Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-09-08
EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS.
CHARLESTON AND SUMMERVILLE,
S. c., SEVERE SUFFERERS.
LIVES LOST AND BUILDINGS DESTROYED.


VIBRATIONS FELT FROM THE GULF TO THE
LAKES, AND FROM GREECE TO CALL
FoRNIA-HALF ROUND THE GLOBE.
The latter part of week before last, great
damage, by earthquake, was done in Greece,
as published in last weeks issue. On Fri
day and Saturday of that week, vibrations
were felt in Summervilie, S. c., as also pub
lished in last weeks issue. AS we were
preparing to put our paper to press on
Tuesday night of last week, whilst sitting
in our chair we distinctly felt the waves of
vibration as they passed, and were gently
lifted up and down as if being gently tossed
on a spring-board. We thought at first
that one of the hands in the room beneath
was pricing against the floor with long
lever or handspike, using the shafting of
the presses for q fulcrum that passes near
the floor beneath. We were raised up, we
suppose, at least half dozen times. Be-
fore leaving our chair, we realized that the
motion was caused by the vibrations of an
earthquake, and remarked that we feared
that we would have sad news from Sum-
merville, S. c., as we knew that vibrations
had been felt there on Friday and Saturday
before
We then wrote the little paragraph for
our last weeks paper, simply announcing
that our city had been shaken by an earth
quake, and that we expected to hear of Sc
| we're shocks elsewhere. At the time that
paragraph was written. we had heard moth
ing from persons outside of our office, and
did not know whether others had observed
it OF not. AS soon as we realized the cause,
we looked at our watch to observe the time,
and found it to be 10 minutes before 10
| o'clock, P. M.
| The next morning we found that it had
been observed in all parts of the city, and
learned that quite a number had been much
alarmed. The Stenewall Band is celebrated
for its good time, but it never made better
time than it did that night in its heller
SHELTER, pell-mell stampede from its hall
down the stairs into the street. When the
membe of the Band found the walls os-
cillating, they stood not upon the order OF
their going, but went at once, and in quick
time.
Whilst sitting in our chair on last Friday
night, we felt sensation like that of pull
sation, and thinking at once that it was a
vibration from an earthquake, and desiring
to observe the time and its duration, we i'm
mediately looked at our watch, and found
that it was exactly eleven O'Clock. 1t was
of very short duration, and we did not feel
any more vibrations after we had time to
look at the watch. They were not as vio-
lent nor as long continued as on tuesday
night before. They were sufficient, how
ever, to make us fear that Charleston had
suffered another severe shock, and such
proved to be the case. This shock or rath-
er shaking was felt from Florida to Wash
ington in Northern direction and to a
distance in other directions.
We have been thus particular in giving
our own personal experience, as our obser-
vations were calmly made, that others who
failed to feel the vibrations, or failed to OBJ.
serve them calmly, may learn the true
character of them and the sensations they
create, and learn that as felt here, and else
where away from the vicinity of Charleston,
the term ''shock," usually employed in de
scribing them, is misnomer There is nc
shock, nor sudden jerk, but simply gentle
oscillation as the waves of vibration pass
beneath the building-like the gentle rock
ing of a boat. The sensation at the city Of
Charleston was of different character anc
the scene there presented was one that can
not be adequately described and scarcely
imagined. There was a complication ant
combination of horrors inconceivable. Tt
the conformation and dread and suffering
caused by the wreck of hundreds of houses
in moment, causing the instant death O.
SO persons-10 white and 26 colored-ani
the wounding of 200, and to the shrieks O
the terror stricken, and the cries and moanI
of the wounded and dying, with the mo
mentary expectation of repetition of thu
shock, was added that of fire, which threat
ened the destruction of that heroic, histor
ic, and beautiful city by the sea-
| We give below a graphic account writer
by the editor of the News and Courier o
that city, and a number of kilograms, from
different places showing that the crust o
the earth has been disturbed, at least to tn,
extent of vibration, half way round tn
globe-from classic Greece to the colder
shores of California.
AN EDITORS DESCRIPTION OF THE DISASTER
The following article was prepared TO
publication in the Neaos ond Courier, ant
is telegraphed almost in the writer's owl
words:
ssWhile engaged in his usual duties il
the second story room of the NeaDs dnt
Courier office at the time of the first shock
the writer attention was vaguely attracted
by sound which seemed to come from tn
office below, and which was supposed for
moment to be caused by the rapid rolling o
a heavy body, as an iron safe or heavil,
| laQon CrucK, over Guo uOOr. accompanying
the sound there was preceptible tremo
of the building, not more marked, however
than would be caused by the passage of
street car or dray along the street. Fo
J perhaps two or three seconds the occur
renee excited no surprise or comment Thel
} by swift degrees, or perhaps all at once, i
S difficult to say which, the sound deepen
ed in volume, the tremor became more de
cided, the ear caught the rattle of window
sashes, gas fixtures, and other loose objects
J The men in the Office, with perhaps 81
} multaneous flash of recollections of tn,
disturbance of the Friday before, glanced
hurriedly at each other and sprang to thei
feet with startled questions and answers
what is that?' Earthquake ther
all was bewilderment and confusion.
"Then the long roll deepened and spread
into an awful roar that seemed to pervadt
at once the troubled earth and the still ali
above and around. The tremor was now
rude, rapid culver that agitated the whole
lofty, strong walled building as though i
were being shaken by the hand of an i'm
measurable power with intent to tear its
joints asunder and scatter It's stones ant