The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-09-02
CHARLESTON WRECKED.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA CITY Wis
TIED BY AN EARTHQUAKE.
THE FIRE KING CONTRIBUTES HIS
TERRORs TO THE APPALL-
ING CALAMITY.
Scores of People Killed Outright and
Hundreds Injured by Fall
ing Debris.


Operators Desert Their Possible
Streets Filled with wreekage-The Loss
Estimated at 80. 900. 0o0-Enect of the
Shock in the Principal Cities.
CHICAGO, Sept 2-The following dispatches
were received here Wednesday:
CHARLESTON, S, C, Sept. Charleston is
panic stricken and in ruins Shortly after 10
O'Clock last night the city was violently
shaken by earthquake shocks, from which
great loss of life and enormous damage to
property have resulted. The streets are COM
pletely biockaded with the debris of ruined
houses, telegraph poles and wires Vehicles
of any kind can not be drawn through streets,
while peiestrianism is both dangerous and
difficult. The people have been in the streets
since the occurrence of the first shock, wiring
ing their hands and crying aloud to God to
save them. Whole families passed the night
cuddled together in open spaces, some of
them praying continuously, imploring divine
intercession. Opinions differ as to the mum
ber Of shocks which occurred Some assert
that there were only two, while others are as
positive that there were three A great many
insist that there were even more However
this may be, the first was the most severe and
did the most damage
There are large number of buildings
wrecked, but it is impossible to ascertaia in
the present excitement how MANY Several
of the wrecked houses caught fire and are
still burning in various parts of the city, but
no fears are entertained of the fire spreading
So far as learned some sixty or seventy per
sons have been killed or wounded, and it is
fearel that when ii canvass of the wrecked
districts is made this number viii be mate
rally augmented.
LATER The whole east side of the city is
destroyed Brick, stones, wires, telegraph
pcles and general debris ill the streets As
far as ascertained the death list does not ex-
coed sixty, with several hundred wounded
Almost all the casualties are among the col
ored people. All the operators fed, and
there is only the general manager in the
office.
Still Lateral $50 precisely this a. H.
another wave swept over the city. coming
as the Others did, from the southeast and 60
ing in northwest dliVciion BY that time
the people who had been in the public parks
and open places all night, had many of them
ventured into their houses 10 get Clothing
and something 10 eat The approach of the
quake was hcralded by the usual rrIml-
hing sound resembling distant thun-
der. Then it gradually approached
/ fh.a
and in. three seconds it had passed The
sound dying out in the distance This is the
only wave felt since 30 this morning. 1t
was not destructive, all the destruc-
| ton having been done at 9:l5 last
| night The city is complete wreck. st
Michaels church and St Phillips, two of the
most historic churches in the city are in
ruins, So is the Hibernian hall The police
stations and many other public buildings,
fully twothir'ls of the residences in the city,
are Uninhabitaie, wrecked either totally
or partially. IT. is impossible at
this time 10 give correct estimate of the
casualties 1t is expected that between fifty
and leo persons have been killed and several
hundred wounded AT the time of the first
shock, fires broke out i'll five different places
i'll the city. About twenty houses were de
suruved by fire Scarcely 100 houses in the
city are occupied at this time. The people
being all enramped in the open places All
stores are closed and a SCARCITY Of provisions
Is feared, not from the want of provisions,
but because no one tan Tee got To the stores to
sell them
THE LATEST-Three or four fires started III
rs many sections with the first shock of the
| earthquake ltSt night, and the city was soon
Illuminated with fame, thus leading all 10
believe what was left by the earthquake
would he dcvuured 10y fire However, the
fire department was - well divided and
handled that the fires were under control by
daylight. From fifteen 10 twenty residences
and stores were consumed The loss hy fire
and earthquake can not H. accurately eSti-
mated, but can bc placed safely at S5,Aa0a0
As far as could be ascertained during the
night fifteen to twenty were killed and a much
greater number wounded in all sorts Of ways
The loss of human life viii bc large and it
viii take days 10 get at the accurate num-
ber
Shocks equally as severe were felt at a dis
tance of thirty-five miles and have done in
estimable damage to railroad and telegraph
property Charleston is now entirely iso-
II Dili WI III
Hardly a house In the city escaped injury,
and many are SO shaken and cracked that a
hairi blow would bring them to the ground
The shock was severe at SummervilIe' and
Mount Pleasant and on Suliivans island, but
no loss of life Is reported there.
Fissures in the earth are noticed from
which fine sand, apparently from great
depth exudes. A sulphurious smell is very
noticeable
The city is wrapped in gloom, and business
is entirely suspended People generally re
main in the streets in tents and under i'm
provised shelters and will camp out tonight,
fearing another sheck. The gas-works are
injured, and probably the city will be with
ont light tonight
RICHMOND, Va. Sept. l.--0ne wire between
this city and Charleston was obtained about
9::0 this morning, over which the manager
at Charleston sent the information that about
| sixty lives mad been lost So far as he could
learn. There had been great damage to
property and life by falling buildings, and
aftorward by fire
The telegraph operators at Charleston are
wholly demoradzed, and have deserted the
office
Charleston is p,.l,ic-stricken, and il is only
with the greatest difficulty that any reliable
information can be obtained. The loss of life
| is probably much greater than above stated,
as the number given is supposed to be the
deaths actually reported The colored PEG
| pie, who outnumber the white population in
the city, are wild with terror
Ten shocks at Columbia, S. C.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Sept. AIT 9:4s O'Clock
Tuesday night this city was visited by an
earthquake Five minutes after the second
shock came, and ten minutes later third
Other shocks followed until Los a. m, when
| the eighth shock was felt, and this one lasted
for minute and half. At o'clock Wednes-
| day morning the ninth shock came, and at
/ 4,