Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-09-09
A WRECKED CITY.
Havoc Of the Earthquake at
Charleston, S. q.
Great Loss Of Life-The Destruction
to Property Roughly Estimated
at 100000.

CHARLESTON, $. c., Sept. There
was terrible earthquake here last
night at 9E0 o'clock. The principal
business portion of the city was destroy
ed and hundreds of persons were rem
dered homeless. Men were frantic,wo
men were beSeeching mercy from the
Almighty and children were in tears.
THE SCENE THRILMNGLY DESCRIBED.
The following article was prepared
for publication IN the News" and
Courier" and is telegraphed almost
in the writer's own words
Necessarily the description that can
be given of the disaster which has be-
fallen our city consists in the narration
of the experiences and observations of
individuals, and, the subject being the
same and :he experiences of all being
nearly alike, the story told by one care
full observer may well stand for hun
dred others, with slight variations.
Probably the best idea that can be had
of the character of the disturbance here
may be obtained from narration OF
the events and scenes Of Tuesday night
as they were presented to single per-
son. When engaged in his usual duties
in the second story room of the 'News
and Courier" office at the time of the
first shock the writer's attention was
vaguely attracted by sound which
seemed to come from the office below,
and which was supposed for a moment
to be caused by the rapid rolling of a
heavy body, as an iron safe or heavily
laden truck, oyer the floor. Accompa-
nying the sound there was a parcepti-
ble tremor of the building, not more
marked, however, than would be caused
by the passage of a street car or dray
along the street. For perhaps two or
three seconds the occurrence excited no
surprise or comment. Then by swift
degrees, or perhaps all at once, it is diff
ficult to say which, the sound deepened
in volume, the tremor became more de-
cided, the ear caught the rattle of win
dow-sasheS ,gas-fxturas and other loose
objects. The men in the office, with
perhaps simultaneous fash of recol-
lections of the disturbance of the Fri
day before, glanced hurridly at each
other ,sprang to their feet, with startled
questions and answers. What is that!
Earthquake ? And then all was be-
wilderment and confusion. Then the
long roll deepened and spread into an
awful roar that seemed to pervade at
once the troubled earth and the still air
above and around. The tremor was
a rude, rapid quiyer that agitated the
whole lofty, strong-walled building as
though it were being shaken by the
hand Of an immeasurable power with
intent to tear its joints asunder and
scatter its stones and bricks abroad as
a tree casts its over-ripened fruit before
the breath of the gale.
There was no intermission in the VI
bration of the mighty subterranean en-
CINE. From the first to the last it was
a continuous jar, only adding force at
every moment, and as it approached
and reached the climax of its manifes'
tatlon it seemed for a few terrible Sec
onds that no work of human hands
could possibly survive the shocks. The
floors were heavlng under foot, the sur
rounding walls and partitions visibly
swayed to and fro, the crash of falling
masses of stone and brick and mortar
was heard overhead, and without the
terrible roar lilled the ears and seemed
to fill the mind and heart, dazing per-
ception, bewildering thought, and for a
few painting breatls, or while you held
your breath in dreadful anticipation of
immediate and cruel death, you felt
that life was already past, and waited
for the end as the victim, with his head
on the block, awaits the fall of the up
lifted AK.
1t is not given to many men to look
in the face of the destroyer and yet live;
but it is little to say that the group of
strong men who shared the experience
above family described will carry with
them the recollection Of that supreme
moment to their dying day. None ex-
pected to escape. A sudden rush was
simultaneously made to endeavor to at
tain the open air and flee to a place of
safety; but before the door was reached
all reeled together to the tottering wall
and stopped feeling that hope w9s vain,
that it was only a question of death
within the building or without, to be
buried by the sinking roof or crushed
by the topping walls. The uproar
slowly died away in seeming distance.
The earth was still, and oh! the blessed
relief of that stiffness {; but how rudely
that silence was broken. AS we dash
ed Gown the stairway and out into the
street, already on every side arose the
shrieks, the cries of pain and fear, the
prayers. wailings of terrified women
and children mingled with the hoarse
shouts of excited men. Out in the
street the air was filled to the height OF
the houses with whitlsh cloud OF dry,
sitting dust from the lime and mortar
and shattered masonry which, falling