New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-02
AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE.
ANXIOUS FOR NEWS FROM CHARLESTON,
PROFESSOR NEwBERRY's oPINIoN-wHAr PEOPLE
SAY THEY FELT

W many III enis CITY, the true cause not fully
reaized until the appearance of the morning papers
yesterday. AS business men came together they
okingy described their feelings during the period Of
oscillation but when news respecting the real cond
ton of affairs In Charleston beg an to appear ON tho
bulletin boards the face of every one wore look Of
concern and anxiety. At first the meagre reports
telling briefly Of great disaster were regarded as SEN
satona exaggerations, but these were quickly fol-
lowed by dispatches giving details which seemed to
forete the absolute destruction of the city Large
crowds assembled around the newspaper oices where
bulletins piacarded, and the faces of those COM
posing them grew pale they read the story Of
disaster. The Western Union Telegraph ofice was
early bcseged by those who had fr;onds in the
stricken city and by business men seeking further in
formation from commercial correspondents there, but
all dispatches to the place refused because
munic2tion by wire was entirely broken This fact
excited the gravest apprehension and suggested
the worst possibilities what is the latest from
Charlestonp was the inquiry with which every ons
was met. Nearly every business house known to have
connections in Charleston visited in the vain hopa
that information might thus be obtained which was
not available elsewhere but the reply came from all
that nothing was known beyond that which had
appeared in the newspapers the bulletin boards.
The apprehension of tidal at Charleston
sulting from the shock was frequently expressed
|
shipping Late IN the afternoon. however, and as
telegraIhic communication was re-establlshed,
a dispatch received by William p. Clyde & Co.
from their agent at Charles ton saying:
Disastrous earthquake here Iast night Our steamers
Delaware and Virginia, and their wharves escaped any
| INJURY, however
The receipt of this message and the prompt crcula-
ton of its contents had the effect OF relieving the
minds of those pecunarly well as humanely inter-
/ gpI Z I.ia fl,nto oI, 1or Ia
lapse of time all danger of additional disaster had
passed.
Superintendent SOmervllle of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, was at his desk throughout tho
day. kindly submitting to all accredited callers latest
reports from the locality Of the disaster 1t was
o'clock before he could obtain really positive norna
tiOn ari thi; contained in a dispatch sent from
Ashley Junction, six miles distant from Charleston.
lie said that the company had sixteen wires running
into Charleston and some of these being quadruplex
at least twenty-five circuits would be available
as the work OF restoration conld be completed. Every
effort being made be said 10 re-estabsh commune
cation. This result effected shortly before
o'clock when complete details began TO arrive
The Signal Olice being dependent upon the Western
Union for telegrlphic communication South was also
without details. While avoiding the advancement Of
anything III the way of theories, OF the officers
referred to the peculiar condition of the weather dur
ing the last week as suggestive of the disturbances
which have been experienced the seaboard. On
Tuesday evening it also noTiced that just about
sunset yellOwish mist hung over the city. How far
this extended is not known, but the condition
was observed ty others and remar ked upon. 1t was
unusual, if not unprecedented, but one of those
| phenomena sometimes witnessed Immediately preced-
ing the scattering of storm a sutry summer day.
Being quickly followed by the earthquake wave
the association of the two cannot fai in the opinion OF
those familiar with the subject OF being regarded az
having some meteorological bearing upon the earth
disturbances.
As as be ascertained the of the earth
quake in this city in northeasterly direction.
Tbs shocks were distinctly felt of that portion
of Harlem lying west of Eghth-aye.. while east OF
that thoroughfare there to have been yibra
ton whatever Alfred Ganun, Professor Daniel
Diapers assistant the Central Park Observatory,
| was at his home at Washngton-ave and One hun
dredand sixty siIth-st throughout the evening and
| although he is habituslly on the lookout for any
natural phenomenal felt no disturbance. DIR. O'Leary.
who is also ntereste in meteorology, lives in East
S1ty-rstst near the Park and positive that there
| were 10 vibrations in his neighborhood In TACT all
along the east side above Grand-st the people
in issl ignorance OF the shaking which their fellow
citizens had the West side, until they saw the
morning papers
The engineer in the water tower at bigh Bridge felt
the structure tremble about 10 o'clock and thought
| that something wrong with the machinery. A
close inspection set at rest his fears on this score and
| he thought nothing more of the matter until he saw
| the morning papers. People in the neghborhood
| say that the tower swayed To and tro
| The Central Park Observatory on the roof OF the
arsenal WAS deserted at the time of tue earthquake,
but the telephone operator. who was on duty IN
room on the third noor says that he felt no shock,
None of the dozen more automatic meteorological
| natr
| movement retbrdcd any vibration of the bul ding
during the night and this is assumed as proof positive
! that there was none. When Flood Rock was blown
up on October 10 1883 the charts ind Gated that the
arsenal had departed from its equilibrium exactly half
! nm inch The earthquake shock of August 10, 1884,
| was also noted by the indicating pencils 10y mark
| one thirty of an inch long. The theory OF
scientists explain the course taken by the earth
| quake IN this city is that IL followed line OF solid
rock from the northwestern to the southeastern part
| of the city and prevented from spreading IN
lateral direction by the large areas of made ground
on both sides OF the line Professor John Newberry,
professor OF geology ut Columbia College, sat IN his
room in the old college building the time the shock
was felt in this city and knew nothing OF until yes
| terday. .
that If there had been any movement OF the building
| | would have been aware OF II. When We had the
earthquake in 1854 several geological specimens IN
my cabinet were overthrown aud broken. but | found
disturbed to-day and so incline TO the belief that
| tn ere was no shock here From the information
| have at hand | should Judge that the shocks were
caused by the displacement OF heavy masses oil rocks
in the Appalachian system pro0aOy III the plaIA
| Mountains of North Carolina. The cause OF earth
quakes Is mystery whatever they are governed py
the laws of expansion and contraction lsrgcly. lho
constant chan yes which are going on Inside oil inc
earth naturally affect the exterior ana cause ehor-
nous cracks or faults in the strata OF the rock one
side of the rock at the fault will suddenly cave IN and
IN so dong exert such pressure a. to shake tho
| 70 - Co. ,nous,nds of miles around. Movements
S ,h;s sort nave been going for time Moth
CaroIina The atmospheric pressure, which has been
reoter than usual the South during the last Tort
Sight may have had something 10 do with this earth
quake. -, :; - ..,u ,...
the earthquake on thus continent and tho other
natur,I phenomena which have come 10 light IN tho
last few daysl" the reporter asked.
| Not the slightest" answered the professor firmly.