The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-02

ing hour pealed forth by st. Michael's chimes
without thought but of long and happy life.
The second shock, vNich was but faint and
crisp echo of the hrst, was felt eight minutes
| later AS it passed away the writer started
homeward to find the scenes enacted on Broad
street, around the News and Courier Office.
peated at every step of the way. St.
Michae's steeple lowered high above the gloom,
seemingly uninjured. The station-house a
massive brick building across the street. had
apparently lost its roof, which had fallen around
it A little further on the roof of portion of
the Hibernian Hall. handsome building in the
Grecian style, had crashed to the ground. carry
ing down part of the massive granite pillars
with it. All the way up Meeting street, which,
in respect of its general direction and i'm
portance may be called ''The Broadway of
Charleston" the roadway was piled with debris
from the tops of the walls In passing the
Charleston Hotel, which, to carry out the COM
parison above indicated, occupies the posi-
ton of Stewards uptown store, in
New York, the third shock was felt
about ten minutes after the second. and
, of course caused the greatest alarm in that
neighborhood and elsewhere. At Marion Square.
corresponding exactly with Union Square, New
York, great crowd had collected. as the
edges of the wide spaces embraced in it could not
be reached by the nearest buildings in .he event
of their fall. From this crowd, composed of
men, women and children of both races, arose
incessant calls, and cries, and lamentations
while over the motley, half dressed thr6ng was
shed the lurid light of the conagration which had
broken out just beyond the square, Immediately
ga a.
oped several buildings in flames. In three other
quarters of the town, at the same time, similar
large fires were observed under full Roadway,
and the awful significance of the earthquake
may be most fully appreciated perhaps when it
is said that with these tremendous fires blazing
up all at once around them and threatening the
city with total destruction, the people whom you
met on che streets, or saw gathered together in
groups in the open places evidently did not give
them thought. No one watched the ruddy
flames or the glare of cloud rising high into the
still night All were too intent in listening with
strained senses for the dreaded recurrence of
! that horrible growl or groan of the power under
the seas and under the land to give thought to
the new terror, though it had threatened
their own home and many homes in the doomed
city. The crowds poured IN from every direc-
ton to the square justdescribed, as though it had
been indeed a charmed circle and life depended
on passing within its grassy bounds. Street
cars. carriages and other vehicles were ranged
in lines on the streets surrounding the square,
while the horses stood as though shifting the
ground in anxious inquiry. The colored people
everywhere were loud and increasing in their
declarations of alarm. in singing of hymns, and
in fervent appeals for Gods mercy, in which APP
peals, God knows, many proud heart who
heard them arising in the night and in the hour
of His wonderous might, devoutly, and humbly,
and sincerely joined. Danger brings all Of us
to the level of the lowliest
There were no distinctions of place power,
pride or caste in the assemblages that were gath
cred together in Charleston on Tuesday night
1t was a curious spectacle to look back upon. 1t
is a good one to remember, for white and black
alike There were instances of unselfsh devo-
ton, of kind and loving regard, between master
and servant, mistress and maid. in the presence
of common i'll and of threatened ruin, which
showed, as nothing else could, how strong is the
tie that binds our white people and our black
people together; and this lesson of the dread
visitor we may hope too, will never be forgotten.
Arrived at his home, the writer found the
| same scenes OF distraction and wreck which
marked nearly every home in the city. All the
| houses IL the neighborhood had suffered serious
| ly and streets, yards and gardens were filled
with fallen chimneys and fragments of walls,
while the walls that were left standing were rent
| asunder in many cases from top to bottom, and
were badly shattered in every instance. Women
and children, reused from sleep or interrupted
in their evening pursuits by the sound of the
| ruin being effected about and around them,
rushed out into the streets and huddled together,
| awaiting the end whatever it might be. Inva-
| lids were brought out on mattresses and
deposited on the roadway. No thought was
given to the treasures left behind in the effort
to save the treasure of life ITSELF suddenly be-
come so precious in the eyes of all, invalid
womed and robust men alike Until long after
midnight the streets were filed with fugitves in
| sight of their homes. Through the long hours
that followed, few were the eyes, even of child
hood, that were closed in sleep. Charleston was
| full of those who watched for the morning, and
never in any city in any land did the first grey
shades that marked the approach Of dawn appear
so beautiful and welcome to eyes as they ap-
! peared TO the thousands of people who hailed
them this morning from the midst of the count
| less wrecked homes in our thrce-scoureed. but
still patient still brave still hopeful still beau
tifu city by the
The first shock was by far the most SO vere
Its effect can be judged by the experiences of
| Captain Dawson Of the News and Courier, who
lives in massive brick residence in Bull street,
near Rutledge street Captain Dawson was in
his room, on the second story, when the first
shock occurred. The house seemed literally to
turn on its axis. The first shock was followed
bya second and a third less severe than the
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