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" Jlbwlfe Sfesspgir, VOL. 2. ABBEVILLE,x S. C., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1886. NO. 51. The Great Eartlipak Oil It IlKAUTlPUIi CITY BY THE SKA. AGAIN DISSOIjATED. It Kxtcnds From (lie Atlantic Ocoun to the MiBHOuri Kivcr?From Maine to Mexico. [Augusta Chronicle.] Cham.kston, Sept. 1.?[Special. J? The first shock of earthquake was felt approaching last night at 9.50, and bofome the people could realize what the trouble was they found themselves being thrown around and their houses falling down on them. Every one ran screaming into the streets, and in a few minutes the city was wild with human being, crazed with fright. On all sides you could here exclamations such as : "My God save us ; God have mercy upon us sinners"?and people could be i seen kneeling everywhere in groups, offering up prayers. The first shock was followed immediately by another, although of less effect, and screams and | shrieks from the time of the beginning' to daylight, were hoard. The shocks : were felt at intervals of half an hour. | but each succeeding one being less distinct. KIRKS A LI. OVEtt THE PITY. Three or four fires started in us many ' sections with the first shuck, and the ; citj' was soon illuminated with flumes, j thus leading all to believe that what was left by the oartquakc would he devoured by fire. However, the fire department was so well directed and handled ' that the fire were gotten under control ! by daylight. From fifteen to twenty . residence and stores were consumed.' The loss by the fire and earthquake j cannot be accurately estimated, but can j bo placed safely at five million dollars, j As far as could bo ascertained during the night 15 to 20 persons were killed, and a much greater number wounded in all soris of ways. The loss of human life j will be large and it will take daj's to get at the accurate number. SUMMKIIVII.I.E COM PI.KTKI.Y WTKOKKD. Shocks, equally as severe were felt at a distance of thirty-five miles, and have done inestimable damage to railroad and telegraph property. Charleston is now entirely isolated from the outside world. Summorville, twei.ty-two miles from Charleston, was nearly destroyed by the earthquake. The passenger train from Columbia to Charleston was thrown from the track, near Sumtnerville, and the engineer and fireman killed. The pusHHujjerK on mo wrocKea train, ami those on this morning's train, including ] the telegraph company's linemen, have | not reached Charleston. | ANOTHKIl SHOCK IN THE MOHX1XCJ. ' At precisely 8:25 this morning another ' wave swept over the city, ooming, as did * the other, from the southeast and going ( in a northwesterly direction. By that * tune many people who had been out on ' . the public parks and open places all night had ventured into their house to I get clothing and food. Tho approach of 1 the shock was heralded l?y the usual 1 rumblirg sound resembling thunder. * Then it gradually approached, tho eafth' * quivered and heaved, and in threo sec- ' onds it had passed, tho sounds dying ' uut in the distance. This is the only 1 wave felt sinoe 2:30 a. in. It w:is not 1 destructive?all the destruction having ( b>?en done at 9:55 Inst night. 1 TItK CITY A COMPI.ETB WHKCK. ' The city is a complete wreck. St. J Michael's and St. Philip's churches in j the city are in ruins. So is Hibernian | Hall. The police station and many other j public buildings and fully two-thirds of * the residence in the city are uninhabitable, being wrecked either totally or partially. It is impossible at this time to get a correct estimate of the casualties. ' It is expected that between fifty and ! 100 persons have been killed and sever- ' .1 J J-J " --? " 1 muiuivu wuuiiuuii. scarcely lUU houses in the city are occupied at this time, 1 the people all encaroed in open places. 1 All stores are closed, and a scarcity of 1 provisions is feared?not from want of 1 provisions, but because no one can be got to reach the stores to sell them. HISSUHKS IX THE KAItTH. The city is wrapped in gloom, and business is entirely suppressed. People generally remain in the streets in tents and under improvised shelter, and will camp out to-night, fearing another shock. The gas works are injured, and probably the city will be without light to-night. St. Michael's church is shattered and the steeple will come down, likewise the steeple of St. Phillips. The steeple of the Unitarian church has fall en. ' no porucos 01 the Hibernian Hall and the main station house are demolished. There is much injury to mansions on East and South Battery. The portico of the Ravonel mansion is down. Hardly a house in the city escaped injury, and many are so shaken and cracked that a hard blow would bring them to the ground. The shock was severe at Sullivan's Island, but no loss of life | is reported there. Fissures in the earth are noticed from which fine sand, apparently from a great depth, exudes. A sulphurous smell is very noticeable. THK SHOCK CONTINUING Two slignt shocks of earthquake were felt here since morning. The first at 8:25 a. m.. and one at about 1:30 p. m., neither of them did any further destruction. Not even daring General Gil more s oonibardment of the city has there ever been such a deplorable state of affairs here. The city is literally in ruins, and the people are living in tho open squares and in the public park_ Theri' is a great rush to the depot to get away, hut owing to the earthquake no trains have been able to be dispatched from the city. Telegraphic communication is also cut oil" excepting wire of the Southern Telegraph Company, which is crowded with anxious private messages. It is impossible te depict the ruin and desolation that prevail here; not a single place of business in the city, save a drug store, whieh is busy preparing prescriptions for the wounded, io open. It is i impossible also to give any correct estilimatc of the killed and wounded, as j bodies are constantly being disinterred 1 from the debris of the wrecked houses. One undertaker stated that he hail < furnished eight coffins up to noon to- \ ilay. , ir r * * many 01 me ueart are lying unburied < principally the poorer classes of colored 1 people, who will be buried by the county. There are not half a dozen touts in ] the city, and the women and children < ire experiencing great privations in con- i sequence. ( As night approaches, many of the heads of families arc trying to construct Lents out of bed sheets, spare awnings :>r any other material that comes to their ( hands. The snn is about to set upon mother night of horror for poor Charles- 5 ton. It is calculated that at least three- 1 Fourths of the city will havo to be re- ' i>um i; me nouses are to be inhabited. The colored people everywhere were loud and increasing in their declamations of alarm, in singing bf hvmns anu fervent appeals for God's mercy, in which appeals. God knows, many a |)roud heart who heard them arising in ;he night and in the hour of His wonIrous might devoutly and humbly and d nee rely joined. Danger brings all of is to the level of the lowliest. There were no distinctions of place or ;>ower,.|U'ide or caste, in the assemblages hat were gathered together in Charles m i. - .uu on luusuay nignt. it was a curious j spectacle to look back upon. It is a joorl one to remember, for white and * slack alike. There were instances of ^ inselfish devotions, of kind and loving egard between master and servant, misress and inaid, in tho presence of the . :oinmon ill and of the threatened ruin, hnt showed, as nothing else could show- ^ iow strong is he that binds our whita ^ jeople and our black people together j ind this lesson of tho dread visitor we lope, too, will never bo forgotten. Arrived at his home, the writer found the tame scenes of distraction and wreck I trhich marked nearly ^ KVKtiy OTHER HOUR IJ* T1IK CITY. ^ All the houses in the neighborhood ? had suffered seriously, and the streets ] yards and gardens were filled with fall- f in chimneys and fragments of walls, t whilo walls that were left standing were j rent asunder in many cases froin top to t bottom, and were badly shattered in a very instance. \Y?men and children i routed from sleep and rushed into the < streets. Invalids were brought out on mattresses and DEPOSITED ON THE HOADWAY. Xo thought was given to the treasures left behind in the effort to save the peculiar treasure of life itself, suddenly become so precious in the eyes of all, invalid woman and robust man alike. Until long after midnight the streets were filled with !u;itives in sight of 1 their homes. Through the long hours that followed few were the eyes, even of childhood, that were closed in sleep. I 1 " ?' " " 1 i>uai-iesion was 1 u 11 ot those who watched for morning, and never in any city, 1 in any land, did the first grey shades that mark the approach of dawn appear 1 so beautiful, and so welcome to the eye ' as they appeared to thousands of people who hailed them this morning from the* midst of countless wrecked homes in ^ our thrice scourged, hut still patient, ' still brave, still hopeful, still beautiful 1 city by the sea. y ANNOTUKIt ACCOUNT. 7 An earthquake such as has never be- C fore been known in the history of this city, swept over Charleston last night C shortly after 10 o'clock. Causing more ^ loss and injury to property and far more to life than the cyclone of the year * before. The fir. t shock was by far the most severe. Its effect can be judged b}' the experience of Captain Dawson of the Arcws and Courier, who lives in a massive brick residence in Bull street near a Kutledge street. Captain Dawson was 0 in his room on the second story when r first shock occured, hU house seemed s literally to turn on it axis. j, The first shock was followed by a second and third, less severe than the ? first. The air was tilled with cries and a, shrieks of women and children. From f, every side of that quiet neighborhood tl came the cry of. "God help us;" "God j] save us," uOh, my God!" ft was worso j] than the worst. w BATTLE OK THE WAU. When the first agony was over it was ri found that the ceiling of every room in J t.j the house was cracked ; a big cistern j UI was broken apart and a huge tank in the 13 uttic was pouring its flood of water into d, the bed rooms. C1 In the parlors statues had been wrench- pj imI from their cases and thrown to the 8C lloor. In the hall a massive lamp had jn ictunlly been turned around. In front ],i :>f the house was a large porch with C1 Iicavy pillars anil solid marble stops. k] All this was swept awa}' as though it iiul boon saved olf with a razor. And rc what was Capt. Dawson's oxporionco was that of hundreds of others in Charleston. fe SOMK OK THE CASUALTIES. From the long but imperfect list of te jasualties the following are taken. ^ Mrs. Williams jumped from the ^ ?ocond story of her residence, at the :orncr of Wentworth and Meeting street J." iiul injured her spine badly. Mrs. HoVert Martin, wife of a shoe 8t nerchant in Market street near King, ni vas badly hurt. ? U. J. Lynch was desperately hurt in rout of his son's store in Meeting street, \ stone of great weight fell upon ^ lim and brake one of his legs, if not mth nnH br> in cnnnncnrl Kn ? ?r f - | . Pg- I Dr.K. Alexander' a young dentist an out of his house and was crushed to nf? leath by a falling chimey. 6r Mr. Hammo:.d, brothor of Isnac Ham- ca nond said to bo fatally wounded both his 80 >ips and logs being broken and also his 's' eft arm. He said that he did not know vhether he jumped from-the third story Cl vindow on Hroad street or was thrown. He orawled ftoin the sidewalk1^ the niddle of the road. .. a* A. Robinson wati killed by the'fall ng of n piazza. .1 (1 V Wipflntcan livinn V? ! > Priond street, was seriously injured in th he head by his house falling in upon it. lim. His* condition is very criti- w< sal. or Edmund Lively, of Itichmond, Va was w valking in front of the City Hospital, dl I'he side of tho house foil on him and di jadlv injured his back and head. Ho a ;rawled from under the debris and saw cc ?cmo men at a storo on the corner of in Mazyck and Queen streets whom he an mpposed to have been killed,, as he left hi hem lying on the sidowalk. Ho / stag- ut jered on as far as the City Hall park wi mdthen fell, completely overcome. ga A *1. 1. < * Aiiivuy iiiuso wno wero Kineu woro lo Juun Middeton, colored, and anothor hi :olored woman both! crushed under the di I|| ^ ^ ^ J :-v ' i ?]n? falling portico of the main station house. In Mary street near Meeting a house was shaken down but, all the inmates : ?? - - . . i?>vn|>cu it iiinu colored cniia who was crushed to death. Just as the first shock camc a wagon bearing two men was passing the corner , of Reid and King streets, when the gable end of the store on that corner fell and covered the unbortunatcs with ( the debris, one of whom was killed. It ( was very late when the body was ex- ( tricated and it was impossible to ascer- . tain the person's name. M. J. Flynn, compositor on JWcws 'ind Courier jumped from the window yf the composing room into a side al- 1 ley. ' Two gentlemen, who wore near the j Pavilion Hotel, heard piercing crie? for 1 lelp. They went down Hazel street in r .he direction of the cries and found a c vhite man and woman half buried in the c uins of a building. They were extricat- * >d and sent to the hospital. As the night wore on search for the lead and wounded continued. Stretch c were unproviseu out of shutters t loors ane loose planks, and the dead 1; nd wounded conveyed to open spaces. Vashiugton park was speedily filled f< ritli iinproptn stretcners on which the s lead and wounded were placed. s 1 Tho F.ffcct in Augusta. j No such scene was ever witnessed nd we trust never will be again, as the ne that was seen on Broad street as the r>porter reached there from tho third b tory of the Chronicle building?Indies i Mother Hubbards and other gowns, inging hands and crying, clinging to lothers, fathers and brothers. The cone was one that could not fail to af;ct the strong men, who tried to assure le distressed ones that it was all over. ^ lardly had they become quieted before ^ ae second shock occurred, and then the 'hole of Broad street was lined with idies and children?families who had jshed from their homes. The C'hroni- c< fe detailed several of the staff, who ifide a tour of the city. Tho scene on road street, as the reporter started awn, beggared description, ludies and lildren, uncontrollable, still crying and j) raying to God to save them. The street 4IJ :enes are without equal, and there is no e, istance in the history of the city that a5 is caused such a panic of fear?infants inging to their mothers, crying, and w rave men giving way. cj As the lower portion of the city was iached, in Robertson's alloy, negroes ]) ere found heaped together on their ices, shouting, praying, and in dread ^ ar. Sounds of falling bricks from C( >usetops, chimneys toppling and plas- w ring cracking caused considerable con- p( ernation. The entire populace was by p, lis time?the third shock?in the street. ouses were all entirely deserted. The ^ ght may be put down as the most fear- ai 1 ever realized here. Invalids on gj rctchers and on mattresses were in the jn iddle of the streets, and half-clad peoe, afraid to return to their homes tc othe themselves. rc A TOUK Thuouoil DUBLIX. t(J All the citizens in this part of the city id taken quarters in the street for the jJ( ght, and the colored people were prayg and seemed particularly frightened. ! .?!! - - - 1 i?s iinpo.ssiuie 10 give any ot tlie dam- jn :e done, though it will amount to a nr eat deal. A h^a^y glass-face bookse in th?? law office of llon.J S. Davidsc n was thrown to the floor and deinollied. Ornaments, chandtlirrs and othrr ^ eakables were destroyed all over the j, i^eVlVrang in all parts of the city, and C' fo*rfcpqfterjpA8 by the Christian church jfie tijueof the Hr*t'shoek, and heard ^ pt fiur. Uw'iCH Up rows. u. In the upper portion of the city, along e streets, the people wore found talk- so g and gesticulating excitedly, and th ondvring whether their time had come co ' not. In one instance a husband and cc ife were sitting on chair? in the mid- nc e of the street, with their roung etiil- m en clinging to them. The mother had young babe at her breast and was in- th insolable. She was weeping and wail- th g and begging God to spare herself hi id little ones. It was not until several gc id gathered around, all arguing the or lelessness of such excitement, that she te s quieted. In every direction the sa me scene was witnessed, and in some m calities all the people on the square id gathered together in the middle, qi scussing the situation with blanched c< faces and throbbing hearts*. The sight was beyond description. One gentleman said : This is my first experience with an earthquake, and I hope to God, fervcntly jiihI from my heart, that it is the last/' "I am completely unnerved," said another, "and don't think 1 shall be myself for a wnok " Word was received late this morning Lhut several young ladies up town had fainted from fright and physicians had '.o be called in. Opiates were necessary n several cases, and even then it was liflicult to put them to sleep. AT THE JAIL fie prisoners cried, prayed and begged .0 be taken out. The people in the vi:inity describe their cries as heartrendng. Jailor Collins, the ever-faithful md kiudhcarted officer, felt for the prismers, but had no way of taking them >ut of jnil. We were unable to see him >ut are told that he says he never had uch feelings in his life. KUMItK11 OK SHOCKS AND TIMe. The exact number of shocks was 13? he first one at 9:22 (city time) and the nst at 12:33 (city time.) The following are the times of the dif erent shocks, the one at 9:51 being the everest, and the one at 10:27 next in everity : at 9:61, 9:52,9:59, 10:07, 10:12, 0:20, 10:27, 10:29, 10:34, 10:38, 10:45, :03 seventy-fifth meridian time. STILL IN THE STKEET. At the time we go to press people are till in the street waiting for breaking f day?families together, little ones armed byliestling in the laps of their lothers, the strong arm of the affectionte brother supporting the timid but >ving sister, while boys, white and colred, are stored away in doorways and ry goods boxes waiting the dawn of ay. Such a dreadful night of suspense ?e citizens of Augusta never witnessed ad we pray they never will again. The itter portion of the night was bleak and aid, making it doubly uncomfortable >r those who remained in the streets. The Lust Conncll of War. At Abbeville, South Carolina, Mr. avis held a conference with the officers . 1 . r ?t * - - - i cuiiiiiimiu 01 uie iroops composing his jcort, which he himself characterized > a council of war, and which I may be istificd, therefore, in so designating. It as, perhaps, the last Confederate coun1 of war held east of the Mississippi iver, certainly the last in which Mr. avis participated. We had gone into camp in the vicinir of the little town, and although bemiing quite anxious to understand hat was going to be done, we were exacting no immediate solution of the ' rablerii. We were all convinced that ! le best we could hope and do was to ,'t Mr. Davis safely out of the country, id then obtain such terms as had been ' ven General Johnston's anny, or. fail- ' g in that, make the best of our way to ' 10 trans-Mississippi. 1 The five brigade commanders each } ceived an order notifying him to at- ' nd at the private residence in Abbe- ' He where Mr. Davis liad made his 1 >adquarters, about four o'clock of that ' ternoon. We assembled promptly at ' ie hour indictaod, and were shown ' to a room where we found Mr. Davis I id Generals Breckinridge and Ilriigg. * 0 one else was present. I hnd never 1 on Mr. Davis look better or show t<? * itter advantage. lie seemed in excel- \ nt spirits and humor ; and the union 1 ' dignity, graceful affability, and do- f si on which made his manner usually J > strilihg, was very marked in his replion of us. After some conversation I a general nature, he announced the ^ irpo.se which had induced him to call ' 1 together. j "It is time," ho said, "that w?? nilnnt . ? r ~ me definite plan upon which the fur- ? er prosecution of our struggle shall be ' nducted, I have- summoned you for >naultation. 1 feel that 1 ought to do >thing now without the advice of my ilit&ry chiefs." He smiled rather archly as he used is expression, aad we could not help linking that such term addressed to a indful of brigadiers, commanding alto* (ther barely three thousand men, by te who so recently had been the mas* r of legions was a pleasantry, vet he id it in a way that made it a compli- y enU J After we had each giTen, at his re- j lest, a statement of the equipment and i mdition.of our respectito, commands, '* SSSi^s^hSbSSm^ -i&ri&uvx ** - * v>-r Mr. Davis proceeded to declare his conviction that the cause was not lost any more than hope of American liberty was gone amid the sorest trials and most disheartening reverses of the revolutionary struggle ; hut that energy, courage and constancy might yet save all. "Kven," he said, "if the troops now,* with me bo all that I can for the present rely on^ three thousand brave men are enough for a nucleus around which the whole people will rally when the panic which now afflicts them has passed awav." Hr then asked that we should make such suggestions in regard to the future conduct of the war as we deemed advisable. We looked at each othr in amazement and with a feeling a ltttle akin to trepidation, for we hardly knew how we should give expressoon to views as diametrically opposed to those he had uttered as we entertained. Our respect for Mr. Davis approached veneration, and notwithstanding the total dissent wo felt and were obliged to announce to the programme he had indicated, that respect was rather increased than di minished by what he had said. We recognized that hia. high and dauntless spirit abhorred submission, not from personal consideration* ?n m? l? ? ? ... vivaa Hk) uccause of the patriotic love he bore his cause and pfeople. I do not remember who spoken first, but we each expressed the same opinion. We told him frankly that the events of the last few days had remoqed from our miuds all idea or hope that a prolongation of the contest was possible. The people wore not panic-stricken but brocken down and worn out after every effort at resistance had beta exhausted. We said that an attempt to contiuuo the war, after all means of supporting warfare were gone, would be a cruel injustice to the people of the South. We would be compelled to live on a country already impovembed, ami would invite its further devastationWe urged that we would be doing a great wrong to men, if we persuaded them to such a course. That if they persisted in a conflict so hopeless, they would be declared and treated as brigands, and would forfeit all. chance of returning to their homes. lie asked why then were we still ,in the field. We answered that we were desirous of affording him an opportuniy, of escaping the degradation of captuie and perhaps a fate which would be direr to the people than even to himself, in still more embittering the exasperated feeling between the North and South. We said that we would ask our men to follow us until his safety was assured and would risk them in battle for that purpose, but would not tire another shot in an effort to continue hostilities. He declared, abruptly, that he would listsn to no suggestion which regarded >nly his own safety. Resuming Ins previous tone, he appealed with in eloquence that was sublime to every ientiment and reminiscence that might >e supposed to move a Southern soldier, tnd urged us to accept his views. Wo remained silent, for our convictions were inshaken ; we felt responsible for the \ 'uture welfare of the m<?n ? !?? on. icroically followed us, and the painful >oint had been reached, when lo speak igain in opposition to all that he urged vould have approached altercation. For mine minutes not a word was spoken I'hen Mr. Davis aro. e and eia-uluted litterly that all was indeed lo.nt. I lad become very pallid, and he walked . ^ to feebly as he proceeded to leave the , ooin that General Hrcckinridge stepped < tastily up and offerred his arm. 1 have undertaken to narrate very >rielly what occurred in a conference vliich lasted for two or three houis. ( relieve that 1 have accurately given the substance of what was said by Mr. Dav s in quotation marks, I have' correctly ,. ?produced it, or very nearly so. ten>rala DeBrell and Ferguson and Colonel Breckinridge Jare still living. 1 think :heir recollection af this somewhat renarkable occurrence will agree with mine. Generals Breckinridge and Bragg took . 10 part in the discussion. Both, howaver, after Mr. Davis retired, assured us >f their hearty approval of the position ire had taken. They had fore borne to | layoanything, because not immediately ' souimanding the troops, and not sup* , posed, therefore, to know their seuti.iments so well as we did. But they sag ?A " ? - " m? vtuiovM ui^n upuil AT* A/AWS UIO lecesaity and propriety of endmoriRf :';$ without further delay to got out of tW ' sountry. and not permit other and ae- ; riouB complications to be produced by ' us capture and imprisonment, atd perlaps execution.?Oek. Dckk, in August fj|B| Bivouac.