The Earthquake Edition
T*i*\ EARTHQUAKE
CHARLOTTE GETS A SEVERE
KHAIiING DP.
—" • ■
An Uu|»nralcllc«l Occurrc’iacc in
ThiM Cilj •• Lust I%lgliiV» Ncciick
of Friehl au<l Excii< iiu>n(*« 1
Vtrllablo Eartliqualic •• Cliini*
Shaken Powii, Window
(■lasH ! Sliatlerml, uml People
Driven info the Hlrccfs—Slam*
peeling from Clinrrh mul Op.
era BCoeene *• Scenes and Inei
d<'ulK»*«A<l<liflionni iSeporfN Wed*'
nwela)’ .Homing.
Charlotte N. C, Ist’ im.
List night, was one that will long
s>o remembered in Charlotte. It was
•a night of <.r: r and quaking and ter*
ror, for tr -lr <■ iiy was shaken by a
verity, 0 rarthquako. The shock
■catp.,. a s, j(j : jo o’clock, and five min
uVs thereafter tbo streets were filled
with frightened, trembling people.
It was a scene such as was never be- !
fore known in this city.
The shock was of sufficient force •
and severity to not only sheko the j
■strongest buildings in the city, but to j
■shakodown chimneys, shatter win
slow glace, strew floors with plaster
tag, aril bring crowds of, frightened ,
people from their houses into the j
open air.
Tho shock was felt all over the
city, and the soundest sleeper was
shaken from bed and cent from the
house in affright.
Previous to t*«j shake-up, the!
night had beeii remarkably still; the j
skie} were clear, but there was a;
hazy mist l-uggesiive of an evening
in early Spring. Many ot our people
had re', j rol i [, )r the night while oth
era were at church ond at the opera
ouse. la front of the Centri 1 liotel
the usual quota of people were sitting
idly in the big red chairs under the ;
electric light; a string of hacks was
drawn up in front of the hotel, and
the backir.cn wore dozing in their
scats 4 in The Observer office, the
nigh'! force were busily clicking the
types into the composing sticks,
"while the busy editors were
engaged in the labors of driving the*
pencil across the paper, when, with .
■out a moment’s warning, there was '
an ominous shake of the building
Tiro lights flickered, plaster came
down in sprinkling sheets, and be. J
fore one could raise his eyes from
the paper, there was another Bhalte,
and a single s 1 *rill and piercing
shriek mug out on the streets from
some frightened person:
“The earthquake!”
By this time, a wild scelae was be
ing enacted on tho streets. From
every doorway people rushed out und
gathered in thejmiddle of the Etreets.
The dozing haekdrivers alarmed
from their sleep, whipped up their
Worses, and the rattling carriage
wheels siemed to add confusion to
the scene.
ftnook followed shock in quick suc
cession, lasting about Cl seconds,
when quiet ensued Tho earth be
came quiet, but tho people did not.
Mingled with tho excited groups on
Independmce square wore half a
dozen figures in night attire. Peo
ple wero wringing their hands, and
moving about in a wild, oxcited way,
and every face was blanched.
As soon as tho shocks ceased, an
Observer reporter struck-out for a
tour of the city, und never one houso
did be pass but that lights were
burning and the residents ware
group'd in the doorways or out in
the yards. It was after ten o’clock
at night, jet there was, possibly, not
a sleeping soul in Charlotte save
babes in the cradle. It was impossi
ble at first, owing to tho excitement,
to gather any tangible reports us
to the ri suit of the earthquake in the
city, but after a time, when the peo
ple were in a incisure calmed, news
of its effects pi different parts of
Charlotte was heard.
Tile first and most serious damage
reported was at the residence of Geo.
K Barringer, on Tryon street, where
the tumbling of brick and tho crash
ing of glass created a racket that was
,heard for blacks around. The chim
neys to Gen Barringer’s elegant resi
denee were shaken down, and a large
quantity of glai'H was shattered. The
Genera! aid his family were
1 asleep and they wore fearfully
“'tflMjti’dJ-v the sudden it'hs of their
awtitfi-iflng. The slalo on his roof
wus also damaged, but to what ex
tent could not lit>*lt>arned last night.
The planter in Dr. J. H. McAdeu’s
drug store fell to tho floor; plaster
iug was also Shaken to the floor in
tho residence of Tint Orserver’s as-,
sociato editor, on Seventh street and
in a number of houses in tho neigh**
borhood. In every frame house, the
timbers cracked, and in many in
stances brick i were loosened from
chimneys. At tho residence of Mr.
Frank Snider three lamps wero over
turned and the plastering cracked
From all Sections of tho city similar
reports wore received.
At tho opora house, tbo play “Un
dcr the L-sh,” was in progress and
the second scene was being en
acted, when the* building be
gan to crack. Tho people j
arose in their Boats, but all appeared !
to bo culm and collected, and fears
that were at first entertained of a
stampede were at onco allayed. The
second shock came, and then there
was a hurried, but orderly exit from
the building. In two minutes the
houso was cleared, the lights wore
out. the play was ended.
The scene where the greatest ex
citement ensued was at Biddle In- !
stituto, where a colored campffieet 1
ing was in progress. Ah tho first!
shock came, the congregation were
in tho midst of a hymn, and every
voice was instantly stilled. Another j
shock came, and there was a stam- |
pede from the building. The sbock 1
•was sufficient to rock the building '
with such force that the bell in the !
tower sounded twice.
At tho Tryon street Baptist church,
a congregational meeting was in
progress, when the building began to
rock, and there was a rush for the
street. The church was cleared of
its occupants alraosts in a moment,
and without accident to any or.c.
A meeting of colored people was in
progress at tho city hull and they
stampeded in a lively manner.
About ten minutes after tho first
series of shocks, four in number,
were over, still another, but a light
er shock was felt, and this only
served to increase the alarm of the
people. Many of our citizens, fear
ing that the danger was not j’ot over,
moved out into their front yards,and
as late as 13 o'clock, whole house
holds could be seen camped out in
the open air. Especially was this
the ease in the Smithvillc
section. where the alarm
appeared to be greatest, if it were
possible for the paople of one section
of our city to b; more seriously
frightened than others.
Not a few families, who were asleep
when tho shako came, dressed and
remained up throughout the night,
dreading another shock, yet prepar
ed as best they could to receive it.
The hotel office was t hronged with
men recounting their experiences
and the incidents of the quake until
long after midnight, and oven at that j
hour the streets were alivo with peo- ,
pie.
From tho best indications ofataina !
ble, it seems cerlain that the course ;
of the shock was from South toNorth.
Tho first foru came in quick sue- 1
cession und lasted for 60 seconds Af
ter that thero was a lull for ten or !
twelve minutes, when another shock, ,
almost as severe as was the first came.
In tho limited time at our disposal
it is impossible to present all the
scenes and incidents in Charlotte, of
this remarkable occurrence; but it
was iu truth a night of terror, und
one that will bo remembered for
aye, by all who experienced it.
WEDNESDAY lIORRIIG.
All « Him amliSereiic Aalilitlonal
Reporls «!’ Hainan*' Rone l>y
Hie Slinkt'iip.
When The Observer forms went
to press yesterday morning, all
was quiet in the city, but in nearly
every residence lights blaz'd forth,
showing thut.the occupants wore not
i inclined to retire to rest.
! Just about two o’clock a distinct
shock was felt, but it was only mo
j inentary, mid not as severe as the
' shocks during the earlier part of the
night. This 3 o’clock shako was fol
| lowed at 4a. in , by another slight
but very distinct disturbance.
Yesterday it was oscccrtained
that the interior of tbo First Presby
, tnrian church was damaged, the floor
at and about the pulpit being strewn
with shattered fragments of plaster
iof Paris moulding. Tho moulding
wns shaken from the arch behind the
pulpit.
Bricks wore shaken from chimney a
in all sections of tha city. At Dr’
: George Graham's r uidence, on the
SUPPLEMENT.
corner of Seventh and Church streets I
the chimney tops tumbled off, and |
plastoi ing was shaken down In the I
basement under Fischesser’s saloon, I
the floor was strewn with plastering.
Mr. S. V* ittkowsky returned this j
morning from a trip down tho Caro- !
lina Centrul road, and he reportß that J i
at Lumberton, Shoo Iteol, Wades- j i
bbto, tlockiDgham and all places i
aldng the lino the shock was felt se- j i
verely ”and great excitement pro- I i
vailoJ. ! ;
Mr. j. j. Watts, who lives near the j (
city, reports that lie was badly sha- : i
ken up, and felt five distinct shocks : i
at his hou3o. A chimney to a resi j ]
denee near him was thrown.down. !i
Farmers from Harrisburg, who ar- 1 1
rived in the [city this meriting, say j
that the; shock was felt all through i
that section.
Up to 10 o’clock no train had reach-!
ed Wilmington from ilie South, since
yesterday aftei noon.
Tho chimney to tho residence cf |
Mr. It A. McNeeley, seven miles
from tho city, on the A. T. & O. Bail j ■
l*oad, was shaken down, and some of;
the brick from tho chimney were
thrown a distance of 75 feet fiom the ;
house.
The walls of the cotton seed oil 1
mills, in tho northern section of the
city, were damaged by being crack
ed.
The court house walls were strain-1
ed, and some ugly cracks were yes
terday discovered in tho building.
Tbo residence of Capt. C. C. Ken- .
nedy, train dispatcher, at the Trade i
street depot, was lifted apparently I
from its pillars, and suddenly drop
ped. At any rate, one or two planks j
were splintered, tho chimneys fell |
down, and a cart load of brick, plas
ter, soot and dirt, tumbled into his
bed room. He said a prayer, but he
said it running.
The chimneys to Capt. J. L. Whit
sett’s residence wera also shaken
down to tho shingles, and the
plastering wa3 shaken to tho floors.
A chimnej' top t> the residence
of Mr. J. B. Harrington wa i thrown
down.
Ono of the chimneys to the Obser
ver building was destroyed, the
loosened brick falling upon tbo tin
roofs around with a mighty clatter
ing, serving to accelerate the speed
of editors and printers from the
building.
The front wall to Farrior’s jewelry
store, in Granito row, was cracked
over the third story windows.
Tho city water works etandpipe
swayed mightily, and the water
could be heard splashing and churn
ing inside the liugo structure. The
standpipe, however, was not dam
aged in tho least.
Humors of the Uunkc.
DIFFERENT IDEAS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE [
ABOUT IT —A COOL PREACHER—HUDG- j
INS’ CUDGEL.
There was more praying done in ;
Charlotte Tuesday night than possi- .
bly ever before known hero in any j
one night. It was a good time to bo i
praying, all will admit. Mighty few
people thought thero was anything [
funny about it, yet some amusing in-!
cidcnts.' occurred. At Biddloville,
where the camp meeting was in ses-i
-ion, the congregated people all arose
to their feet and a stampede was im |
minont. Tho presiding elder was
! equal to tho emergency, and shouted
at the top of his voice: “All keep'
quiet— its nothing hut. an earth
quake!" Strangely enough this as
-uring announcement had tho de
sired effect, und the peoplo sat down,
but almost immediately the secoud |
shock came and then, earthquake or
, no earthquake, they stampeded.
A short while after tho shocks had
been felt, a colored man crossed
1 Tryon street, in front of Wads
\ worth’s stable lie carried on his back
| his mattress and boil clothing, and as j
he moved along under his load, he !
sang: “Good bye, po’ sinners, I’m j
: waitin’ on do Lord.”
Daniel Hudgins, porter for Brown, i
, Weddington fc Co., has for sometimo ;
1 past entertained an idea that certain
i colored men intended to uisassinuto
him, and when bo found; the bed
waltzing about in the room with him,
lie hupped out, picked up n club, and
; hurrying into the yard, circled j
j around the house, expecting to meet 1
j and vanquish his enemies.
- •* ■
! “ Last night quiet reigned iu our
: city. Tho excitement bad lulled
and many people sought tbeir bods
j for rest that was sorely needed.
The Railroad Suak.
A TRESTLE GONE AND A PASSENGER j
TRAIN IN THE CHASM—'THE ENGINEER '
AND FIREMAN DEAD, AND PROBABLY
ONE OR MORE PASSENGERS KILLED.
Along tho line of the railroad bt«*.
tween Charlotte and Charleston, the j
shook was particularly severe and
destructive. The road is so badly I
broken up, that there was no train
through from Augusta to Charlotte
yesterday. Tho only train that
arrived hero on the Charlotte, i
Columbia & Augusta road was a
special “make up” train from Co
lumbia. Tho breaks on tho line
are located beyond Augusta, on the
South Carolina road.
At Langley’s station, tho track has
sunk sheer down to a depth of ten
feet below the usual level of the road
bed, and this sink extends for a dis
tance of forty yards. This trouble is
of such a character as to make trans
fers impossible.
Near by this sink, at Horse
Creek, there is trouble of a
morn serious character. The
large trestle over Horse Creek
was shaken down by the earthquake,
and a passenger train of the South
Carolina road plunged into the chasm.
Engineer Keynolds and his fireman,
whose name we have been unable to
learn, were instantly killed in the
wreck. It is reported that a number
of the passengers were injured, and
several killed, but this report cannot
ba verified. There is, however, no
reason to believe that it is exaggera
ted in the least
The passenger train on the Coast
Line which left Charleston last night
for Wilmington, has never yet been
heard from, and its fate is unknown.
This state of affairs is due to tho to
tal prostration of the telegraph wires
along that line.
A Busy Day.
LIVELY TIMES IN AND AROUND THE OB
SERVER OFFICE—EIGHT HUNDRED EX
TRAS SOLD IN FIFTEEN MINUTES.
Yesterday was a day of great ac
tivity and animation in The Obser
ver office. For the two o’clock
morning edition, two hundred extra
papers were run through the presses,
but that supply was quickly exhaust
ed and the newsboys and the public
applied in vain for extra copies
Appreciating the great interest felt
in the event by the public, The Ob- 1
server at noon published a special
edition containing all tho news re
ceived up to that hour. All copies of
this edition were sold from tbo coun
ters m our office as fast as they came
tr im the press. At five o’clock in the
ulternoon an evening edition was pub
lished, and as.it’canie from the press
the scene.in and about The Observer
office was unparalelled. Crowds surg
ed about the.doorway and three clerks
were kept busy selling papers to the
eager buyers. Within half an hour
eight hundred copies of the evening
edition were sold from the office, and
by newsboys on the streets.
—»•-■■■' "■■■■
A Slight Shark Yesterday,
INCREASES APPREHENSION OF ANOTHER
QUAKE - FRIGHTENED FACTORY EM
PLOYEF.S - THE EXCITEMENT C \LMING
DOWN AND PEOPLE GOING TO BED.
All day long yesterday our peoplo
were anticipating and dreading an
other shock.but the day wore on with
out incident until at 5.15 p. m.. when
■ thero was a slight recurrence of the
well remembered vibrations of tho
previous night The shock was per
ceptible all over the city, but lasted
not more than ten seconds. Bottles
li the drug stores rattled and the
houses trembled,and on Church street
! a number of people rushed out into
tho open air. This shock created no
little excitement and alarm, but as
tho hours passed and there was no re
currence of the disturbance.! heir fears
i were allayed.
In Coucord, the Odell cotton fac
tory was in full operation, but at the
first shock, the frightened employees
ran screamiDg from the building,
■ leaving the machinery to take care
!of itself. Near by a negro camp
meeting was in session, and the pray
1 ers of tho worshippers could be heard
from nearly all portions of the town.
A number of chimney tops were
j shattered but no other damage wa
i done in that town.
Reports from Shelby. Lincolnton,
, Salisbury, Statesville, and iu fact all
towns, big and little in tbo State,
show that a sbock was experienced
of about the same severity ■■ that in
Charlotte.
POOR CHARLESTON.
!
♦ |
THE CITY ALMOST TOTALLY j '
DESTROYED. 1
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Br. Michael’s Church, St. Phillips
I 1
Church. Police Station, llibkrni
an Hall asd Other Public Build- i 1
ings nr Ruins-FTres and Floods—
Only 100 Houses Inhabitable— ,
Thrilling Scenes and Incidents—
Reports by Telegraph all
Sections.
About 11 o'clock yesterday tele
graphic communication with Char
leston was partially restored, and the
nows that b-gan to omo in over the
wires was of a frightful character,
intimating the almost total
destruction of that fair city, together
with Summerville, a suburban town
The news from Charleston is briefly
that St. Michael's church, St Phillips'
church, ti e Police Station, Hibernian
Hall and other public buildings arc
in ruins. Tho rising waters partially
1 submerged the city, and to add to
tho terrors cf the sccre, fires broke
out in the wrecked buildings. Over
twenty buildings were burned, bat
the fires have Ivsen extinguished. A
private telegram states that there is
not more than one hundred houses in
the whole city that are considered
inhabitable, and that the people are
living in the streets, under tempora
ry shelter of canvass. The same dis
patch says that the loss of life in
Charleston is between 50 and 100
people. No definite news has been
received from Summerville.
Below wo subjoin the telegraphic
dispatches just received in relation to
the earthquake;
Charleston, 8 C., Aug. 31.— An
earthquake, such as has never been
known in the history of this city,
swept over Charles; on last nighi
shortly after ten o'clock, causing
more loss and injury to property and
far more loss of life than the cyclone
of the year before. The city is
wrecked, the streets are encumbered
with lhasses of fallen bricks and tele
graph and telephone wires, and up
to an early hoar it was almcsi impos
sible to pass from one part of the
city to another. The firs* shock was
by far the most severe. Most of the
people, with their families, passed
the night in the streets, which, even j
this mormug, are crowded with peo- J
pie afraid to re-enter their homes.
: More than sixty people were killed !
and wouuded,chiefly colored. Among
tho whites killed and fatally injured J
are M. J. Lynch, Dr R Alexander
, Hammond and Ainsley Robinson.
Fires broke out in different parts
!of the city immediately after the
earthquake, and some aro Rill burn
ing, but there is no danger of spread
ing There ta no way of leaving the
city at present
Savannah, 4a. m.— Three distinct
shocks have been felt here eince mid
night. The last occurred at 3:40 a.
jm. AU the shocks were of short |
■ duration and not violent. The peo
ple aro s.ill greatly excited and are
sitting out in the streets and squares, !
: and are crowding around the tel:
graph and newspaper offices. No
word can be obtained from Charles
ton. The general impression is that
tho city has suffered seriously. It is
supposed that the cable under Ash
ley River is broken at Tybee Island,
at the mouth of the Savannah river.
Tho lenses in the light house were de
stroyed. Tho people on the island
telephone to this city that they are
in a state of terror. There can be no |
communication with the mainland i
until day-light, and all the inhabi
tants are assembled on highland.
The island was swept by a tidal
wave in August, 1881, and the people
j fear a similar disaster now.
New York.—The point from which
■ the railroad leading into Charleston
is reported submrrgeu is Ravenel'e, a
place on the Savannah A Charleston
railroad, about 18 miles distant from
the city. It is probable that the part
of the track under water has been 1
covered by a heavy rise in the river. I
Telegrams from cities in South Caro
lina and Georgia say the utmost con- 1
sternation prevails on account of the
non-receipt of news from Charleston,
and many fear that a terrible calami
ty has happened there.
Washington. —The Western Union
manager at Wilmtngton sends the
following: The train dispatcher of
the Atlantic Coast Line has just been
in, and says tbeir section master, sta
tioned It miles from Charleston, re
j ports that tho shock wreckad the
bridge roar there, and says a negro
from four miles north of Charleston
reported that the water tank was
down and the ground upheaved, mil
placing tho track-; that in [several
places tho ground wns cracked, and
boiling water was coining from, it.
This report, coming from tho source
it does, tnu6t ho taken with grains of
allowance. A special engine has
been started to bring in any report*
available.
Asheville, N. C - A distinct shock
of earthquake was folt last night at
9:45, preceded by a loud, rumbling
noise. Tho direction was from the
Southeast. The first shock lusted a
minute. llouics were violently sha
ken, and tho inhabitants nil left them
and went into the streets. Another
lighter shock was felt four minutes
past ten.- It was, however, c f short
duration There were two Blighter
shocks subsequently at intervals of
fifteen minutes. Much alarn. was
caused, but no damage was done.
Lynchburg. Va -Sp,*cial to tho
Advance from throughout southwest
ern Virginia and eastern Tennessee
report severe shocks of earthquake,
lasting from three to live minutes,
about 10 p. m. iast night.
Ravenel’s, S. C.—The railroad is
under water in soma places between
here and Charleston twenty five
miles uorth of hero, and the earth
has caved in in several places.
Jacksonville, Fla —The earth
quake shock last night was quiet
severe here and was telt as far south
r,s Bartow. It commenced at 9:27
sun-time and lasted about thirty sec
onds
Charleston. —There was a terrible
earthquake here last night at 9:50 p.
m. The principal business portion
of the city was destroyed and hun
dreds of persons were rendered
homeless. M> i wero frantic, and
women were beset ching mercy from
the Almighty. The main station
house, city hall Hibernian Hell ond
many other well known public build
ings, including St. Michaels’ church
were irrepairably damaged. Manj
people were seriously if not fatally
injured. B ond street presented u
spectacle of the utmost horror. Even
women armed with hatchets fought
vainly to rescue the imprisoned un
fortunates. Meeting street from
; Bread to Hazel is a wreck, and is
i lined with the unfortunates. To add
| to the horror of the scene many fires
1 broke out and were ineffectually
! fought by the fire department. The
j night was hideous with the groans cf
! the dying, the screams of the wound
; ed and the prayers of *he uninjured.
llt is impossible to estimate the loss
iof lives or property at present. Up
to ten this morning there had been
ten distinct shocks.
Savannah. Ga —The earthquake is
the topic of the hour. Efforts to
reach Charleston have been made
from all points and have failed. At
| Tybee the shock was mire severely
I felt than in the city. Tbe people on
tho Island rushed from their houses
ito the beach. The oscillation lasted
! for several minutes. The lantern
j lenses in tbe light house were broken
i and the machinery of tho lamps were
j disarranged. The keeper hurried up
! the tower and as soon as possible ar
ranged a temporary light, which will
have to answer until the light bouse
supply ship reaches here. Tho peo
ple on the beach ran hither and
] thither, not knowing where to go,
: and fearing that every moment a ti
| dal wave would sweep over.
| them. The water was agitated
! and waves rose high on the beach.
Houses on tbe beach swayed to ur.d
fro and shook as if thej would fall to
pieces. A telephone message to the
News from Tybeo statou at four
o’clock this morning, stated that tho
people were still gathered oil the
beach. A relief tram has boen dis
patched to Charleston from this
• city to render assistance to sufferers,
and to repair the railroad.
Charleston, S. C.—At precisely
! 8.25 this morning another wave
swept over the city, coming, as did
: the other, from the southwest, and
going in a northwesterly direction.
By that time may of the people who
i had been out on tbe public parks and
open places all night had ventured
into their houses to get clothing and
something to cat. Tho approach of
the shock was heralded by tho usual
rumbling sound, resembling distant
thunder. Then, as it gtadually ap
! prooched, tho earth quivered and
i heaved, and in three seconds it had
! pamed, the sound dying out in tho
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