Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-12-15
WHEN HOUSES RELIED.
An Experience in the Awful Charleston
Earthquake.

An Experience in the AwfuI Charleston
Earthquake.
After few hours of pleasant CONVEX
sat!on. one OF my guests said it was
time 10 leave writes wing Glib on in
St Nicholas. Taking ont his watch ne
continued. Six minutes after 10 and
what is that?" A low. deep. rum
bling noise as OF thunder only be-
meath instead Of above us oming
from aiar and apr aching Us nearer
and nearer muttering and grooming,
and ever increasing in volume-it
was u on us ia an instant
The massive brick house we were
in began TO sway from side to side
gently at first with a rythm cal mo-
ton. then gradually increasing in
force, init! springing TO our feet we
seized one another by tie hand and
gazed with blanched and awe struck
faces at the lettering walls around US.
We felt the floor beneath our feet
heaving like the deck OF storm
tossed vessel and heard the hing
OF fallen masonry and ruins on every
side. With almost st lied hearts we
realized that We were in the power of
an earthquake. The motion Of the
house never ceasing became now
vertical. Il and down it went as
though some mOnstrous giant had
taken it in his hands as a playthlng
and were tossing it like q ball for his
amusement Recalling our da ed
senses and staggering to our feet as
hast w could op,NPd
rushed down the steps leading to the
front door and, grasping the handle
turned it In vain-the door was
jammed, and we were compelled to
wait like rats in trap until the shock
had passed!
Concentrating its energies into one
final, convusive effort the huge
earth wave passed and left the earth
palpitating and heaying like q tired
animal There came crashing down
into our garden plot the chimneys
from the house in front of ours. For
tunately the falling bricks injured
none of US. Making another trial
we succeeded in opening the door and
rushed into the street
Now there came upon us an
overpOWering sufocating odOr Of
sulphur and birthstone. whicl filled
the whole atmosphere We were
surrounded by q crowd OF neighbors
men, women and children-w
had rushed out Of their houses as we
had done and who stool with US in
the middle Of the street awaiting
they knew not what
Suddenly there came again to our
ears the now dreaded rum bling sound.
Like some fierce animal growing and
seeking its victim it approached and
we all prepared ourselves for the
worst The shock came. and for
moment the crowd was awed into
silence. fortunately this shock was
not nearly so severe as the first The
earth became still once more. and the
roar ng died away in the distance.
How the people stunned their
houses and spent that and succeeding
nights in the streets. private gardens
and on public squares. is we'll known
from the many accounts given in the
daily and illustrated papers at the
time.
80 perfectly still and calm was the
air during the night that lamp which
was taken out into the open air burnt
as steadily as though protected In
room and no Pickering revealed the
presence Of breath of wind.
Again. some strong and powerful
buildings in certain portions of the
city were wrecked completely while
others older and undoubtedly weaker
passed through the shock unframed
A house on the corner was perfectly
shattered. while just few hundred
feet away the house on the opposite
corner was not damaged In the slight
est except that a little plastering was
shaken down.