The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-29

city, carrying devastation in its train
and wiping out over two million dollars
worth of property. The wharves and
buildings along the water front were
almost totally wrecked, many houses
were unroofed and much damage was
done by the great rise Of the tide,
which flooded the streets. Offers of
help came from all parts OF the coun-
try but the old aristocratic Charleston
steadily and pluckily girded up her
loins, again faced her troubles and
thankfully but firmly refused assist
ance. Her own citizens once more un-
dertook the work of building UP her
waste places.
THE EARTHQUAKE.
A year later, Just when her people
had begun to recover from the effects
of that disastrous visitation, the hand
| of Providence was once more laid
heavily upon this fire, storm and bat
tle-scarred city, when on the night Of
August 3, 1886. came the most awful
| experience in the city's history. an
earthquake, with a consequent night
OF horrors and suffering, when. as
described to the writer by citizen
of Charleston, Alex. B. Cochran:
THE fairest city on the South At
lantic coast was laid in ruins In less
that thirty seconds, her business para
lyzed her commerce destroyed and her
people rendered homeless. After a
night Of unparalleled horrors. which
no pen can picture. no tongue describe,
the people of Charleston. stunned and
dazed by the awful blow. awoke to the
realization of the appalling fact that
the accumulations of a life time, the
fruits of centuries of honest industry,
had been swept away at breath
That very night 92 people were lost
and over 5000 buildings were either
wrecked or badly damaged, sixty odd
thousand inhabitants of the city were
homeless for fortnight. for few per-
sons ventured to sleep within a house,
and nearly the whole population of
the city was encamped in the public
squares and streets or taking refuge
in the vessels in the harbor. II is safe
to say that not building escaped in
jury If not completely wrecked.
Had the earthquake occurred in the
day, the loss Of life would have reach
ed into the thousands. Occurring at
ten o'clock at night, the citizens were
mostly in their homes. 1t is a singular
fact that not a single person is known
to have been killed inside of house.
although many were buried under the
ruins and afterwards rescued. Those
who had the presence Of mind to re-
main in their houses escaped with
their lives, while those who were in
jured were rushing out of the crum-
bling buildings. Most of the walls fell
outwards. The chimneys in some in
stances fell on adjoining roofs and
crushed them in, but no death Is
known to have resulted from this
cause The chronological record is
part Of the history of the times. From
the 9th of August until midnight of
the 30th Of September there We're
thirty distinct shocks in Charleston,
no notice being taken of any slight,
tremor of the earth, many of which
occurred and many more of which
We're imagined"
RAPID RECOVERY.
1t would have seemed natural that
the whole city should be paralyzed,
but in an incredibly short time the
people aroused themselves to face the
terrible situation. The heart of the
whole nation went out to the stricken
city. From every quarter came con-
trbputions. first to allay immediate
suffering then to help rebuild and re-
establish the ruined homes, churches
and public buildings. The committee
disbursed over 100000, and more went
privately to individuals, to be used
among needy friends.
The sense of sympathy lent new
courage to the people, and the material
aid gave them means to set vigorously
to work, and with what success the
present condition of the city shows.
In the city today it is almost impos-
sible to detect trace of the fearful
destruction of that time. a new city
has arisen from the ruins of the old,
more beautiful to look at and in every
way worthy of the memories of old
ariStocratic Charleston of hy-gcne
days.
The cyclone Of August 81. 1898, will
serve as an example of what the city
has suffered from wind and wave.
From 4 p. m. till the middle of the
forenoon the next day was a scene
of terror. The streets We're turned
into surging rivers, the waters from
twelve to thirteen feet above low
water mark. The speed of the wind
did not fall below forty miles an hour
and during the night it averaged over
sixty miles When. at midnight, the
United States weather bureau officially
recorded one hundred and twenty
miles an hour. The houses stood like
Isolated islands in the turbulent wat
ers; communication between them was
impossible, as no small boats could
live in such a sea. The waves touched
the cross bars of the street lamp posts.
Over thousand shade trees were up
rooted. Large boats We're carried up
into the street.O many wharfs moth
ing was left but the pilings. The bay,
by the terrific force of the wind, rose
to the highest point ever known. The
subsiding waters left scene of ut
most desolation, the estimated loss
being S2,000,000. Offers of help came
from all parts of the country. but
Charleston, undaunted by the terrible
calamity, set to work. and before the
summer passed. hardly vestge of
the disaster could be found (To T..
H, Talbot l am indebted for this
memoranda).
FORWARD STRIDES.
In the recent past Charleston
has made large strides in pro-
gress and prosperity, industrial,
agricultural and commercial by
the completion of the jetty system
at the entrance of her noble harbor,
in deepening the channel to thirty feet
over the bar, her port has been opened
to the largest vessels and large for
eign trade, the dream of her people
for so many years, has become a real
ity.
Charleston harbor is one of the most
commodious and beautiful on the At