The Indiana State sentinel., 1893-08-30
AT CHARLESTON.
Immense Damage Done in the City
and HarbOr.

the great disaster of 1885 remains un-
broken, Charleston has again stood in
the track of a cyclone, which has shaken
the old city to her foundation stones.
The damage to property cannot now be
told and the loss of life is unknown.
The citizens awoke this morning and
gazed upon the innumerable evidences
of the hurricane, which swept over the
city yesterday afternoon and last night
Uprooted trees had fallen, roofs, broken
fences and in the less substantial parts
of the town wrecked sheds and shanties
were found everywhere. The cyclone
swept up the coast and across Charles
ton yesterday.
Early Saturday morning tire dreaded
signal was run up and the city held its
breath. hoping that the storm might
pass by. Saturday night heavy north
east gale started shortly after midnight
and blew for several hours, but as
partial lul had preceded dawn and con-
tinued throughout the early hours of
the morning it was hoped that after all
the city would not fall within the track
Of the cyclone. But the weather looked
exceedingly dirty yesterday morning and
the wind again rose TO a gale and came
in angry gusts out of the north
east. A heavy canopy of clouds
which. during the forenoon, drifted
rapidly across the heavans began to set
tie down upon the city. 1t had that
muddy tinge which suggested the belief
that there was plenty of wind and rain
behind it. Seaward a heavy mist thick
ened until it became a wall of clouds.
There was no longer a doubt that the
dreaded cyclone was to descend upon the
city in all it's fury.
The craft lying at anchor in the bay
were first to take alarm, and from all
quarters of the harbor they came hur-
rying in. All that could do so found
mooring along the wharves and others
less fortunate moved up higher in the
river and made the best anchorage they
could. The largest vessels, no less than
the smallest craft, sought protection
from the angry tempest. Fort
unately there are comparatively
few large ships in port just
now, else the damage done might have
been multiplied many times. The at
tendance at tn evarious churches was
small and few people who were not abso-
lf1fa1xr % l., 4
yond their own doors. But the inquiries
for details of the hurricane were anxious
and endless. A special dispatch from
the weather bureau had simply stated
that a cyclone was central in South
Florida and that it was moving north
by northwest. The velocity was esti-
mated at forty to sixty miles an hour.
There was nothing to do but calmly
await the bursting of the storm. 1t
di not come suddenly, but after warn
ing. Increasing steadily, but percepu-
bly, in force and fury. the wind strength
ened from a gale to a hurricane until,
before the darkness finally fell, it was
bowling in fury over the houses and
strewing the city with wrecl1age and
debris Of every kind and description. 1t
continued to come in those sullen, angry
gusts, which mean so much to people
familiar with the terrors of such dis
asters. Tiling went flying in every
quarter until it was unsafe to walk the
streets.
Pedestrians venturesome enough to
weather the storm found themselves
drenched with rain, their umbrellas
turned wrong side out and themselves
almost swept off their feet. The rain
did not set until about o'clock. When
it did start in it came in torrents which
deluged houses and flooded the streets.
The terrific force of the storm forced
the water into the cracks of windows
and doors in quantities sufficient TO
drench the furniture in dwelling houses,
and in some instances to flood the floors.
This was the storm in the daytime, but
it grew worse as night drew on. The
gloom of early evening was apparent
everywhere. The flying tiles, falling
trees and falling wreckage of all descrip-
tions made it dangerous to walk the
streets. When night did come it wrapped
the city in perfect darkness. The cleo
trio wires were all down and it would
have been impossible TO keep gas jets
burning.
A feeble ray from shutterless win
dows and the faint glow Of full moon
were the only rays of light which re-
lieved the perfect darkness.
It is, of course, out of the question to
hazard even a good guess as to the loss
which has been occasiOned. Several cas-
ualitieS to persons and much serious
damage are reported, but a complete in
YentOry has placed the extent of dam
age at $1,000, 600. Estimates at this
writing are impossible None of the bus
mess houses are open this morning Half
of the streets are impossible on ac-
count Of the fallen trees, telegraph
poles and timbers. Serious fears are en-
tertained for the inhabitants of Sulli-
van Island and the coast. The former
place was last heard from at p. m.
Sunday. Communication is suspended.
EOuF Killed.