Evening star., 1951-01-07
Charleston Earthquake
Four Distinct Shocks Felt in D. c.
When Palmetto City Was Wrecked in 1886
By John CIoeett Proctor

The site of the House Office
Building also felt the tremor dis
tinctly when Mrs. Henry Brock,
wife of the proprietor of the Con-
gressional Hotel, which then oc-
cupied the corner of B street and
New Jersey avenue, was thrown
from a chair to the floor and a i.
colored bartender at the same
place, who was sitting on a BAN
lister, was thrown heels over head
down an areaway
At former Mayor Emery's house.
205-7 I street, the shocks were
perceptibly felt, and at the resi-
dence of Samuel Biedler, across
the street at Second street, where
the old-fashioned door bells were
rung violently. The thought of
burglars seems to have been fore
most in nearly every ones mind,
who was so suddenly disturbed,
and James s. Edwards, who lived
at 219 I street and who was in
bed at the time, was of the same
impression when he felt the mat
tress beneath him wabbling as
though some one was trying to
get from under the bed. Leon
Tobiner, Well-known lawyer, who
no doubt still recalls this unusual
occurrence, was then residing at
606 I street, and stated at the
time, according to the press, that
his bed rocked from the right to
the left, and his neighbors gen.
orally were frightened.
Henry A. Willard, founder of
the Willard Hotel, who was then
residing at 1888 K street, to the
north of Franklin Square, would
have been justified-from the
description he gave to the press
in believing that supernatural
spirits had taken possession of
his home. However, he also
thought of burglars instead of
spooks and told reporter that
when he was suddenly awakened
by the shock, it felt as though
some one had got under the bed
and was tipping it over. IT sprang
out of bed," so he said. "and was
further startled by seeing a door
that had been standing open vio-
lently closed"
Damage in the South
Down in the Palmetto City a
far more serious condition pre-
vailed, for the disturbance had
caused a property damage of more
than SIS million and many lives
were lost. News did not travel
then as fast as it does today, but
by the following day practically
full details were published in The
Star. The telegraphic story read
in part:
charleston, S. c., September 1.
An earthquake such as has
never before been known in the
history OF this city swept over
Charleston last night shortly after
10 o'clock, causing more loss and
injury to property and far more
loss OF life than the cyclone of a
year before:
Il ne city is wrecked, the streets
are encumbered with masses of
fallen bricks and tangled tele-
graph and telephone wires. and
up to ar early hour it was almost
impossible to pass from one part
OF the city to another. The first
shock was by far the most severe.
Most of the people, with their
families, passed the night in the
streets, which even this morning
are crowded with people afraid to
re-enter their homes.
'More than so people were killed
and wounded, chiefly colored.
Among the whites killed and
fatally injured are M. j. Lynch,
DR.. r. Alexander Hammond and
Ainsley Robson. Fire broke out in
different parts of the city imme-
diately after the earthquake, and
some are still burning, but there
is lie danger of spreading. There
is no way of leaving the city at
present"
A further dispatch added:
by the terrible earthquake here
last right the principal business
portion of the city was destroyed
and hundreds of persons were
rendered homeless. Men were
frantic, women were beseeching
mercy from the Almighty and
children were in tears. The main
station house, the City Hall, Hi
bernlan Hall and many other we'll
known public buildings, including
St Michaeps Church, were ire
parabl damaged. Many people
were seriously if not fatally in
jured."