The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-09
ACTIVITY At CHARLESTON
LABORERS EVERYWHERE BUSY
CLEARING AWAY THE RUINS.
A Proclamation by the MayOr-COn-
tributiOns Still Pouring in
From All Quarters.

yesterday prOmlut'J drCull6Cl aut
builder from New YoIk, who wa
passing through the city, iudulged IL
stroll through the strsets and tool
occasion to examine some of The
heaI s rf mortar and brick. 1T seemi
TO me-" he said, 'that a good deal o
the destruction ia Charl eston is due
to careless and imperfect work.
have noticed in very mauy instances
that the mortar used in the construc
ton Of dwellings here is of very in
ferior kind. In some instances there
are hardly any traces cf lime and
cement. Bricks which ere laid in tba
kind OF mortar will not remain TO-
gether in any violent snock. The city
ought to have an official to inspect
building material. There are builders
not only in Charleston, but all over
the world, who will take advantage OF
people and use cheap material. have
noticed several brick building
Sanding, the walls of which
are put up with an inferior
kind of mortar that will not hold
bricks together, and that is the kind
that l suspect has been used in many
of the buildings that have been shat
tered. l notice coed deal OF this pc.
culiar kind of mortar all over the city
in the heaps OF debris. / don't mean
to say that houses built with proper
mortar would have s'ood the shock Of
the earthquake you had in Char esIon
but am certain tina. the destruct on
would not have been 60 great"
SETTLING DOWN.
Things are settling do wn in Charles
ton, and the slight tremor of earth
quake which is felt once or twice a
day attracts lite more attention than
the rumbliDg OF d passing wagon. La
borers are at 4ork in every direction,
clearing away the masses of fallen
brick and stone, and there strenuous
efforts made to protect the injured
buildings from the expected rsins.
Everywhere there are signs of restor-
alton OF the normal condition of
things, and business is transac' ed Just
as usual.
The Relief Committee, which was
organized last Saturday, is at work and
has now provided accommodations in
tents and in huts for over 5000 per
cons. Besides this, the Subsistence
Committee is in full swing and is serv-
ing out today ample rations of meat,
bread and sugar to all worthy sppli-
cants. The plan is 10 make the dis
tribution hereafter upon the recon-
mendation of the clergymen of the
different denominations in the city.
Subscriptions continue to come in
very freely and the aggregate is now
about 100000 This will 60 a long
way toward relieving the present dis
tress in the city, bat it is only drop
in the bucket in comparison with what
is required to make Charleston what
it was little more than O week ego.
May Cou te1ay hes issued a procla
nation to the people of the city, in
which he says:
THE MAYORS PROCLAMATION.
81 have this day returned to my
loved city amid the widespread DESC
latitn. Its homes shaken 10 their
foundations, many of item ut
ter y wrecked, and few without seri.
GUS INJURIES, and tind many Of you,
my fellow citizens, with your der and
loved families living and sleeping s,i'l
under frail shelters and some under
the sky. with the recent terrible
calamity and its awful suspense still
lingering in your minds. Amid the
ruins of this far reaching and terrible
calamity / am profoundly thankful
that so much of life aud property has
been spared, and l rejoice that the
came ior.itude ard heroic patience
that in the trust of God and His Pfovi.
hod alt oh 10, h 10
people, is now their stay in this time
in dire trouble, and l am thankful to
add that in this past week of disss er
the good order and helpful co.opera-
tion of all classes of our citiz ers has
conduced 10 the maintenance OF the
public veal. 1t is inspiring to behold
amid these grave difficulties the re.
sumption of the business life OF our
city and the quenchess faith Of eur
peop'e in the future. The open fX.
changes, banks and leading house in
all departments Of business, tie uuln-
terrupted commerce OF railroads,
steamships aud sailing fleets, and the
ready Nhsrves, the busy workshops |
and usual routine of all the avocations
and empl0yments Of our citizens pro-
claimed that We are Already going for
ward to new future. That future is
based on work, not idleness, and | |
call on every one to seek work in
every way possible. Although the |
situation is critical, it is not insur-
mountable. 1t demands from every |
Citiz an in our midst calm judgment,
the broadest charity, resolved de-
termination in word and act, an unial-
tering trust in God, to tide over the
unparalleled calamity that has unex-
pectedly come upon us. This disaster
that reaches every home and every
part OF our city can only be met
and overcome by the moral courage
and the united effort OF the whole peo-
pie. The immediate and serious duty
before us is the protection and succor
OF the houseless, the sick aud the in
digent, the unlo,tunates and the help
les that crowd around us. As the
Executive of the city it is my duty to
create an organization looking to bat
ting with the different problems be-
fore US, and as have to act at once,
have therefore initiated this work by
asking services of some of my fellow
citizens in worthy attempt TO oraan-
ize such plans as will mitigate the SUI
feIings and distress 80 universally sur
rounding W, and which threatens
such serious consequences tn many of
our people. The plans will be ex-
planned If found in any way wanting
in completeness az the work pro-
crosses. In this effort it l. a source of
great gratitude to us to know that we
are not gcappling with this urspeaks-
bic disaster alone. The sympa-
thyS of this whole union Of
States has touched us deeply and
the spontaneous giving OF practical
and speedy cid in this, our struggle,
shows that the large and true heart of
the people OF this erfat country beats
with US now, as it will hereafter. In
this hope, and cheered with this
promising future as part Of a great
people, whose helping hand is out
stretched to us, let us turn manfully
10 our heritage and, as many times in
he past, on this spot work out, under
The blessing of God q nav futuTe for !