The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-09-18
Earthquakes in Divers Places
Great Destruction Of Life
and Property.
Massacre of Christians fn China
EVfcriOns In acknowledgements
Affairs, Etc.
THE EARTHQUAKE DISTRICT.

last evening at and 10 o'clock, in large
part of the country lying east OF the
Mississippi river and at some points west
OF that river. Telegraphic advices show
that it was felt from the Gulf of Mexico
to the Great Lakes and westward from
the Atlantic coast. Observations of the
direction in which the seismic wave
travelled were necessarily hasty, and no
doubt in some cases inaccurate, but it
seems to have travelled from some center
in the Appalachian range OF mountains
in North Carolina.
CHARLESTON, 5. c., DESTROYED.
CHARLESTON, September 1st.-An
cart quake, such as has never been be-
fore known in the history of this city,
swept over Charleston last night shortly
after 10 o'clock, causing more or less in
jury to property and far more loss of life
than the cyclone OF last year. The city
is wrecked, the streets are incumbered
with masses of bricks and broken tele-
graph and telephone wires, and up to an
early hour it was almost impossible to
The first shock was by far the most Sc
we're. The people, with their families,
passed the night in the streets, which
even this morning are crowded with peo-
pie afraid to re-enter their homes. More
than sixty persons were killed and
wounded, chiefly colored. Among the
white killed or fatally wounded are M.
J. Lynch, Mr.. R. Alexander Hamlon
and Ainsley Robson.
The city is a complete wreck. st.
Michael's and St. Philips Churches,
two of the most historic churches in the
city, are in ruins, as are also Hibernian
Hall, the Police Station and many other
public buildings. Fully two-thirds OF
the residences are uninhabitable, having
been wrecked either totally or partially.
1t is impossible at this time q p. NO. to
give correct estimate of the casualties.
1t is expected that between so and 100
persons have been killed and several
hundred wounded
Not to exceed 100 houses in the city
are occupied at this time. The people
are all camped in open places, all the
stores are closed, and a scarcity OF pro-
visions is feared, because no one can be
got to go to the stores to sell them. The
city is wrapped in gloom, and business
is entirely suspended. The people gem
orally remain in the streets in tents and
under improvised shelters, and will camp
out tonight, fearing another shock. The
gas works are injured, and probably the
city will be without light tonight.
Hardly a house in the city has escaped
injury, and many are so shaken and
cracked that hard blow would bring
them to the ground.
Fissures in spots are noticed, from
which fine sand, apparently from great
depths, exudes, and a sulphurous smell
is very noticeable.
Three or four fires started in as many
sections with the first shock, and very
soon illuminated the city with their
flames, thus leading all to believe that
what was left by the earthquake would
be devoured by fire. However, the Fire
Department was so well divided and
handled that the fires were under con-
troll by daylight. From 125 to 80 resi-
dences and stores were consumed.
The loss by fire and earthquake can
not be accurately estimated. AS far as
could be ascertained during the night
fifteen to twenty were killed and a much
greater number wounded. The loss of
human life will be large, and it will take
days to get the accurate number.
A dispatch from Charleston, dated l p.
m, says: At :45, precisely, this morn
ing, another earthquake wave swept over
the city, coming, as the other did, from
the southeast, and going in north
west direction. By that time the peo-
BE who had been out in public parks
and open places all night had ventured
into their houses to get their clothing
and something to eat. The approach of
the earthquake was heralded by the
usual rumbling sound resembling dis
tant thunder. When it gradually APP
preached the earth quivered and heaved,
and in three seconds it had passed, the
sound dying out in the distance. 1t was
not destructive, all destruction having
been done at :55 last night.
Another shock OF earthquake occurred
at half-past l o'clock this afternoon, and
at 5 10 still another shock was felt.
Owing to the earthquakes, no trains can
leave Charleston, and Geographic COM
munication is almost cut off Many OF
the dead are 4aying unburied, and the
bodies of the killed and wounded are
constantly being disinterred from the
debris. The 5 N is about to set upon
what is feared will be another night OF
horror. Without another violent shock
of earthquake. it is calculated that
already three-fourths of the town Will
have to be entirely rebuilt to be made
inhabitable. Sumnervill, % miles from
Charleston, was destroyed last night,
and severe shocks, which still continue,
were felt in Columbia, Langley, Roven-
clio, in South Carolina, and in Augusta
and Savannah, Georgia.
N,,,r,r-.r,, - 4 SaDtpmber 1St-