Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-09-11
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
What Baltimorean Observed of the
Earthquake at Charleston.

Thomas II. FOLSOM. of Baltimore gave re-
porter an account Of his experiences
Il was stopping at the Charles
Ton hotel" he said. II was in my
room, which was on the third fl ,or When
! Lit my gas heard a noise and supposed l
had broken something but could fl I'd moth
ing. l went to put my hat on the bureau
and just then the shock came would have
fallen if had not thrown my hands out and
chung to the window. It seemed as the ugh
the hotel was lifted up and swung backwards
and forwards a distance Of fifteen or twenty
feet at each vibration. l was terrified. At
the first shock the lights in the house all
went out. Then the plastering began to fall
1t flashed on my mind that should endeavor
to get out of the house, and got out into the
corridor and CROPPED my way, in utter dark
ness, amid falling plaster. Other people in
the house were likewise cropping their way
out. The air was filed with plaster
dust. All around was terrible
roaring and moaning sound, and the din was
heightened by the falling of timbers. l found
the front door OF the house closed, a fortunate
Thing for me, as it saved my life 1t took
me moment to fad the knob, and as l was
looking for it, tons of brick fell down from
the upper part of the house in front of the
door. ran out through the heaps of fallen
bricks and fell twice in getting to the middle
Of the street. There l remained terror
stricken
Two shocks came after reached the mid
die of the street, a faint one seven minutes
after the first, and another, more violent nine
minutes later. The three shocks occurred
within sixteen minutes. I remained in front
of the hotel until o'clock did not know
what to do. was so unneryed that could
scarcely stand. AS it became quieter, no
more SHOCKS occurring, 1 went up the street to
an open space and remained there until
O'clock. There we had another slight shock. At
3o'clock went to the Battery Park and found
it crowded. several thousands of terrified PEG,
pie having assembled there There l remain.
ed during the remainder of the night. At
daylight, l, like Others, felt more encouraged
and l moved around to see what destruction
had been done. l found at the Battery front
some of the most costly houses in the city
cracked from the ground to the top, and some
portions of the ground were destroyed com,
p!etely. All of the Charleston residences are
luilt with porches in front, many having
substantial pillars, and those porches were
all thrown down. There was not house in
Charlestown that had its chimneys stand>
ing.
1.-THE terror among the people during the
night was intense. They rushed through the
streets frantically, calling on God to have
mercy on them. People who, perhaps, never
prayed before, then prayed aloud. Then to
this was added the sllrieks Of the wounded and
lamentations Of those who had lost friends.
Here and there parties with lights were look
ing through the ruins for missing people.
The greatest terror and confusion reignei
everywhere. The people, when the shock
came, ran-men, women and children-out
into the streets in their night clothing, and
remained in that way during the night, hud-
died together in the street. None would ven
ture back into the houses"
Mr. Tolson said that he thought the pub
lished estimate of damage was too low, and
that three fourths Of the city would have to
he built. The people killed were killed
while leaving their houses, by the falling of
debris, All who could leave the city were
leaving