Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-09-09
ANIGHT OF AWFULHORR0R
WRBOK AND RUIN I'M THE OTTY
or 0HARL LEsTOH.
WHAT AN EYEWITNESS SAYS
THERTY PEOPLE KILLED AMI
ONE HUNDRED WOUNDED.
An EsiIsor's Graphic Description Of
the Terrible Scenes That Followed
tho Earshquake-sfxto DEatinct
shoctks as Ooiunbla.

OnARLEaToN, Sept. 1.-The morning
dawned upon city swept and SCARED by
the earthquake Of last night worse than Il
had been by the fierce storm Of war TINT
had beat upon 1t for four years. Scores
Of Its citizens were known TO be killed.
but nobody could oven approximate the
number. The whole population had
passed a night Of agony, the pangs of
which may never be told. They had
spent II in tho streets, among the ruins of
fallen buildings, with the noise OF crash.
ing walls and the roar of the swollen
waters filling their ears when they were
free from the calls for help that came
from the manned victims and the cries Of
distressed women and children yainly
seeking their protectors. 10 add to the
horror Of those awful hours fire broke out
and some 20 houses were consumed.
The following article wassprepared for
publication In the Charleston Netcs and
Courier and Is telegraphed in the writer's
own words. The paper cannot be issued
tomorrow, as the printers refuse TO work
because they expect fresh shocks tonight.
The author says
While engaged in his usual dutiesin the
second.story room Of the Netos and
Courier office at the time OF the shock the
writer's attention was vaguely attracted
by sound which seemed to come from
tho office below, and which was supposed
for moment to be caused by the rapid
rolling of heavy body, as an iron safe
or q heavily. laden truck, over the floor.
Accompanying the sound there was q per-
oeptible tremor Of the building not more
marked, however, than would be caused
by the passage Of street-car or dray
along the street. For perhaps two or
three seconds the occurrence excited no
surprise or comment. Then by swift de-
grees, or perhaps all at once, II is difficult
TO say which, the sound deepened in
volume, the tremor became more decided,
the ear canght the rattle of window
sashes, gas fixtures and other loose
objects. The men in the office, with per.
haps simultaneous fash OF recollection
of the disturbance of the Friday before,
glanced hurriedly at each other and
Bprang 10 their feet with startled quea-
tions and answers, "What Is that ~
Earthquake" And then all was be-
wilderment and confusion.
Then the long roll deopened and spread
into an awful roar that seemed TO peryade
at once the troubled earth and the still
air above and around. The tremor was
now rude, rapid quiyer that agitated the
whole lofty, strong-walled building as
though II were being shaken by the hand
of an immeasurable power, with intent to
tear it's joints asunder and scatter its
stones and brick around, as tree casts
Its oyer-ripened fruit before the breath Of
the gale. There was no intermission in
the vibration of the mighty subterranean
engine. From the first TO the last it was
a continuous jar, emily adding force al
every moment, and rs il approached and
reached the climax of its manifestation il
seemed for few terrible seconds that no
work Of human hands could possibly sur.
viye the shock. A sudden lush was stimuli
taneouHly made to endeavor to attain the
open a,r and fee toa place of safety, but
before the door was reached all reeled to-
gether to the tottering wall and stopped,
feeling that hope was vain, that it was only
question of death within the building OF
without, to be buried by the sinking roof
or crushed by the topping walls.
The uproar slowly died away in seeming
distance.
As we dashed down the stairway and
ont into the street already on every side
arose the shrieks, the cries of pain and
fear, the prayers, wailings of terrified
women and children, mingled with the
hoarse shouts of excited men. Out in the
street the air was filled to the hight OF the
houses with whitish cloud of dry, ,stiiling
dust from the lime and mortar and shat
tored masonry, which, falling upon the
pavement and stone roadway, had been
reduced TO powder. On every side were
hurrying forms of men and women, bare
headed, partially dressed, some almost
nude, and many of whom were orazed
with fear or excitement.
A sudden light flares through window
overlooking the street; it becomes
momentarily brighter and the cry of fire
resounds from the multitude. A rush il
made toward the spot. A man is seer
doubled up and helpless against the wall
but OF this moment s0mewhere-out nj
sea, overhead, doep in the grounds
heard again the low, ominous roll, whicl
is already too well known 10 be mistaken
II grows louder and nearer, like the grow
of a wild beast swiftly approaching hi
prey, and all in forgotten again in thu
frenzied rush for the open space, WHERE
alone there is hope of security, fain
though il bo.
The first shock occurred at 9.53, as wai
indicated this morning by the public
clocks, the hands on all of which stopped
al that fatal hour, ms though TO mark thu
end of time for so many who had heart
the preceding hour pealed forth by st
Michael's chimes without thought bu
of long and happy life. The second shock
,uFhtRI 40 hut n int urHd arion pahn
the first, was felt eight minutes later. Al
it passed away the writer started home
ward, to find the scenes enacted on BroaI
street, around the Netos and Courier offic
repeated at every step of the way. st
Michael's steeple lowered high and whit
above the gloom, seemingly un
injured. The station house, a mas
sive brick building across the street
had apparently lost its roof, which hai
fallen around 1t. A little further on tn
roof of portion Of the Hibernian Hall
handsome building in the Grecial
Style, had crashed to the ground, carrying
down part of the massive granite pillar
with it. All the way up Meeting street
which in respect Of its general direction
and importance may be called tn
''Bron1way OF Charleston" the roadwa.
was piled with debris from the tops o
the walls In passing the Chariesto
Hotel, which, to carry ont the comparison
above indicated, occupies the position
Stewards uptown store in New York, tn
third shock was felt about 10 minute
after the second and, Of course, causes
the greatest alarm in that neighborhoo
as elsewhere.
At Marion Square, corresponding Oh
actly with Union Square, New York,
great crowd had collected, as even th
edges of the wide spaces embraced in
could not DO reached hy the nearet
buildings in the event of their fall. Froi
this crowd, composed of men, wome
and children of both races, arose ineessan
call aud cries of lamentations, while owe
the motley, half dressed throng was she
the lurid glare Of the confiagration whic
had broken out just beyond the squar
Immediately after the first shock and ha
nearly enveloped several buildings !
flames. In three other quarters OF th
town at the same time similar larg
fires were observed under full headwaN
and the awful Significance of the eartl
quake may most fully be appreciated
perhaps, when il ia said that with thei
tremendous fires blszing up all at one
around them and threatening the cit
with total destruction, the people whol
you met on the streets or saw gathere
together in groups in the open plao'
evidently did not give them though
No one watched the ruddy flames or u
pillars of cloud rising high into the sti
night air. All were too intent on hstei
ing with strained senses for the dreade
recurrence Of TINT horrible grOwl or groe
of the power under the seas and und
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