The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-05
TRR STRICKEN CITY.
LITTLE IMPROVEMENT in THE
SITUATION At CHARLESTON.
The PEOPLE still Very Nervous and
Confidence Greatly Impaired By
Friday Nights Shocks.
THE HARBOR NOT AFFECTED BY
THE QUAKE.
Contributions OF Money Still Pour.
ing In From New York
Sensational Scenes.

The Ne,cs and Courier today publishes
the following in regard TO the recent
earthquakes: There can be no doubt
that the recent earthquakes had Their
origin in the islands OF the Mediterrs
mean and in Greece and Iialy. On
Augu.t Goth was reported the occur
renee OF destructive earthquake
throughout Greece and Italy; thai
there had been two eruptions OF We
suvius, and that the volcano was still
very active. These eruptions gave
vent to the internal connection which
had produced the quaking Of the earth
in that vicinity, but the shocks being
communica ed TO the earth have trav.
eled in various directions, in rome
with more violence than in Others, IS
they were felt the same day through
out Egypt, but doing little damage,
The shocks sFem to have extended
westward with more rapidity and vol
ume than in any other direction, the
vibrations Of the particles of
the earth's surface being tranf-
mitted under the sea at
the rate OF about 100 miles an hour,
occupying about seventytwo hours in
travelling distance OF $500 miles be-.
fore reaching the western shores OF
the Atlsnt'c, travelling, rs II did,
almos. due west. One OF the first
points on the shore line which it
could reach was the coast OF South
Carslina, but YOU zee that 1t was felt
along the entire coast ss far as b )ston,
and spread &C oss the continent with
diminishing force as the variou', more
solid and rocky portions OF the sur
face retarded the vibrations, until 1t
seems to have been almost entirely
stopped by friction in the Northwest.
ern States. The reason why the
shocks were mora v Dent in the vi
cinity Of Charleston and Summervi lie
is there is more OF a soft, yielding ma
turs in the Superficial upper strata
which conducted the vibrations, and
the forward movements Of the earth
waves meeting with less resistance
than from the h AID subst inces far her
in the interior were more rapid
aud jerky, and shook the
surface with more violence. The pres
ence Of the innumerable fissures OBJ
servable In the city and country ss far
as Summerville aud beyond Is &C
"ouuted for by this same soft material
yleldiug rapidly TO the pres ure OF the
earth waves which pushed up the
thin cru and squeezed out, as 1t were,
the water and saud subject to the
pressure. The blue sand and the yell
low sand thus 81 scied are found In the
upper strata, and that 1t came 1 ON
near the surface is proven by the fact
thst no msrl Is found in it aud that it
begin, a. from s'xty-five TO ninety feet
below the surface and exterdsto near.
ly HOO feet deep. To show sill more
conclusive'y that the wavs motions
were confined to very limited depth
beneath The surface, II is only neces-
sary to state that none Of the shallow,
or 400 feet artesian wells are at all ai-
fected, nor is there any change no ice.
able in the flow or quality of
the water from the two deep aIteslau
wells, as would have besn the case
II the cause of the earthquake had
been local or deep seated, This state
ment OF the communication oil land
waves to enormous dis ances 10 fully
verified by the observations Of pre-
vious earthquakes since end even be-
fore the Christian era. The ABSENCE
OF tidal wavs proves conclusiyely
that the cause of the disturbance was
confined to the land, aud the jerky
motion communicated 10 vessels as
reported by their officers waI caused
by the vertical V brAtions intermediate
between the Iaaid forward ttansm g.
aud the slower backward jerks.
LAST NIGHTS SHOCK
has greatly impaired confidence. The
slightest nos, such as the jar of a
door, will empty any house OF its iu-
habitants.
1t is very difficult 10 deliver tele
grams, ~ few people can be found at
their usual places.
At s O'Clock this morning The West
ern Union Company succeeded in
clearing up business with all cities for
the frs time since the earthquake.
ANOTHER PANIC.
The earthquake shock last night
csust d great alarm on account Of tho
shattered condition OF the nerves Of
the people. Those persons who had
veptured back under their roofs hur-
ried into the streets, which presented
for a few minutes as rJgical an appeSr-
ance as on Tuesday night. But little
actual harm WIS done by the shock.
Two uniensn,ed houses are reported
to have fallen, together with part of
the coping OF the Charleston Hotel.
The vibration during the shock was
not especially great, but the moaning
and bowling sound was sufficiently
alarming. Gradually the people had
come 10 the conviction that the shocks
were at an end, and the disappolnt.
ment was sgonizing. The sensation
today is the falling OF showers of ptb.
bles in the lower part of the city. The
first fall was OF Z 80 o'clock this morn
ing and the second at ABOUT IL o'clock.
They appeared to fall In chanting
direction from south 10 north. There
are morsels OF flint among them and
all are plainly sbiaided and worn by
the action OF the water. S me few
have sharp iraCtu'e s and have evident
ly been Zee emily broken. The fact OF
the fall ia vouchGd by several uust-
worthy persons. The bulk OF the peb-
bles fell in and around the Ne,Us and
Courier office.
THE HARBoR NOT AFFECTED,
The bar or barber OF Charlt on has
not been affected by the earthquake.
Soundings taken on Wedut sday show
seventeen and one-haf feet of wa o,
in the south channel, one hour beIole
high water and in Pumpkin Hill chan
mel, sixteen and one-half feet OF water
There is absolutely no deterioration
There is no truth in the report that
the bridges across Ashley River have
fallen.
AT NEW YORK.
Contributions for the Sufferers still
ROuri0g In.