The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-06
The Difficulties Which Small Householders
Are Called to Confront-An Immediate
and Pressing Demand for Money.
Four Million Dollars Needed for the
Work of Repairing and Rebuilding.
General Belief that the Worst Is 0ver-The
Destruction Greater than Heretofore Re-
ported-Freaks of the Earthquake.
SUNDAY IN CHARLESTON.
Open-Air Religious Services-Immediatea and
Urgent Need of Ready Money.

Open-Air Religious Services-Immediate and
Urgent Need of Ready Money.
CHARLESTON, S. G., Sept 5.-Charleston is
quiet to-day, and the Sabbath silence is only
broken by the singing at the different religious
meetings which have been held in the open air.
Hardly church in Charleston is considered safe
for occupancy. and the ministers of the different
denominations have for this reason, held their
services in the different public parks and in the
grounds adjoining the churches
Sad to say, there is no doubt that the estimates
of the loss by the earthquake are far below the
mark. The city appraiser, who has gone over
the whole city and is familiar with the value of
property, estimates that it will cost at least
s., 0O0 600 to put Charleston in position as good
as that which it occupied only a week ago.
Buildings which were considered entirely safe
are now discovered to be in dangerous condi-
tion, and persons who thought that they had
escaped without injury find themselves con-
fronted by damages which are entirely beyond
their means to repair. 1t is for this reason that
there is SO much anxiety. Two of the govern
ment engineers are expected tomorrow and, in
addition to these, the Secretary of the Treasury
has been requested today to detail a number of
competent civil engineers from the Office of the
Supervising Architect of the Treasury to assist in
the work of examining thoroughly every build
ing, SO that the extent of the in
jury. and whether the building is habit
able and can be allowed to stand
may be definitely ascertained. The relief com
mittee. with the assistance given and promised.
will be able very shortly to provide adequate
shelter for the homeless refugees and furnish
them also with such food as they require There
are to-day in Charleston many persons who are
suffering for want of bread and meat and who
are unable to help themselves. Their wants,
however, begin to be known. and will be quickly
met The government tents have been erected
in encampments in different parts of the city
where full attention will be given to sanitary
requirements; but it is calculated that at least
5000 persons will need shelter for weeks to
come and it is proposed to erect huts on the
public grounds for the accommodation of those
for whom the tents will not suffice. Ample ac-
commodation will be provided for the colored
refugees, we'll as for the whites. It can be seen
at glance that even the generous assistance
given to Charleston by warm hearted people
throughout the United States will be entirely
inadequate to meet this emergency. If Charles
ton is to be rebuilt if the shattered houses are
to be restored, if those that are in dangerous
condition are to be made safe, Charleston must
have, at an sarly day, the command of at least
81, 000, 600. TO be lent at low rate of interest
upon the security of the property to be rebuilt
or restored. No especial plan in this regard is
especially advocated Indeed there is disposi-
tion to await in this matter the arrival of Mayor
Courtenay, who reached New York from Europe
to day, >and will be here on Tuesday. In his
courage and ability, in his comprehensiveness as
confidence. His presence here will be worth
thousand men to Charleston.
There has been no shock of earthquake since
about IL o'clock last night, and this helps to
make the people more hopeful, but they are con-
fronted by the terrible injury to their homes
and this tends to depress them.
A belief prevails tonight that the worst is
over, and that the people are reasonably secure
from the destruction of EARTHQUAKES This be.
lief is based mainly upon the assurances of sci
entists, who say that there is but the slightest
possibility of recurrence of the powerful shock
after the lapse of so much time With this i'm
preston of security, citizens who left the citv in
hot haste to evade danger have begun to return,
and small numbers of visitors and sight.seers
are beginning to appear. Four times as many
people are registered for dinner at the hotels to-
day as at any time since the first visitation of
the earthquake, and all of the available rooms
are engaged for tonight, although few. if anv.
would be occupied if there should
be another shock, and that may
come with the pressure of the
tide at midnight. Very few of the regular in
habitants will return to their homes during the
week; in fact, only the most daring of the
strangers will yet venture inside of building
and they do so because they have not true ap
probation of the horrors of an earthquake and
the effect good-szed shock would have at this
time, when the houses hang together by tender
threads.
All of the one two hundred incomers of to-
day expressed surprise at the enormity of the
destruction. Why" said one from Washing
ton, Il had no idea that what bad read was
true. The people in the North and especially in
New England. believe the newspaper men have
been lying about tho extent of the destruction.
The accounts in the press are read
with great interest, but no one has
any idea of the true condition of
Charleston" In this connection it is
proper to state that no reports have been re-
ceived here OF material misstatements by news
paper representatives The dispatches sent out
have treated the occasion very fairly Surely
none have overwritten it. Difficulty would be
encountered in exaggerating the condition of
Charleston at this time. History fails to record
anything in the appearance of the ruins of Pom
peii more horrible or disheartening than can be
seen here at this moment.
Pedestrians, in their wanderings through the
ruins to-day, discovered many new and inter