The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-09-08

whether she be alive or dead.
a sudden light flames through a win
dow overlooking the street; it becomes
momcntarily brighter, and the cry of
fire rcsounds from the multitude. A rush
Is made towards the spot. A man is
seen, doubled up and helpless, against
wall; but at this moment, somewhere
out at sea, overhead, deep in the ground,
Is heard again the low, ominous roll,
which is already too well known to be
mistakcn. 1T grows louder and nearer,
Ike the growls of wild beast swiftly
approaching his prey, and all is forgot
ten again Ill tho frcnzicd rush for open
space, where alone there is hope of
security, fnint though it be.
The tall buildings on either hand blot
out the skies and stars, and seem TO
ovcrhang every foot of ground between
them; the shattered cornices and copings,
the tops of their frowning walls, seemed
piled from both sides to tho centre of
the street. 1t seems that q touch would
now send the shattered masses left stand
ing down upon the people below, who
look up to them and shrink together as
the trcmor of the earthquake again
passed under them, and the mysterious
rcvcrberations swell and roll along like
some internal drum-beat summoning
them to die. And it passed away, and
again is experienced the blessed feeling
OF dchvcranco from the impending
calamity, which, it may well be believed,
evokes mute but earnest offering of
mingled prayer and Thanksgiving from
every heart in the throng.
Again. far along the street, and up
from alleys that lead into it from either
cJHn ic 1no ri f1,of al, e
lamentation, which, though it had not
closed, was scarcely noticed moment
before. 1t is q dreadful sound-thc
sound of helpless, horror r-stricken human
ity, old and young, strong and feeble
alike, when all are so feeble, calling for
help from their fellow creatures and
raising their anguished voices in petition
to Heaven for mercy, where no human
aid could avail.
1T is not a scene to be described by
any mortal tongue or pen. It is not a
scene to be forgotten when it has been
witnessed, and when the witness has
shared all its danger and felt all its
agony.
The first shock occurred at seven
minutes of 10, as was indicated this
morning by the public clocks hands, all
of which had stopped Mt that fatcful
hour, rs though to make an end of the
time for SO many who heard the prcced-
ing hour pealed forth by ST. NLchaels
chimes without thought but of 10 lg and
happy life.
The second shock, which was but n
faint and crisp echo of the first, was felt
eight minutes later, AS it passed away
the writer started homcward, to find the
scenes enacted on Broad street around
the News and Courier office repeated mt
every step of the way. st. Mchacl's
stccplc lowered high and white above
the gloom, seemingly umnjurcd. The
station house, massive brick building
across the street, had apparently lost its
roof, which had fallen around it. A
| little further on, the roof of the portico
of Hlbcrnan Hall, n handsome building
IN the Grccian style, had crashed to the
ground, carrying down part of the mas
sive granite pillars with it. All the way
up Meeting street, (Which, in respect of
its general direction and Importance,
may be called the Broadway of Charles
ton,) the roadway was piled with debris
from tops of walls.
In passing the Charleston Hotel.
which, to carry out the comparison above
indicated, occupies tic position of
Stewards up town store in New York.
the third shock was felt, about ten
minutes after the second, and of course
| caused the greatest alarm in that neigh
| Dorhood, as elsewhere.
AT Marion Square, corresponding OK
actly with Union Square, New York, n
great crowd had collected, as even the
edges of the wide spaces embraced in it
could not be reached by the nearest
building Ill the event of their fall. From
this crowd, composed of mon, women
and children of both races, arose inccs-
snnt calls and crcs and lamentations,
While over the motley, half.drcssed
throng was shed the lurid light of con
migration which had broken out lust be-
yond the square Immediately after the
first shock, and had now wholly envel-
opcd several buildings in flames.
In three quarters of the town at the
same time similar large fires were OBJ
served under full headway; and the
awful significance of the earthquake may
be most fully appreciated, perhaps, when
it Is said that, with these tremendous
fires blazing up all at once around them
and threatening the city with total de-
struction, the people whom you met on
the streets or saw gathered together in
groups in open places evidently did not
give them thought. No one watched
the ruddy flame or pillar of cloud rising
high into the still night air. All were
too intent on listening with strained
sense for the dreaded recurrence of that
horrible growl or groan of the power un-
der the Eeas and under the land to giye
thought to the new terror, though it had
threatened his owR home and many
homes in the doomed ciSy.
| Crowds poured in from every direction
to the square just described, as though
it had been, indeed, charmed circle,
and life depended on passing within it's
grassy bounds. Street cara, carriages
and other vehicles were ranged in lines
on the streets surrounding the square,
while horses stood stock still with turned
heads, as though shifting the ground in
anxious inquiry. @
The colored people everywhere were
loud and incessant in their declamations
| ~ olotJn i'm fha ainnino. nf b,,y,xo .oxl