The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-03


tcr-AbOut Fifty Persons Reported
KiiIed-AII Attainable Particulars.
Especial to the Times Union, Sept. Q
CHARLESTON, S. c., sept. An
earthquake such as has never before
been known in the history of this city
swept over Charleston last night shortly
after 10 o'clock, causing more of loss and
injury to property and far more of loss
of life than the cyclone of the year be-
fore. The city is wrecked, streets are
encumbered with masses of fallen bricks
and tangled telegraph and telephone
wires, and up to an early hour 1t was
almost impossible to pass from one part
of the city to another. The first shock
was by far the most severe, and most of
the people with their families passed the
night in the s. reefs which, even this
morning, are crowded with people
afraid to re-enter homes. More than
sixty people were killed and wounded,
chiefly colored. Among the whites
killed and fatally injured are, M. j.
Lynch, DR. X. Alexander, Hammond
Ainsley Robinson. Fires broke out in
different parts of the city Immediately
after the earthquake, and some are still
burning, but there is no danger of spread
ing. There is no way of leaving the
city.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Sept. l, II o'clock
m.-There was terrible earthquake
here last night at $50 p. m. The prin-
cipal business portion of the CITY was de-
stroyed, and hundreds of persons were
rendered hom eless. Men were frantic
and women were beseeching mercy from
the Almighty. The main station house,
the City Hall, Hibernian Hall and many
other well-known public buildings, in
Guiding st. Michael's Church, We're ir-
reparab!y damaged. Many people were
seriously if not fatally injured. Broad
street presented Il spectacle OF the ut
most sorrow. even women armed with
hatchets fought valiantly to rescue i'm
prisoned unfOrtunates. Meeting street,
from Broad to Hazel, is a wreck and is
lined with unfortunates. To add to
the horror of the scene, many fires broke
out and were. Intellectually fought by the
fire department. The night was hide
Gus with the groans of the dying, the
screams of the wounded and the prayers
of the uninjured. 1t is impossible to
estimate the losses of persons and prop
erty at present. Up to 10 a. n. to-day
there had been ten distinct shocks.
ANOTHER SERIOUS SHOCK.
CHARLESTON, 5. c., p. m. Sept. l.
AT precisely S:25 this morning another
wave swept over the city, coming as did
the other from the southeast and going
in Il northwesterly direction. BY that
time many of the people who had been
ont on the public parks and open places
all night had returned into their houses
to get clothing and something to eat.
The approach of the shock was her
aided by the usual rumbling sound, re-
sembling distant thunder: then it grad
ualiy approached; the earth quaked and
heaved and III three seconds it had
passed, the sound dying out in the dis
tance. This is the only wave felt since
2:30 a. IN. IL was not destructive, all
the destruction having been done at $50
last night.
THE CITY \ COMPLETE WRECK.
The city is complete wreck. st.
Michael's and st. Philips churches, two
of the most historic churches in the city,
are in ruins. So is Hibernian Hall, the
police station, and many other public
buildings, and fully two-thirds of the
being wrecked ether totally or partially.
1t is impossible to give a correct
estimate of the casualties. 1t is expected
that between fifty and one hundred per-
sons have been killed and several hun
bred wounded. At the time of the first
shock fires broke out in five different
places of the city. About twenty houses
were destroyed by fire.
Scarcely one hundred houses in the
Il a.
Pile being all encamped in open places
All the stores are closed and a scarcity
of provisions is feared-not from waut
of provisions, but because no one can be
got to reach the stores to sell them.
THE CITY WRAPPED IN GLOOM.
CHARLESTON, 5. c., Sept. l., 9 p. IN.
The city is wrapped in gloom and bust
ness is entirely suspended. The people
generally remain in the streets in tents
and under improvised shelters, and wi"
camp out L night fearing another
shock. The gas works are injured and
probably the city will toe without light
tonight. st. Nicholas church is shat
tered, and the steeple will come down,
likewise the steeple of st. Philips.
The steeple of the Unitarian church
has fallen. The porticos of Hibernian
Hail and the main station house are de-
molished. There is much injury to
mansions on East and South Battery.
The portico of the Rlvenei mansion is
down: hardly house in the city escaped
injury. any many are so shaken and
cracked that a hard blow would bring
them tn the ground. The shock was
severe at Summeryille and Mount Pleas-
ant and Sullivan Island, but 10 loss of
life ~ reported there. Fissures in the
earth are noticed from which fine
sand. apparently from great depth,
eNudes- \ sulphurous smell is very no.
ticeable.
ALL THE WIRES DOWN.
SAVANNAH, Sept. 1.-The wires near
Charleston are al down, and there is no
communication with the fated city by
either rail or telegraph. The dispatches
given below were obtained by carrier