The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-03


waid always in a standing direction
The matter that was thrown up wa o
a dull, dark slaiy color, and wa!
mixed with gravel. There was alst
a little sbale, aud in general the muC
resembl.d that which is thrown from
the bottom of the phosphate pits slonl
the liver. The water in some placel
had The taste OF our a.tesian water
but in macy instances it was Just s
ear and limpsd as from & moantain
spr ng.
THEsE EVIDENCES CT THE GREAT CON.
VULsIoN
srs not sporadic. They extend fsr
and near in every direction
from the city limits oi
Charle ton - Summeryille, snd al
the attsr place Vt was found from
Trustworthy Information that the
cracks and assures are everywhere
visible for miles and miles around.
Strangely enough some of them were
in active operation, ard the COM tant
shocks that were felt al Summeryille
sent the water cut Of these hesures in
jets t. the height OF from fifteen to
twenty feet. This was evidently the
result OF the cracks being filed with
watei and then the sides opel ing
and cloeing by each succeeding shock.
These appearances we're, of coune,
suggestive of etili more violent erup-
tions, and there was constant dread
everywhere that there wou d be gem
eral inundation cause d by some extra
oIdinary force OF the earthquake.
Not only was the water emitted IN the
low places where it nigh be expected
to exist all the time but on tie tops of
the highest elevations the mud could
be seen. This latter fact ir diCated tnst
the force was being exerted at rather
mora than the depth that was at first
thought to be the limit of the force.
FATAL ACCIDENT.
Near TIN Mile Hill ia al accident
occurred on Tuesday night. Toe down
Columbia train jumped the track and
the engineer (Burns) and the fireman
(Arnold, colored,) were badly injured
by the tremendous leap which the
train took in the dark under the un-
seen Influence OF the shock thst dis.
msntled tne road. 1t WAS then raised
on the top of the succeeding terrestrial
undulstion and, having reached the
top of the wave, a sudden sw rving of
the force to the right and left hurled
the i'll fated train do sn the embsnk-
ment. How it was done was plainly
indicated. In many places along th3
track OF the South Carolina and North
ea.tern railroad, and for spaces OF
several hundred yards in width,
the dreadful energy of the earthquake
was expended in two particular ways.
First-TneIe were intervals OF hun
dred yards or more in which The track
had the appearance of having been
alternately raised and depressed, like
a line OF waves n oxen in the last posi-
tion. The second indication was
where the force had o.Ciated from
east to west, bending the rails in re-
verse yes, most Of them them TAX
ing tie shape of sing ,Ssnd others
of a double letter S, placed alongside
of it. The accidents occurred almost
invariably at trestles and Culverts.
There were no less tLsn five OF them
between the seven mile ju.etion and
Jedb0rg. In othsr places the track
had the appearance of being kinkei
for m les, but always 10 these Cases in
the direc ion OF the rails. The train
at the tina of the disaster was running
along at the usual sueed, and when
about mile south of Jedburg is er-
coun cred a terrible experience. 1t
was frr'ghIei aith hundr, d of excnr.
siopissteturning from the mountains.
They we're gay and hanpy, laughing
and talking, when all of sudden, in
the language of ore OF the excursion
ists. the train appeared to have Left the
tack and was going up, up, up into
the sir. This VS. the rising wave.
Suddenly il desceaded, and as it rap
idy tel, it was flung violently over to |
the east the side of the car apparently |
leaning over at less than an angle OF |
forty-fve degrses. Then there was a
r, hsx action and the train righted and
was haired, with roar as cf dis
charge Of artillery, over to the west, an d
finally subsided on the track and took
plunge downward, evidently
the descending wave. The en-
ginesr put down the brakes tight,
Dut SO great was the original
and added momentum, that the train
kept right ahead. IJ is said on trust
worthy authority that the train actu-
ally galloped along the track, the front
and rear trucks rising and falling al
ternately. The utmost confusion pre-
vailed, women and children shrieked
with dismay, ard the bravest heart
quaileG ia momentary expectation of
a more terrible catastrophe. The Rev.
Ellison Capers chapCed to be on
board, and he lost no time in convey
ing, ss best he could, in the agony of
the moment the best sdvice and coun-
sci he could offer. The train was
then taken back in the direction of
Jedbusg, and ON the way back the
work OF the earthquake was terribly
patent. The train had actually passed
over one of these s5rpentine curves
already described, and it is the simple
truth to state that every soul
on board was saved tolely through
the interposilion tf divine provi-
dence.
THE HORROR OF THE SITUATION IN SUM-
MERvILLR
on Wednesday was much intensified
by certain manifestations that were
not observed in Charleston to any
great extent. All during the day
there we're constant detOnations,
now east, now west, aud from
all possible directions. 1t rssembled
the discharge of heavy guns at inter
walls of abobt ten minutes and was like
the sounds of a bombatdment st a
great distance. All of these explo.
sions were not accompanied by trem-
ors of the earth ss it was only oc-
casionally that the earth would quake
from subterranean discharges. A
remarkable fact was noticed
in Summerville, 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 wai a sudden rise in all of these
wells, and the additional water was
pure. Looking down into one of
,hese wells the observer could, on
.he eve OF any OF the loud detona-
,ione, zee the rivers rise up the walls
If the wells, and after the shock
,oain auhaide Thare ia rather a