Telegram-herald., 1886-09-02
THE BIC EARTHQUAKE
Ruin and DesOlation ia the City
of Charleston.
ALL RAIL COMMUNICATION CUT orr
People Still Camping Oui in PARKS
and Open Places Fears OF Star
patioo hirtf Or Forty Killed
ard One Hundred Wounded.

tnahAtritas =. g.. sept z. ? y I'd 80
slight earthquake shocks have been isli
here today sinos ihe one which occurrei
tlis morning They were bui slight
quakes and neither oi them did any further
destruction Even during General Gil
more's bombariment of Tie city there has
never been sach a aeplarable State # affairs
here The cifg is literally In ruins and ile
people are living on ihe open sQuafes
aud parks There ls great
rush % the railroad dep0ts ID
pet away owing 10 damage 10 railroads
80 trains have been aole to be- dispatched
from the CITY. Ieiezraphic communication
IS also cut Oh save one wire of the Southern
Telegraph Company which Is crowded wlth
anxious mes~euges. IL Is impossible to
depic Toe ruin aud desuiation that prevails
here N0t single place If business lu the
city is open save Tie drug stores which
are busy pTepaung Prescriptions
for the wounded. II is impossible at this
writing p m to give any correct este
mate OF the killed aud wounded a. bodies
are constantly being disin,erred from the
debris of wrecked houses. one uuderlaker
who was interviewed this afternoon said
/ that he furnished eight collins up a. noon to-
/ day Many of the dead Of the poorer class
Of col0red people lie unburied, awaiting
/ burial by the county. There are NOT .
1 half dozen tents IN the city and
! women and children are experiencing great
privafiOns in cOnseQ uence. and a. night ap-
proaches most Oi the heads Of families are
trying - construct tents out 81 bed sheets
| spare awnings ana any other material that
comes TO their hands The SUI has about
/ set on another night Of horror Tor poor
! Charleston. Heaven only knows what IL
may bring forth
at a quarter past o'clock when thou
sands of the people of Charleston We're ont
/ in the open squares an0 vacant places Of
| the city, liz gering and resigned 20 another
! night of anxietv fear and terror the pre-
! mOnitOry symptoms Of another earthquake
were heard and felt IN a shghi vibratury
/ wave aud shock No additional damage ar
wreckage OF buildings followed. but
! men, women aud children cut in
/ the open spaces were for while
/ greatly agitated. The situafipn is
/ becoming desperate with "A whole CRY
camped ont In a terrible state of fear. Tie
/ negroes have taken possession Of al tie
parks and vacant lots, aud are holding ex-
/ cited prayer meetings.
/ All the damage ~ property and all loss
of life was caused by the first shock
at 9.55 last night, and YET, owing
10 the repeated shocks and lack oi
] systematic ef prfs O. uneartl casualties 10
]
! dead % is believed, are Yet buried in the de-
/ bris aud no regular relief parties have been
! organized 20 recover their bodies. lutor-
! tuuately the mavor of the city is noW in
/ Europe and his place is indlfierenuy filled
! Tie chief Of police too. il seems. is unable
10 meet the emergencies.
EVENING The alarm and apprehension
among the citizens continues unabateo.
! The streets present a picture Of desolaiiou
and ruin. rhe ports and open places arc
the camping grounds of thousands uf poor
! iy clad discouraged people. There is Il gen
/ eral desire among the more weli-to do
/ classes 10 get away from the cify and a.
soon as communication is established there
| will be an exodus. There VIII be many
families who viii remove temporarily.
| while the restoration of the city ls being
carried on. There are also many visitors
who will hasten 10 their homes.
| 4 well-knOwu citizen thus describes has
| experience during the shock last night
/ I'VE all made a rush for the street. bui
| when we saW buildings swaying and walls
| topping into the streets in every direction.
! a feeling of despair seemed 10 seize upon
| everybody. q. for one. realized the use
lessness of attempting % escape. and saw
| others stop and stand still. as II giving
| themselves up 10 whatever fate
| had in store for them. The
| sickening sensation caused by the
| movement of the earth was hardly more
appalling than the terrible noise wbich Sc
| c1mp3nied the shock This was not very
/ loud. but was like a low aud threatening
groan under the earth. The piercing cries
of frightened women and children and the
frenzied shouts OF men calling 90 one
another aud attempting % organize some
| means of rescue formed singular
contrast 20 the suhierranean thunder.
| People stood desparing for a moment and
| then tumuitu0us rush was made for open
/ spaces ran ~ fast as anN body. vet
recall visibiv the horror pictured on fbe
/ faces of those near me. The weeping ~
women and the hosrse cries of The men as
they ran hither and thither among The
wrecks of walls and telegraph wfes. can
| never be- adequately described.
The largest crowd 81 fggidves
| collected in Marine square in tle center oi
the citv Three shocks followed one snoib-
er at short intervals. aud hardly had lhe
| panic causel by one partially ahatei when
another tremor of TIE earth renewed the
alarm So frightened wefe The waiting
crowds that they hardly perceived ibai each
shock was somewhat lighter than iis prede-
Cessor. 10 was only late iu the morning
thsi the pragerlal and despairng thrOuE
mud the earth once more solid ior many
hours gathered courage en- )nEh to again
seek he ueigbherhoo1 ol their shattered
homes
p m Tile situation shows no San.
pr0vement up to this h0ur The problem
/ If shelter is a serious ore Tor sick auf
wounded people. women aud children. hn'
as She Wea her is fine there is not muel
actual suffering on fhis score The prncips
danger AZ present seens 20 bs tnaf the f0ua
supply NAV give uut Alrea5T there Is
s great scarcity of foai and none car
b. obtained frsm outside tbe CITY. a. al