The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-04
cHARLEsroN's MISFORTUNE.
DepIorable Situation of Affairs in
the Palmetto City.
Three More Dead Bodies Found in
the Ruins of Buildings.
Another Shock Felt at Charleston
Last Night,
Which Causes a General Alarm, bu
Mo Damage Results.
Efforts Being Made to Restore Bust
ness and Good Order.

Efforts Being Made to Restore Bust
ness and Good Order.
Theory of the Origin of the Earth
quake Shakes.
CHARLESTON, S. c., Sept. 3.-The stua-
| tion of affairs here is deplorable. Rudely
| improvised tents have been constructed,
| seen everywhere. Few persons have as yet
| slept indoors, and the houses are deserted as
| if plague-stricken. Confidence, however, is
returning, and should there not be return
| of the earthquake, Charleston will be in the
| usual hustle of business within "a hours,
| although inconvenience and delay will be
experienced for months to come The most
| alarming feature of the present condition OF
| affairs rests in the shaky condition of the
buildings. Nine-tenths of the brick struc--
| lures are cracked through and through and
threaten to tumble The chimneys that have
| not actually fallen are badly careened and
would fall if touched Inquiries continue to
| pour in from friends of Charlestonians from
| different points of the country concerning
| the loss of life. The search for the dead is
still progressing, but it is believed that all
| the bodies have been found.
None of the vessels in Charleston harbor
| will go to sea until their captains are abso-
| lutely sure that the earthquakes are all over.
| The most frightened and superstitious people
| were the negroes
Since the Shocks, holes in the earth, re-
| sembling artesian wells, have sprung up in
| the neighborhood of Charleston. They vary
| in diameter but average two feet, and ap-
| parently are bottomless. Mica and other
! minerals, never found in that section before,
| are found around their mouths Soft mud of
blush color oozes from assures in the
| ground surrounding them, and their water
| savorS of soda. People living in theii yicin-
ity report that when it first burst forth it was
steaming hot and spouted fifty feet up into
the air.
A Theory of the Cause of the Earth
quake.
CHARLESTON, Sept. 3 - The News and
Courier will publish tomorrow the following
explanation of the recent earthquake: There
there can be no doubt but that the various
earthquake shocks had their origin in the Is
lands Of the Mediterranean, Greece and Italy.
On August 90 it was reported the occurrence
of destructive earthquake throughout
Greece and Italy, that there had been two
eruptionS of Vesuvious, and that the volcano
was still very active. Those eruptions gave
vent to internal commotion which produced
quaking of the earth in the vicinity but the
shocks being communicated to the earth have
Travelled in various directions, in some with
more violence than in others, as they were
felt the same day throughout Egypt, but do
ing little damage.
The deaths of Florence Rector. Sarah
Glover and Mary Lee were reported today.
The total loss at Summerville was estimated
at 100000. Two slight shocks were report
ed today in Charleston, bat they were not
felt by many persons.
Phenomena in SummervlIe.
CHARLESTON, S. G., Sept. 3.-The horror
of the situation in Somerylle on Wednesday
ro1, rad Ixr foft
tions that were not observed in Charleston
to any extent. All during the day there
were constant series of detOnations, now
east, now west, and from all possible direc-
tions. 1t resembled the discharge of heavy
guns at intervals of about ten minutes, and
was like the sounds of a bombardment at a
great distance. All these explosions were
not accompanied by tremors of the earth. as
it was only occasionally that the earth would
quake from subterranean discharges.
remarkable fact was noted in Summer
vile in respect to the bulging of the water
from the interior of the earth, nearly all of
the wells had been at low water. There
was sudden rise in all of these wells, and
the additional water was pure. Looking
down into one of these wells the observer
could, on the eve of any of the loud detona-
tions see the water rise up the walls of the
wells, and, after the shock, again subside.
A party of cOlored men reached Summer
vile last evening from a point fifteen miles
distant, and they relate the most eXtraordin-
ary occurrence that has happened yet. They
declare that genuine volcano has appeared
and is now vomiting heated blush mud. They
swear that this mud is thrown to height of
twenty feet and that 1t is rushing down the
hillsdes in boiling torrents. Peculiar rocks
have been elected, and lurid flames were seen
to issue through the crevices in the earth.
These men aver that they came to a chasm
over two hundred feet in length and about
four feet wide at the opening They found
many smaller fissures. A sulphurous odor
impregnated the air, and dizziness came
over every one who breathed it,
a More Hopeful Outlook.
New YORK, Sept. "a despatch was re-
ceived at the Office of the Western Union
Company in this city from Charleston just
formed the chief office that eight wires were
in working order from that city. One of
them has been given completely over for the
use of the railway people, leaving seven for
general use. Some occasional Interruptions
occur through the activity OF the people in
their endoavors to restore order by clearing
away the debris on the streets, removing
dangerous walls and other active work pre-
paratory to the reoccupancy OF the build
ings.
No more shocks have been experienced
since the latest reported yesterday. The
outlook is therefore much better, as the
people seem to have thrown aside all SEM
blance of fear and are going to work with
morning presented a scene of great activity.
The people have been encamped on the open
places all night. Dispatches from all parts
of the United States had, therefore, accumu-
lated in consequence of the difficulty of find
ing the persons to whom they have been ad-
dressed. A large force of messengers were
employed to hunt up these persons on the
camping grounds. These messengers visit
the camps and shout the names in about the
same way as they do in the different eX-
changes of this city. A despatch from Cen
eral Superintendent Merrihew was sent
from this city ordering that horsemen should
be engaged, If possible to facilitate the de-
livery of dispatches to the people who have
not yet returned to their homes.
Panic of Georgia Negroes.
ATLANTA Ga, Sept. 3.-Interest in this
city is now wholly centred in Charleston,
from which place it seems to be impossible to
get an accurate idea of the damage. The
excitement among the country people in
Georgia is intense, the prevalent belief being
that the Judgment day is coming, or that
great wars are in the future. Mrs. Sander
son, living in Catoosa county, has become
deranged, and is calling upon her friends to
forsake,their evil ways and to embrace re-
lgion, because the day of wrath has come.
A Kingston lady draws attention to the fact
that the earthquake began in South Carolina
just as the late conflict between the States.
1.-THE Shock" says she, (which will fol-
low this earthquake will be greater than the
shock which followed the firing on Fort
Sumter. South Carolina is the evil genius
of the Union She is destined to be the
starting point for all the great disasters
which will befall this country. There will