Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-09-08

slight shock was experienced at O'Clock
this morning. The people are terribly
demoralised. The houses are all uninhabit-
ed.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Sept 4.-During the
shock at II o'clock last night buildings
swayed perceptlbly. The Grand Central
Hotel was so shaken that the guests rushed
pellmell for the street. Crowds of people
gathered in open places, expecting more
disastrous shock to follow, but none has
been felt since.
"AUeUsTA, GA, Sept. All of our
wires O. X. this A. M. Business extremely
heavy. Shock last night has upset every
body again and we all feel more or less
nervous. Had but little sleep or rest since
31st.''
INVESTIGATING THE CAUSES.
CHARLESTON, Sept. Professor W. T.
MCGEE, of the United States Geological
Survey, went to Summerville on Friday to
investigate the immediate or remote causes
of the recent earthquake. He stopped at
Ten-Mile Hill station, around which the
earthquake was particularly active, and
paid especial attention to the matter which
was thrown up from the craters, which are
numerous through the belt Of country ex-
tending from Disber's farm, about four
miles from TENN Hill, north and south,
and likewise east and west for an indefinite
distance along the sea coast. Professor
MCGEE collected specimens of soil and mud
which had been thrown up, and samples OF
the water which flowed from fissure, tax
ing particular note of the cavities on the
farm of Charles Lee, the largest of which
is about sixteen feet square and sixteen feet
deep. At Summerville, Professor MCGEE
continued his investigation and talked free
ly with gentlemen there. One of these
gives the News and Courier sketch of Pro-
fessor McGee's statement. Professor MCGEE
said that ornamental work and ginger
bread work in Charleston was in many in
stances out Of proportion to the size of the
buildings, and these parts would be apt to
fail and carry away portions OF the general
structure. He said that when he left
Washington he thought he would have very
little difficulty in determining the approx
mate cause of the earthquake, but confess
ed to have been much puzzled by his OBJ
servations. Contrary to his expectations,
he found that the assures were not uniform
in their direction. Some extended from
north to south and others from east to west,
and on this account he would hesitate now
to give any scientific declaration. He did,
were the result of local landslides. By the
tenn slocal' he does not mean that the
shakes can be traced to any particular
place, as Summerville, Charleston, or else
where, and remarked that there was no
connection between the shakes and suppress
ed volcanic action. His impression is that
the area covered by the landslide theory
has been from forty to one hundred miles
under the bed of the sea. He was confident,
moreover, that the worst was passed This
statement, however, was made prior to the
severe shock at II o'clock last night. He
left Summerville this morning for the
phosphate district, where he will continue
the observations. Professor McGee's re-
marks have had excellent effect.
Up to yesterday about 1000 persons, or
one third of the whole population, had left
Summerville, and it is expected that Pro-
fessor McGee's statement will stop any fur
Their exodus.
Up TO sunset to- day about $4,000 in cash
had been received for the sufferers, and the
indications are that several times that
amount would be forwarded soon. One OF
the very latest contributions was announced
in these words by wire from Mayor Brien,
of Boston: "Draw on us for S.. O00"
The venerable W. W. Corcoran, OF
Washington, sent his individual check for
S.. 1000.
A reporter made a careful detour of the
city to-day and was surprised TO find SO much
wrecked property which had before escaped
the eyes of press representatives. At least
four out of five of all the buildings are
damaged more or less.
THE LOSS $4,000, 900.
N;tx, scoccor W;IJ;,,, K,llu eo1s hot
the loss will readily reach $40, 900. 900. The
taxable property aggregates $22, 0O0,0 600.
All day there has been a constant rattle
and roar of falling buildings and old materi
al. Scores Of buildings are being toru
down by the owners as a measure of safety.
Hundreds of others will not come down
until action has beeu ordered by the City
Council. At many places ropes are drawn
across the streets to keep pedestrians away
from condemned and dangerous buildings
Correspondence of Bait. Sum-
CHARLESTON, Sept. 5th.-It was at abou
$50 O'Clock Saturday night that a shivel
passed through the earth not quite so strong
The CONFUSION did not produce so much
and none of the damaged buildings were
thrown down by it.
At II O'Clock second shock was expert
enced on Saturday night, causing the usua
| excitement, and keeping the population
awake by their fears, and in the streets fol
their fancied security. There was another
| shock at 11.05 tonight. 1t was not very
severe, and the duration was about tive
seconds. 1t is understood that Miss Martha
| Toomer, cousin of Rev. A. Toomer Por-
ter, rector of the Church of the Holy Com
forter, who died Friday, at the age of eighty
years, had not been i'll. and her death ii
attl ibuted to fright, caused by the earth
quake.
Throughout Saturday great many sensa
| tional reports found circulation, which KEEP
the newspaper colony busy exploding thu
| bubbles. One of these reports was to the
effect that shower of stones had beer
spouted from geyser into the air, and hat
fallen through a skylight in the composing
rooms of the News and Courier office. The
compositors of this newspaper have beer
panicky ever since the quake of Tuesday
night last, and it is with difficulty that they
can be kept at work, which is not at all
surprising since they are mostly men with
families needing their presence. Some
stones did come through the skylight, and
the printers ran in alright; but it was found
out that prentice boy had thrown the
pebbles in mischief. Out of this incident
grew rumors of spouting geysers and vol
canic eruptions of mud and flame, Jail O
which were of course untrue.
In various localities on the suburbs o
Charleston, as we'll as at Summferville,
have seen the bubbling springs aud the So
called assures and ridges on fthe surface
| which have attended thS disturbances
below. From small rounds orifces white
sand has come up. looking like SO many
large ant hills. From other similar open
ings blue mud, which is found everywhere
beneath the surface here, has come to the
surface. Tins mud has strong sulphu-
reted hydrogen smell, like the famous old
basin smell of Baltimore.
From many wells in various quarters of
the city the water was violently vomted
during the great convusion of August 81,
bringing with it mud, and in some cases
flooding the premises. In one instance a
heavy granite slab was thrown from the
mouth of the well, where it was used as a
80, - oko,, .