Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-09-16
ORARLEsTos.


ONE information of the damages 10
s. O., from the earthquake
We arrived in Charleston On Friday
in time for breakfast A. we
inferred the city tho frat signs OF drstruo
ion were general absence of chiInneyN
Ipon the different buildings. / began 10
eel disappointed, ms | had expected 10
ind the city in ruins. Finishing my
breakfast, / started for tho centre of the
,ity. Going out OF the station the first
building upon the opposite sido OF the
treet, large three-Htory brick had all
he upper story torn away. Huge cracks
ike forked lightning ran down toward
he ground, and the place was dan
yerous wreck. Leaving Chapel street,
passed along Elizabeth street to Calhoun
street, thence across Mariners Square, nm
open place as large AZ Market to |
French and Fourth to Sixth streets.
There saw the people living |
In all forms of fonts, some regular |
awnings, window curtains, table cloths,
bagging 40. Over 400 tents were on this
square, rudely sheltering about 5000
people. II reminded me of pictured war
scenes. l went among the people, two
thirds of whom are blacks. They seemed
aud hopeless. Leaving
Mariners Square, passed down King
street toward the central part of tho city.
King street ia about like Market street in
Wilmington. just picture in your mind
every other building on Market street
with the front wall thrown down into the
street, and II will give you faint idea of
how the city looks. now began to feel
that things had not been exaggerated. In
fact as got nearer the southern part Of
the city stood and gazed awe-struck
At Broad and King stands the police
station, large building about the size Of
Odd Fellows Hall. II ia actually dashed
to pieces. Huge columns of % inch
masonry are fractured into ln0 pieGea-
On the opposite side Of the street stands
st. Michaers Church, stately ediiice.
Its tall spire still stands, hut the front, n
huge arch supported BY four columns 10
feet high and 50 inches through, is thrown
forward about Is inches NJ tho top leaving
wide gaps at the bottom of eneh pillar.
The whole building appears rs if il would
tumble down with the slightest jar.
Leaving King street went down Broad
street TO East bay, md il il only by com
parison with home buildings that could
do justice to tho description of this terri
bly, wrecked city. On Broad street south
are massive buildings like our post-otliee
or Hanover Church AMI u. james resi-
dence, Eighth and West, for the buildings
here are similarly constructed, nearly all
having massive porches These are all
| thrown down. Tho earthquake seems
TO have acted with untold force on
hip rooted, brick houses, nearly every
brick house in Charleston of this deserip-
ton having been more or less damaged.
| Az came up to these terribly wrecked
honses so rapidly would others como
| into view TINT II gave one no time to
| ponder over its fearful destructive power.
From Broad and East Bny street our
party divided. | took Nh Fast Bay street
car for the N. Il. depot, where our Pull
man car was stationed, md getting my
camera, started for q days inspection.
Being more or less strange to the parts Of
Charleston that had suffered most, was
| guided by colored man. went nlon,!
East Buy street for distance of 81
squares to Meeting street, up Meeting
street three squares to Tradd, and along
Tradd three squares TO Church, mp Church
street to st. Phillips Church This GOV
cred my mornings trip.
To Individually describe every wrecl
would be impossible, but brief dcserip
ton of several will give you someid pa o
this wrecked city. Take the dwellings OF
Water street OF Wilmington botweol
! F"nr"t G''a Market fer comparative sly
..65 size. aud il will give you 4 Picture .
| Gnarteston business houses. Suppos
That ia power sufficiently eXeFtcd TO pus
these buildings over were brought to ben
upon them, the effect pictures to you III
appearance of Whole blocks in Gharlel
ton. Handsome residences We're twiste
until every wall is ground to piecei
window frames were ground to splinter
chiinneys crushed in tho streets below
wallis shattered with particles Of foorin
hanging by frail stringcrs, Often thes
houses contained goods or furniture 81
| posed to the open weather. CompaI
them with the cOlorcd Zion Church
our city after its front WINS partly removes
and You will then know whit Uharlesto
, looks like.
The people here arc Respondent, b,
i | nevertheless grateful to the north for il
: generous assistance. They treated us iineI,
| | and believe it was an effort of TINA. fin
ness in return for northern mid. There
D 30 much to sec, and 10 much to hear th,
one who visits Charleston can find unlin
| tied sights to consume his time On Sa
0 nrday morning we Ind special enpir
| | engaged and left nj 0 for Summerville,
o., % miles sonth of Charleston. In Til
section the earthqHRke appears 10 Ia,
A Ind central point. Our train was fir
0 stopped ut Ten Mile Hill, q small static
| on the 4. Il. railroad. There tho openin,
In the earth ARE wonderful; tons
= light colored sand have been force
d up In the centre of which o.
/. circular cavities from to 20 feet
diameter. They have tho appearance
4 geysor vents. Several of them came Il
1 directly in the railroad bed, forcing Tie
4 track and all into zig2ng course ~
g thoroughly undermining tile same.
freight train passing along few momen
g after left the track terrible wreck, W.
Il of which il still visible. For space
y 20 miles the circular vents and zigzi
openings, some Of which are 30 feet ION
|. are seen. 1t Ia odd TO SEQ these siren
e OF light sand travorsing largo field
n whose surface soil il a very dark gray.
v Landlord the wells are Lowell full Of yollo
earth ana ~ bare hh our paYeInents
u | WhibiE ht Ltl-mllt I1lll u man n EEtftt
J, covering two acres is completely hidd
from view, his truck being complete
ruined.
i 0ur next stop was at Summerville,
% which You have reld much. Here n
u houses are NIL frame, built on bin,
l. pillars, about -four feet from the eroun
= These were thrown in all direction
crushing some and twisting others, to
ping them oil their foundations and Col
. pletely running tho greater number
z residences in the town. One honse
this place crushed man and child in Il
= ruins. It Ia as fiat ON the ground MS
Q possible for the remains of house to b
"a After leaving SumnIerville we returned
:. Charleston, several OF our party gntlie
y ing punches Of rice and cotton on Il
II way. Arriving in Charleston and, aft
dining, trip to Sullivan's Island W
!. taken, which ended our trip i'll Charlie
. ton, a trip that can never be forgotte
:, and which Gun never be realized uni
u seen.
IT --------erS -
o IRON and STEEL.
"a -
nIfashnrn srhRaauaHaA NyEah M 1,