Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-09-02
DEATH AND RUIN.
Loss of Life and Damage
to Property.
THE EARTHQUAKES TRACK

THE EARTHQUAKES TRACK.
Charleston, 5. c., In Ruins-The
Inhabitants Frenzy-Stricken.
Relief for the Sufferers.
Especial 10 The Herald bs me Associated Prcss.
CHARLEsroE, s. c.. Sept. /, II An.
The earthquake was such as has never
before been known In the history Of this
city. 1t shook Charleston last night
shortly after 10 o'clock, causing more
loss and injury to property and far
more loss Of life than the cyclone
Of a year before. The city is wrecked.
the streets are encountered with masses
Of brick and broken telegraph and tele-
phone wires, and up to an early hour it
was almost impossible TO pass from one
part Of the city to another. The first
shock was by far the most severe. Mo.t
Of the people, with their families, passed
the night in the streets, which even this
morning are crowded with people afraid
to enter their homes. More than sixty
persons were killed and wounded, chief
ly colored. Among the whites killed or
fatally wounded are NJ. J. Lynch, Dr.
Alexander Hamlon and Ainsley Rober
son. Fire broke out in d fferent parts Of
n ia. ..... 81. al L.
quake. Some are still burning, but
there is no danger Of their spreading
There is no way of leaving the city at
present.
The principal business portion of the
| city was destroyed and hundred per
sons were rendered homeless. Men
were frantic, women were beseechiug
mercy from the Almighty. and children
were in tears. The Station House, City
Hall, Hibernia Hall and many other
public buildings. including st. Miobael's
church, were irreparably damaged.
Broad street presented a spectacle Of the
utmost horror. Even women, armed
with hatcbets, fought valiantly to res
cue the imprisoned unfortunates. Meet
ing street, from Broad 10 Hazel street, is
q wreck and is Ii ed with unfortunates.
To add TO the horror Of the scene
many fires broke out and were ineffectu-
ally fought by the fire department. The
night was hideous with the groans of
dying and the screams of the wounded.
Up to 7 o'clock this morning there have
been ten distinct shocks.
Not to exceed one hunired houses in
The city are occupied at this time. The
l.. all ~.
All stores are closed and scarcity o.
provisions is feared, because no one tan
be got to go into the stores to sell them.
Hardly house In the city escaped inju
ry, and many are SO shaken and acked
that hard blow would bring them TO
the ground. The shock was severe al
Summerville, Mount Pleasant and Sulli.
vans Island. Fissures in some parts
are noticed from which fine sand, ap.
parently from great depths, exudes. A
sulpburous smell is very noticeable.
Three or four fires we're started in as
many sections with the first shock, and
the city was very soon illuminated with
flames, thus leaving all to believe what |
was left by the earthquake would be |
devoured by fire However, the fire |
department was so well divided and |
handled that the fires were under con.
troll by daylight. From 1876 to $50 res.
licences and stores were consumed. The |
loss by fire and earthquake cannot DO |
accurately estimated but may safely be
placed ut 100000. As far as could be
ascertained during the plight fifteen to
twenty were killed and a m1ch greater
number wounded in all sorts of ways.
The loss to human life will be large, and
it will take days to get the accurate
number.
Two slight shocks of earthquake have
been felt since the first, one at S:25 this
morning and the other about | 80 this
afternoon, neither doing any further de-
Not even during General
Gilman's bombardment of the city has
there been such a deplorable state of af
fairs here. The city is literally in ruins
and the people are living in the open
squares and public parks, and there is a
great rush to the railroad depots to get
away, but owing to the earthquakes no
trains have been dispatched from this
city. It is impossible to give any
correct estimate of the killed and
wounded, as bodies are constantly being |
disinterred from the debris Of wrecked
houses. Many of the dead are lying
unburied, these being of the poorer class
Of colored people, who await burial by
the county.
The sun is about to set upon what is
feared may be another nieht of horror.
Without any other violent shock of
earthquake it is calculated that at least
three fourths of the city will have to be
rebuilt entirely, if the houses are to BE-
inhabited.
NEW YORK, September 1.-The West
ern Union Telegraph Company has jus
secured communication with Charleston,
\. G.. A single wire has been obtained.
The cause of the obs ruction TO the
wires has not yet been learned. tt
Western Union agent at Richmond. Va
telegraphs the manager of the New York
office, saying: Our u,an at Charleston
Is demoralized and all his force has de
serted but oae man. There is big los
Of life aud property. am trying to get
something tangible"
WAsHINGToN, September l-l0:35 A
M.-The Southern Telegraph Company
reports an earthquake shock last night
II was very severe. Several lives Were
tOst anu u uuNlbcT VI iStoouo |
RICHMOND, Va, September |, 1875 A.
MA dispatch just received here says
the streets of, Charleston are blocked
with fallen buildings, telegraph pole
aud tangled wires. Over sixty persons
we're killed or wounded, and after the
earthquake fires broke ont 10 different
parts Of the city, but are notnow spread
ing. The population spent tue night II
the streets and vacant lots. There is 81
much confusion that it is hard to get
the facts.
RICHMOND, September IA dispatch
from hsrleston dated to-day, says: AT
S:45 this morning another wave swept
over the city, coming, as the other did.
from the southeast and going in North
west direction.
RAvRNELI, 5. c., September 1.-The
railroad ia under water in some places
between here and Charleston. The
earth has cayed in in several places.
NINE DISTINCT SHOCKS.
COLUMBUS, Ills, September l.-At /
9;4S last night this city was visited by a
terrible earthquake. The first two
shocks were fearful Buildings swayed
from side to side and the earth rose and
fell like the waves OF the ocean. People
rushed madly from their homes into the
streets, aud some spraug from windows
aud were injured. The experience of
those in buildings at the time of the first
shock was that OF being rocked in a ship
at sea. Many of the most substan-
tial buildings were shaken TO their
foundations and their walls cracked.
Five minutes after the first shock the
second came, and ten minutes later a
third. Other shocks followed until LOS
A. NJ. when the eighth shock was felt
and this one lasted for minute and
half. At four this morning the ninth
came and at $3.50 and 1920 A. NJ. the city
o,.ai,, ,,,as r,ada IN tran,hla Narx, little |