Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-17
STORY OF A REFUGEE.
"omnns Awful Experience IN IN.
Charleston Earthquake.

Charleston Earthquake.
New York World.
A young lady who arrived In this cItv
from Charleston yesterday said 70 a
world reporter; 81 have neither Ian.
guage nor nerve to describe the horrors
OF the last few days. We had no warning.
First came that awful roaring sound. and
we all started and looked at each other
Win frightened, questioning faces. Then
.ne mousse swayed swiftly ana heavily
from side to side, The walls
crashed all around us, negroes
yeied, and men, women ano chill.
uren, who poured out by hundreds
INTO the streets, half OF them In their
nlgnt-clothes, cried out in terror. Then
tne gas went out, the skies were dark.
ened, and no one could find his nearest
ana dearest. All the while the earth
rolled beneath our feet like the waves of
tne ocean. Suddenly all about us the
SKIES We're lit by fires in all parts OF the
city, and news came that the water-works
were damaged, and the people cried des.
palrlngly, no water No waterr
hardly dare recall what happened that
night. When think Of II II seems that
my reason would leave me, but OF all
loved none are dead and none are
wounded, thank God!
"The streets are full OF tents, and turn
where one will ruin stares one in the
lace. Babies are born in the streets. We
mad patient OF my brothers. who was
brought to our garden. She felt as II be.
ing near him might save her, and she vet
lives. | was many times at the bed OF a
lady who was in the hospital The morn
Ing OF that night she had had an opera
ton performed upon her. The hospital
fell. She was found in her bed uncon-
scious, lay in the street all night, and
then was brought to us. We did what
we could for her. scarcely knew her
name, but nothing matters now. All
ceremonies are swept aside.
"a friend came to me and said: There
Is possibility of getting away, come II
you cam; so ventured into the house
for few things, snatched up some
clothes and little money, and came.
Such wreck as there was upstairs
wardrobes down, walls cracked, plaster
ing falling, and yet when l went else.
where found had much to be thank
full for-but, oh, nay home my home!"
81 am in the clothes | wore Tuesday,
cold-aiways cold. While the earthquake
was going on what seemed to me more
terrible than the yells of the negroes and
the cries of the children were the sounds
that the aulmsls made. The dogs broke
into bowls, the horses screamed like hu.
man beings, and even the fowls made the
most unearthly noises. Jets OF water
came from the earth so hot that 1t burnt
our feet with the steam as we ran by, and
the air was sitting with the smell of sui
phur. Don't think am unsettled In my
mind. l am truthfully telling you Of
sights and sounds that must haunt me
forever. In the midst Of it all l could
not pray, and many other people told me
the same thing. felt that God was
powerless, or certainly he would stay
his hand. have faced death at sea and
in illness, out have never felt as did
then; it seemed SO hopeless. This was
utter misery.
"Even in the midst Of all that tragedy
some amusing things happened. Old
Mr.. Henry A. Middleton Is over ninety
four years Of age and has become so
feeble that his family persuaded him
to give up his usual summer at Newport.
The whole side OF his house fell cut and
the family escaped to the garden, where
they camped all night In the morning
the old gentleman disappeared for while
and returned in the course Of an hour
spick and span and selt-possessed. He
had made bis way into the house, taken
his usual morning bath, despite the fact
that the whole side OF the house was out,
dressed himself carefully in clean clothes,
and when his family wanted to send him
away said that he found the earthquake
very exciting and meant 10 stay and see
1t out.
"Another thing that was very funny
was an old lady who came running out to
see US as we were crouched among the
fig trees in our garden. She was in bed
when the shock came and, though she
brought her stockings and most Of her
clothes in her hand, she had taken time
to put on her cap"
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