New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-02

Il
several days must clapso before an adequate
idea can be obtained as many bodies OF Killed
and wounded are buried underline fallen wires,
bricks and mortar in the street.
1t IS reported thata large portion of the town
of Summervillc. Ca, is in ruins and that many
people were killed. One woman died in Sa-
vannah Ca, from sheer fright Two others
broke their legs by throwing themselves from
upper windows. In the towns of Eastern
Georgia ana in North and South Carolina the
damage to property was matter of universal
complaint but no fatal casualties were re-
ported.
SCENES OF TERROR IN CHARLESTON.
| THE NUMBER OF THE DEAD UNKSOwN-rwENlY
HOUSES BURNED.
CuARLF.rov. sept. Z. - The demolition of
| Charleston is vell-ni;h complete. From 10
O'Clock un Friday night until 10 o'clock yesterday
! morning no less than ten distinct earthquake
sho ks we're felt. The first, which struck the city
| at about 900 p. m. by far the most severe.
Those which succeeded 1t during inc next twelve
hours would probably haze done no damage, had it
| not left the city IN such condition that only tho
slightest r.oson was required to wreck buildings
III q already half totercd. IL was night Of abso
I lute terror. No event of the war created hall 40
| much CONSERVATION and gloom "a was created by
| thirty seconds of disaster on Tuesday night The
frat intimltlon OF approaching danger was given in
the atmosphere. IL WAS dense. sultry and felrtuly
oppressive. II seemed t. wcieh heavily upon the
Lrcast Of everyone and created an intensely Ian
| guid feeling ~ night drew on The atmosphere
| became damp and dlilicut to breathe. Suddenly
the city WAS aroused hy a low. warning rumble.
| like distant thunder. The SKY WAS not clear. but
there were no indications OF a storm and no appar-
| 4, Ea.y
! What the omnous sound portendcd. but the sense
| that il was an omen OF some overwhelming disaster
was general
There was htt.c time TO prepare for what was
coming Tho grorl Of the eemenls had scarcely
died away when the earth trembled violently. A
momentary pause ensued anl thea the city rose
ana fell ~ II on the crest of u billow. The sound
| which accompanied the wave was terrible 1t was
| a frghtful half -smothered roar. IL seemed as II
only the mcrest crust of earth. and that in lmn-
nent danger of giving wav. separated the city from
| pandemonum. People rushed from their houses
into the street only to witness the elimination Of
the horrld work. Telegraph poles lay PROSTATE on
the ground or leaned upon the frail support Of
wrecked buildings. while their labyrinth of wires
so obstructcd the streets TO make travel through
them almost impossible. Almost every building IN
| Mcctng-st. md Broad-st, the two prlrclpal
thoroughflrcs II the city, was wrecked to greater
or less extent Many people escaped from their
tumbling homes only to meet death or fearful
! injury from tho falling bricks and mortar, whole
masses or which plunged down into the streets add
ing to the general havoc. The most serious damage
was done in those parts of the city devoted TO bust
ness houses and to costly dwellings. 1t. Mic hael
Church whose famous sprc serves an important
| landmark for ships entering Charlestons barDor,
the same spiro which was saved from destruction
By fire many years ago by the courageous action OF
a negro slave was rreparaby wrecked. This
ediicc is historic and its destruction Is among the
most dcploraDo incidents of the fateful night The
| City Hail. large, strongly erected building was
also damaged almost beyond repair Hibernian
Hall, st. Philips Church. the main station house
and private dwellings by the score were reduced To
ruins. Hundreds OF people were made homeless IN
"A single moment and the loss Of life was far greater
than that caused by the cyclone n year ago. 1t Is
now oviccnt that more than sixty persons were
killed outright by this one shock and several hun
drcd must have been injured. The people crowded
ont into tho streetsl being afraid to 90 back into
their houses, which had been moved from their
| foundations and through which great assures ran.
The greater portion of the people killed were
negroes. whose abjcct and hopeless terror is past
description. They congregated on the street cor
ners. and whllo the voices of the dying and
wounded arose in a.pltiful chorus they shouted out
thcir iprayers to Tho Almighty for aid lhey
thought the end of the world had come, and
huddling together made no effort TO extricate their
buried friends but sang hymns and offered suppl
cations all the night long. Their meetings formed
the wicrdest spcctacles that were to be seen Dr.
X. Alex Hammond, Alnsey Robeson ana Mr.
j. Lynch wore among tho white men whose dc3th
was instantaneous. Within lew moments after
the first shock had passed away, no less than hVc
fires broke out in different parts OF the city. lehdns
a terrifying illumination JO tho CHASTITY scenes
The ire department hurried forth to hght the
ilames but their efforts were practically of no
avail. The streets were so blocked with tho debris
that the engines and hosc-carriagcs could not be
drawn along and the fires really spent their iorce
before they were extnguished. About twenty
houses wero burned to ashes.
Several minor shocks were felt during the night
which were only serious in that they supplemented
the effects of the first great assault. and added tc
the CONSERVATION of tho people. The second heavy
wave swept along at precisely $50 a. Ill. yesterday
IL came from the southeast just rs its more awiu
predecessor had done and passed away toward th'
northwest. The popuace had now learned u
understand the admonotary evidences OF approach
ing peril. Alter spending tho night III the streets
endeavorng TO rcscuo the dead and wounded IRON
the ruins, the people were wearicd and hungry
Most of them had ventured back into tnelr a0an
doned homes. for little rest and food. Again they
head the dull rumble beneath them and felt The
sckcnng trenor of the earth. They poured on
into the streets to seek tho open places. lhey lei
, the earth quiyor and heavc, and then the soun'
died away. but not before many other bnilding
had been shaken to the ground. To-day by far th
great majority of houses nnnhabitable an'
their wreck and ruin is sad to behold Bushes