Telegram-herald., 1886-09-06

account oi d -enlleman's experience in
Charleston .asI TUESDAY night Ihis gen
llenan arrived ln Washington o. day. and
lhls relsles his story Il had been eon-
,ciols al the evening ~ a strange feeling Of
dread. a apremauilion Of al Ina pending cAtas
trople. There sas a subtle influence Ia
lhe air, a mysterious something that nlled
tle mlnG with a feeling ot gloom and nery-
0us eEpec'aucy, o4t seeing no appa-
rent cause flr giving nay 90 thls
Neaz dread tried 10 throw
iI of but could not 1 went % MY room
about I'D % clock % get ready 20 retire. JUST
a. / aas about to undress there was heavy
trembling 0f the house. / stopped short IN
mv preparations and stood in the middle Of
the ho0r. half parals zed with fright | real
ized that if was an earthquake, and SOME
thing seemed 90 warn me that the worst had
not yet COME Before ] could move from
my place the shock came with a horrible
sound OF cracking timber and fall
ing ceilings The house rocked
% and FRO. throwing me of
nay feet. 1 picked myself up aHd found
Was IN utter darkness the light having gone
out The house Vas still trembling and the
plaster falling, and the all Was niled with
choking dust / have faced death many
times in ms life. but never had 1 such an
experience as that was. Cropping IA the
darkness for the door that / could not find,
and the hJOr rocking and trembling be-
meath me, expecting every second 10 90
down with the building. al last ! reached
the street. A strange silence WAS all
around. The first crash of fall
ing walls was over, and the
people had not recovered their frightened
wits through binding shifting haze of
mortar dust shone the glare OF the street
lamps. Suddenly there was a scream, and
then all around me 1 heard cries of terror,
the groans of anguish and pain, and an in
describabie uproar. People knelt down
right in the niddie Of streets and prayed
aloud 10 be saved. swaying backwards and
for r~ards with each successive shock, while
bricks and tiles fell all around them. /
knew that a tidal wave usually followed an
earthquake, so ! selected a tall tree and
stood by ready 10 climb on the slight
est warning After while, seeing
| the danger of tidal wave
was past, walked around 10 see the ruins.
The streets were lined with people walking
| hither and thither, some crying. some pray
ing, others cursing, but all wearing the
same air of nervous expectancy, Ike per-
son beng hunted down by foe, relentless
and quiet, taat was likely 10 spring upon
| him any moment. AT every frequent
bated breath and blanched faces, anxiOusly
await the passing of the quake, not
| knowing what moment the earth would
| open aud swallow them in the middle of
the street. Little assures would open in
| the pavement, from which issued small
streams of boiling water and blush mud.
| This would be followed by an emission OF a
warm substance resembling heavy paint. |
subsequently, saw traces of the same phe-
| in, hQ
holes or springs in some places being two
| feet in circumference. The next day
| | spent in fruitless endeavOr TO
| get out of town. There were no
/ trains because there Were no railroads.
| As people began to realize the deplOrable
damage done and the terrific force of the
! quake, they became more alarmed. / saw
| two story frame houses, the second stOries
Of which were twisted completely around,
and lay crossway Of the lower stories.
Some houses were tilted right upon end,
and heavy iron columns bent outward.
| No one can form an adequate idea of the
/ scene unless il was witnessed. No one
/ Thought of eating that day and really there
was nothing to eat, for people were afraid To
/ enter their houses TO cook. Not negro
/ cook OF waiter could be induced 10 go to
work. The second night | spent aboard
! little steamer which was to go 10 Beaufort
/
aboard and we all stayed out on deck. We
wanted 10 be where we could jump. / fell
asleep on the decK and about II o'clock
was awakened by a shock. We all sat up
/ until il passed There were three that
night The next morning | learned that
/ the track had been repaired and a train
would 90 out, so | LETT the steamer and
caught the train. All / wanted was to get
| out of Charleston, no matter where We
| left at 7.20 and made slow time over bad
road for nine miles when the train
suddenly stopped. There was a
place where the roadbed was sunken six
feet for a distance of a thousand yards.
The train ran down the slight declivity and
along the sunken road, where it seemed
| like riding over quick.and, the ground Civ
ing and sinking at every turn of the wheels.
| believe my hair stood on end until we had
! passed over When | arrived here the re-
action was so great that ! was completely
unnerved, and today | am as weak as a
! cat