.
A special says: At Summervile last night
the earthquake destroyed nearly the entire
town. The passenger train to Charleston was
thrown from the track and the engineer and
fireman killed
CHARLESTON, 8. c., Sept. LIS p. m.-Two
slight earthquake shocks have been felt here
today, besides the one which occurred here
this morning. They were but slight quakes
and neither did any further destruction. Not
even during General Gilmore's bombardmsnt
of the city has there ever been such deplor
able state of affairs here. The city Is literally
in ruins, and people are living in the open
squares and parks. There is great rush to
the railroad depots to get away, but owing to
the damage done to the railways no trains
have been able to be dispatched from the city.
Telegraphic communication is also cut off save
one wire of the Southern company,
| which is crowded with anxious private
messages. 1t is impossible to depict the ruin
and disolation that prevails here. Not sin
gle place Of business in the city Is open save
the drug stores, which are busy preparing pre-.
scriptons for the wounded. 1t is impossible
at this writing to give any correct estimate
of the killed and wounded, as the bodies are
constantly being disinterred from the debris
Of the wrecked houses One undertaken, who
was interviewed this afternoon, stated that he
had furnished eight collins up to noon Many
of the dead of the poorer classes Of colored peo-
pie lie unburied, awaiting buIi al by the county.
There are not half a dozen tents in the city,
and women and children are experiencing
great priyations in consequence, and as night
approaches most of the heads Of families are
trying to construct tents out Of bed sheets,
spare awnings and other material that comes
to their hands. The sun is about TO set on an
other night Of horror for poor Charleston.
Heaven only knows what it may bring for
them, even without further violent shocks, ap-
prehcnsions of which are present in the minds
of most people here.
1t is impossible to estimate the loss Of life
or property at present. Up to p. m. today
there had been ten distinct earthquakes.
At 8:25 precisely this morning, another
wave swept over the city, coming as the other
did, from the southeast and going in a north
western direction. By that time the people
who had been out in public parks and open
places all night ventured into their houses to
get clothing and something to eat. The APP
proach Of the quake was heralded by the
ususual rumbling sound resembling distant
thunder. Then 1t gradually approached, the
earth quivered and heaved, and In three
seconds passed, the sound dying out in the
distance. This is the only wave felt since
$3.50 this morning. 1t was not destructive, all
the destruction being done at 9:55 last night.
The city Is a complets wreck. The most
historic churches in the city, st. Michael,s
and St. Phillips, are in ruins, as are also Hi
bernian hall, the police station and many
other public buildings. Fully two-thirds Of
the residences in the city are uninhabitable,
wrecked either totally or partially. 1t is
impossible at this time to give correct esti.
mate Of the casualties. 1t Is expected that
between fifty and one hundred persons have
been killed and several hundred wounded
About twenty houses were destroyed by fires
Scarcely one hundred houses In the city are
occupied at this time. The people are all
encamped in the places. All the stores are
closed and scarcity o; provisions is feared,
not for want of provisions but because no one
can be got to reach the stores to sell them.
The earthquake causes far more loss of life
than the cyclones of the year before The city
is wrecked, the streets encountered with mass
es Of brick and tangled telegraph and telephone
wires, and up to an early hour 1t was almost
impossible to pass from one part Of the city to
another. The first shock was by far the most
severe. Among the killed are NJ. B. Lynch,
DIR. Hammond and Ainsley Robinson There
is no way Of leaving the city.