New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-04

but not severe earthquake shock was felt here at
ii p. M Much alarm was created and many peO-
| pie rushed from their houses to the street.
IN AND AROUND THE SHAKEN CITY
CHARLESTON AS 1T APPEARED TWO NIGHTS AFTER
THE SHOCK.
CHARLESTON. s. c., Sept. CSpeciab-rhe viii
| layers from sixty miles out from Charleston re-
ported renewed shocks Yesterday. tho heaviest of
which appear to have been at about 2 and o'clock
| in the morning. We found Yesterday Iu our ride
here from Atlanta on the relief engine the people
living out of doors for this entire distance. Usually
| the family was grouped under tree and often
made very interesting picture. They all rose
and gazed on the flying engine as If It was a new
earthquake aud returned the salutes of the pas
sengers with undsguised melancholy. At Ridge
vile there was not a chimney standing. The en-
tire population was living out doors and in box
cars. Flowing assures were reported and repeated
shocks bad been felt during the day. Two people
killed in TINS neghborhood by falling houses.
Cautions were Issued here to the conductor to
run very slow, and gangs of track
hands at work the
twisted track that we might pass over it,
Looking down long stretch of track the rails
were frequently out of line several feet. A
very intelligent rackman said:
1.-THE earth has contracted. l have been gong
up the road all day cutting ont pieces OF bar. |
have cut out as much as five feet IN one place.
cut two feet out of here. The earth contracts and
that bends the rails. So we have to shorten them"
He also told of stream of water that came gush-
ing out in the midst of gang of workmen and rose
several feet IN the air.
AT Jedburg we saw pitiful sight. Hundreds of
negroes and whites were gathered at the depot
the platform singing and praying. They took no
notice of our arrival but their weird
strong singing went ou Such terror
never saw on so many faces
Women were crying and chlldrens features were
tense with fear. Some had tainted and Others were
prostrated. 1t was rapidly growing dark aud as
night gathered. the terror seemed to grow. At the
word of prayer every soul went down In abase-
ment The prayers rntoned so that they were al
most songs and interrupted by shouts and screams
pathetic and exciting beyond description.
The prayers were directed squarely against the
earthquake. Whites and blacks joined in; even
the travellers lifted their hats and bowed their
heads. 1t a never to be forgotten;
these wretched and pitiful people turned out of
their homes, huddled under quilts or on the bare
ground aud showing paroxysms of fear-ignorant
supersttious and weeping. The women and chill
dren would ask us questions with tears
streaming down their cheeks and beg
us to take them with although
we were gong into the seat of danger. 1t was
nearly dark when we left there The little ones
were crawling under the quilts stretched on poles.
There signs of food or supper getting. The
praying and shouting had increased and the songs.
shouts and the walls of the children followed us
down the track
A few miles further on your correspondent drank
his first earthquake water 1t came from hssure
which had thrown up car load OF blush mud
very sticky and cohesive. The water tasted of
sulphur and ron but not disagreeably 80. At this
place we saw the first house that had been levelled
by the shock 1t was a country double house, and
in its fall it killed a woman and
child. 1t was tumbed into heap,
just as looks heap of chips shaken fiat. 1t was
now dark and the engine that should have had us
in Charleston at o'clock was picking its way
slo WY along. Camp fires blazed IN the woods,
homes were deserted and silent, and their inhabi-
tsnts fitting about the fires people the woods and
remind one of war times
Our engine all at once thrown sharply to the
right and then to the left and telegraph lineman
who sitting on the tender was thrown to the
ground and severely injured On stopping we
learn that sharp shock had passed. The track IS
three feei wide aud out of gear 70 the right and
left A track hand reports a shock half an hour
ago accompanied with an explosion whicn opened
the ground for spaces of feet and threw
streams of water fifteen feet higd.
The engine crawled along again and the
outbound passenger train met aud passed us at
snails pace. We felt constant inequalities, the
track rising and sinking and swaying. We passed
by fssures of flowing water which almost lined the
track. We detected them by the smell of sulphur
even before could see the water glistening.
Truly we were in the midst of earthquakes. A
feeling of depression aud awe seized upon the party
of travellers that began the trip 30 gayly and would
not be thrown off Often for hundred feet the en-
glne reeled if it boat and so we came into
Charleston. The first sight that struck us on en-
terlng was line of cars crowded to sufocation
with people turned in for the night The hrst sound
was religious singing proceeding from each OF the
cars The irst impression made on Us by Charleston
was that 1t was a dlsordery city, the sidewalks
and streets being dlled with bricks and debris.
The second impression that IL was q slightly
tipsy city, a house here and there being out OF
plumb and leaning aft ectionatey against its neigh
Dor. The third impression was that 1t was camp.
Citadel Green and every park aud breathing place