Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-02

shared ey some Of the bsst built brick
houses. 40 seii IS BY many OF The Ia
ieTior ones. 10 snrsly sufficient 70 place
tie charlsion earthquake neKt 20 the
New Madrid n tie classification OF
Prof. shaler. Although the vertical
tnrusts and conssqus N. wave motions,
with the many lgeiaors that inter
vened, produced only h10res IN the
earth, and no su osldences, as occurred
after the New Madrid shock.
One describes tue motion OF 8 house
Ike that OF vessel a. sea, win the ex-
oeptlon that the motion was more
violent and abrupt with this wave
motion MAS an Undesirable shlyerlng
element mixed with it, producing a
most ackenlng aud eddy feeling.
Regulators were stopped by the motion,
the rise aud fall OF the surface OF the
ground MAS such as 10 cause the mer-
curry TO b protected from the boes al
the bottom OF the pendulnms ana
spilled upon the bottom OF the case or
ire regulator.
The amount Of injury varied much
in aint rent sections of the city, from
causes which seem attributable to the
varying nature or the ground. The
penin,ula included between The Cooper
aud Ashley rivers, upon which Charles.
ton Is built. Was originally al Irregular
tract of comparatively high and dry
land, invaded AZ many points OF iis
boundary by iniets of low, swampy
ground march. These inlets, as the
city grew, were gradually filled mp sc
as TO be on about the same level as the
higher land. As q general rule, though
not without considerable number o!
except. onA. the destruction MAS greatei
upon made ground than upon the
original higher land. A careful STUDY
of the injuries to buildings IN q city
devastated by an earthquake generally
enables us TO obtain ideas, though IN
perfect ones. of the nature and char
acteristics of the forces which have
wrought them. 1t therefore becomes q
matter of interest TO study these Ia
| juries, with a view 10 aaeertaining whai
were the prevailing directions of the
complex impulses which constituted the
earthquake.
1t was soon found that the number OF
overthrown walls facing north and
south exceeded those facing east and
west. and that the injuries Ia build
| ings had some relation to the direction
OF the streets. IL appears that the bc-
ginning of the earthquake consisted of
! night ttremors, which was recognized
first by their murmuring sound. These
gradually increased in loudness, and
then the trembling of ground aud
buildings became perceptible. This
trembling continued to increase until
| somewhat suddenly the violent oscil,
lations came, and the earthquake was
at its height. This second phase was
theImost destructive. TINS was followed
by another phase of banishing tremors.
To different observers the waves ap.
peared from one to two feet in height
and followed each other with amazing
rxpidity. Investigation demonstrated
the fact that near Susnmerville, the
place mentioned above, and at some
distance south Of that point We're two
"epicentral tracts" below which, some
where in the depths of the earth, the
earth waves originated, aud from this
| point were radiated in every direction.
The paper was illustrated with draw.
Ings, showing the city OF Charleston IT
the year 1904 and also the epicentra
tracts Of the earthquake.