The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-09-10

= experienced the blessed feeling Of release
from impending calamity. Again far along the
street and up from the alley ways that
lead into 1t on either side, is heard that chorus
OF waiting and lamentations, which, though it
mad not ceased, was scarcely noticed n mo-
mens before. 1t is a dreadful sound,
tine sound OF the helpless horror Of
stricken humanity; old and young. the strong
ana Feeble alike, where all are so feeble, calling
Tor help from their fel .ow creatures and raising
tnelr anguished voices in petition for mercy. 1t
IS not a scene to be described by any morGal
to be forgotten when once Witnessed susa0
and where the witness has shared all danger aud
feels safe The first shock occurred at seven
minutes or 10. This was Indicated this morn
ing by public clocks, the hands OF all of which
lad stopped at that fatSful hour. T5e second
echo Of the first, was felt eight minutes
later. As 1t passed away the writer started
homeward to find the seer g enacted on Broad
street c-o:nd the News and Courier Office re-
peated at every step OF the way. The station
house a massive brick building across the
street, had apparently lost iss roof, which had
fallen around it. A little further on the roof of
the portico OF Hibernian hall, a handsome build
Ing, had
CRASHED TO THE GROUND,
carrying down part OF the massive granite pill
lars with 1t. All the way up Meeting street,
which, In respect Of its general direction and
importance, may be called the Broadway Of
charleston, the roadway was filed with debris
ton hotel, which the third shock was
felt about ten minutes after the second, and Of
course caused the greatest alarm in that neigh
oorhood, as elsewhere. At Marion square
a great crowd had collected, as the
edges OF the wide spaces embraced In it
could not be reached by even the tallest build
1ngs in the event of their fall. From this crowd,
composed OF men, women and children, arose In
cessant calls and cries and lamentations, while
over the motley, half-dressed throng was
shed the iprid light Of the confederation
square Immediately after the first shock, and
had now wholly enveloped several buildings In
names. In three other quarters of the town at
tne same time large fires were observed under
full Roadway, and the awfulness OF the earth
quake may be more fully appreciated, when 1t is
said with these tremendous fires blazing up
all at once around them and threatening the city
with total destruction, the people whom you
met on the streets or saw congregated In
the open places evidently did not give
them a thought Vehicles were ranged
in lines on the streets surrounding the
square, while the horses stood as though sniff
ing the ground In anxious inquiry. The colored
people were loud IN their declarations Of a.arm.
Tor Gods mercy, in which appeals
many a proud heart d~evoutly and sim
cerely Joined. Danger brings all Of us to the
level of the lowest. There were no distinctions
OF place or power, pride or caste in the assem-
blages that were gathered together in Charles
ton on Tuesday night. 1t was a curious specta-
Gle TO look back upon. 1t is a good one TO re-
member for white and black alike. There were
instances Of unselfish devotion, OF kind and low
ing regard between master and servant, mistre SIS
and maid in the presence OF
AcoMMoN ILL.
and of threatened ruin that showed as nothing
else could show how strong is the tie that binds
our white people and our black people
together, and this lesson, we may hope, will
never De forgotten. Arrived at his home, the
writer found the same scenes of distraction and
wreck which marked nearly every home in the
city. All the houses in the neighborhood had
suffered seriously, and streets, yards and gar
dens were filled with the fallen chimneys and
fragments Of walls, while the walls that were
left standing were rent asunder in many
cases from top TO bottom, and were badly shat
tered in every instance. Women and children
reused from sleep or interrupted in their even
ing pursuits by the sound Of the ruin being
effected above and around them. rushed out
into the streets and huddled together awaiting
the end, whatever IL might be. Invalids were
brought on mattresses and deposited on the
roadway. No thought was given TO treasures
left behind. Until long after midnight the
streets were filed with f~ugitiyes in
sight Of their homes Through the long
hours that followed few were the eyes
even Of childhood that were closed in
sleep. Charleston was full of those who
watched for the morning, and never il any city
In any land did the first gray shades that mark
the approach of dawn appear so beautiful and so
welcome TO eyes as they appeared to the thou
sanks of people who hailed them this morning
from the mids Of the countless wrecked homes
in our thrice scourged, but still patient, still
brave, still hopeful, still beautiful city BY the
sea