News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-10-21
A GREAT SHAKE-UP,
A Lady's Description of the Earthquake
Given in a Private Letter.

We are all safe and well. This Sab
bath should bring calm and peace. Shall
we ever know calm and peace again
God knows, but holds back the answer.
Since last Tuesday / have not let my
thoughts dwell on past or future for fear
| should lose all self-coutrol. The
present IS all we can bear. At the pres
ent moment, with all our dear ones and
some of our former neighbors, we are
seated in this Pullman car. There is
no gathering in house of prayer for us
to- day, but the God who hears prayer is
our only helper now. On that fatal
Tuesday night my husband and l sat by
the student lamp reading. On account
of the heat there were few lights In
the house My oldest daughter was
on the piazza, the two younger talking
with my sister about going to bed. The
air was close and still, but not notice
ably so. The doors and windows all
through the house stood open. A quiet,
serene, home picture, house and inmates
presented when-just here my hand
trembles-suddenly under the southeast
corner of the room there is a heavy, deep,
rumbIlng, indescribably awful sound.
Then the heaving of the earth. Then
from around are heard the smashing of
glass, Gathering, SCATTERING sound
cracking of walls and chlmney-tops.
This all in few seconds, and terrified,
Mortified, bewildered, we spring up. In
stantly my thought was, 1.-THE earth
ouakel Run out of the house" And
screaming "Run out run out p rushed
into the piazza. When ] reached the
top of the ten steps leading into the
garden, the floor, piazza, house, the
whole world it seemed to me swayed
beneath me. staggered down the
steps. I was almost stifed and blinded
by clouds of something, 1 knew not of
what; it was caused by the falling of
the chimneys and two piles of bricks
fell within few feet of the steps down
which l ran. My fearful thought was,
''The earth has opened and this is our
end" All, in that moment the thought
of God was all that kept reason on her
throne. I reached the front gate ten
feet from the house and turned for the
first time to look behind me.
The house stood, our beautiful loved
home. took, as / felt, my last glance
at it, but it was not the home, but the
dear home folks was looking for. l
was sure they had followed me, and
found myself alone. l rushed back
screaming, ''For Gods sake, come out
come outp Then little HIS voice
sounded through the stiffness, "Oh, God,
where is my mamma / want to die
with my mamma" I called out, "Here
l am" and she rushed into my arms
And then my husband and the others
came out to me into the street. We
thanked God we were together once
more, and then stood fearing the next
moment. eve are all here ~ But no.
Our son, where is he ? He had gone to
bed sick; his father and had seen him
comfortably fixed for the night(O. We
turned again to the house, all calling
out to him in piercing accents that must
reach his room, his ear, and after what
seemed long minutes we saw him run
ming TO us. Then came second shock !
But not like the first. AS this was less
violent a ray of hope came to us that
the worst was passed. And then we
turned to look in each others faces and
asked how each had Jared My husband
had rushed with me to the top of the
steps, but the shaking was so violent
that he had to cling to the post for sup
port, and E. chung to him, crying, go,
papa, what is it2' My sister and NJ.
ran, too, to the piazza, but blinded by
the dust. they stumbled against the rail-
ing and held on and prayed. Then the
tremor ceased and they ran to where
was. Our son said he was asleep, but
the noise woke him; the bed shook I'M
der him. the sound OF cracking walls
and falling chimneys around and above
told him that the predicted earthquake
we none of us feared had come. 81 am
lost, l can never get out, ," he said. But
it ceased. "Where was everybody 2"
Hope returned, and springing up he ran
to where we were. Another slighter
shock; and we heard in the distance
the walling and groaning of human be-
inGs. And now after horror of hearing
and feeling another horror struck the
sight. Had we not had more than we
could bear But now to the right and
to the left appeared bright CLEANS of