Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-13
SEEING THE RUINED CITY
fTHOUSANDS VISIT CHARLESTON
AND TAKE IN THE SIGHTS.

AND Ia hlS IN kft SAN II
What Thew ia To- be seen and u"w to
See it--The City thH Niece "f III mt
sears from Three STATES Impressions
Formed During Four Hours Stay
Thers-Yssterdxy's Excursion from
Savannah and Florida Towns.
Since the tremendous shske-up two
weeks ago Charleston has been the Mecca
OF the curious of at least three states
Crowds Of sight.seers have visited the
wrecked city daily, and from no other
place has there been such pilgrimage
rs from Savannah.
Nearly 81, coo will hc added to the suffer-
ers' relief fund when the Charleston and
Savannah Railway Company turns over
one-half the receipts for yesterdays eX-
cursions.
The morning train left savannah in two
sections and every coach in each section
was crowded. At every point along the
line more got on. At Gemassee crowds
from Augusta, Beaufort and Port Royal
were waiting, A good many OF the pas
songers had come from Jacksonville and
other Florida towns. They werea dusty
looking set when they reached the city
bv the sea and would nave scared of al
most ANYTHING except ravenOus hackmen.
Upon their arrival there the eXcursionists
scattered and began taking in the
town, All found it worse
than had been expected. Piles OF
bricks and mortar along every block at
tested the recent terrible disaster. But
the debris was less observed than the
standing buildings. Eight out of every
ten brick buildings looked as though
some huge Cyclops had passed through
the city hy hight as the Angel OF Death
passed through Pharoab's city, aud had
dercely shaken the walls from tounda-
ton to roof.
TAKING IN THE TOWN.
At first the sight-seers stopped to study
each ruin, but as their eyes roamed from
one to another, caught by each until the
next was seen, they quickly saw that 1t
was next to impossible to get more than
a general view. The stories thew bad
read were not fctitiousiy illumined pic
lures. and the havoc wrought was not
confined to n few dilaDidated walls. On
all sides the scene was the same. Wall
after wall stood trembling to their face.
cracked and scanned with network
of lines. Groups OF the visitors
were to be seen on half the
corners in the city looking up and down
the streets. What sounded strangest was
denly discovering tottering building, but
an exclamation over some building that
had suffered little, and such were very
few. The hotels, the Hbernian Hall, the
police station, st. MichaePs church and
St. Phillips were the principal objects
Of interest to the excursionists. Hi6er-
MAN Hal's massive pillars lying shat
tered at its front tended more TO impress
the visitor with an idea OF the fearful vio-
lence of the destructive shock than a
score of cracked and threatening walls.
Great st. MIchaels, with its huge pillars
so twisted and its walls so rent that a
special officer was kept there to warn
people away lest the tall spire should
suddenly crash down, was gazed at in
awe which approached the sublime.
SOME DROLL sCgNEs.
But even tue pitiahle picture had its
droll side. Perhaps the residents were
not in a spirit TO be amused. but the eX-
IRENE careiulness with which the visit
ors moved around and the watchlul
chances they cast on every side were
snile-prOvoking. A Savannah builder
who was among the eXcursionsts SAID
that the wrecked buildings were not
huit OF good material. The bricks in
the most OF them had been used
over and over until they had
become unfit for building. IL was notice.
allie. ne remarked. tnat the modern
buildings of new bricks had escaped in
most instances with little damage. A
mason. who examined the fallen walls of
a number of buildings, remarked to a
Charl"stonian that the secret of the dIsas-
ter lay in the poor quality OF the material.
lyon must remember" was the reply,
''that these bricks have been used four
and tive times. for Charleston was a city
when Tomochjchi was a papoose."
without the crowds OF excursionists
Charleston would he a dull, funeral-like
place on Sunday. Seemingly the blinds
OF more than half the residences are closed
and there is little evidence OF life in the
town on the day OF rest save what is due
to the visitors. The people have not yet
recovered from their alarm by any means
and every vacant lot is dotted with white
tents and imprOvised shantes.
The fire department is scattered about
over the city, the engines and hose car
riages standing out In the streets, with
the men and horses near by ready to re-
spond AT an instant's notice.
As showing the hOpefulpess Of the city
In the very midst of the calamity, gem
tleman, whose beautiful home on the Bat
tery is badly cracked and otherwise dam
aged. declared yesterday that In twelve
months the earthquake will be as little
thought Of as last years cyclone is now.