The Aiken recorder. [volume] (Aiken, S.C.) 1881-1910, September 21, 1886, Image 1
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CHARLES E. R. DRAYTOX, HanaKer.
AIKEN S. C., TUESDAY, SEPTE3IEE3 £1,
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Is It An Eartliquakc Yeai
l»TARTLJXO PKEDICTI0X9 MADE
UY THE SCIENTIFIC FKATEIl-
NTTY.
earth-
The
reful-
| TerrHIc Earthquake*? Expected In the
Northwest thin Month—A Uathei
U*ly Outlook. If Prophets Speak
True.Iy.
. JVew York Star.
The recent great earthquake, which
cost the Queen City of the Carolinas
$16 t 0Q0,00 In property and the lives of
some sixty of her inhabitants, has bad
$he effect of thoroughly arousing
fcientlsta throughout the land from
their lethargic slum
quake caught them
which,!!
ihered and
have
'in the
)bservator>^^^^^^H0RFn^ and the
members o^l^^gnal corps, under
Gen.Hazon, Maj Powell and Prof,Men
denhall, are silting up nights wait
ing for developments. Theories, ex
planations and prognostications
rain down upon the ill-fated city of
Charleston like ripe apples before a
north wind id a New Jersey orchard
The Mother Cary's chickens of science
flit hither and thither over the coun
try screeching their prophecies of
roe and desolation. Every one of
Riem, both Ligand little, lias ins own
[particular theory to account for the
(recent terrestrial phenomena; but up-
>uone point theirunnniinity ofexpres-
sion is remarkable. They all agree
that America lias not seen the last of
le earthquake during the current
par. Recent dispatches from various
5tions of the country go far toward
^substantiating the earthquake year.
The reoccurrence of the shocks at
Charleston at intervals of about six
teen hours tends toward confirming
this belief. Hinco 1038, the first year
when any historic record was kept,
the Atlantic seaboard lias been shak
en thirty-six several times by earth
quakes.
Basing their opinions upon the mass
of data, yhich has accumulated in the
past week, Prof. William M. Davis, of
Harvard Uaiversity, and other sclen-
tifle observers do not hesitate to pro
claim that the recent earthquake is
tbo greatest one which has in historic
ktimes visited the seaboard of the
fnited States. They say that, it was
luch more disastrous in .ts effects,
and more wide-reaching than the ter-
ibio earthquake of 1775, which was
^lloiyed within a peiiodof a month
^tiy twodiLiei - severe snoers*-
with a slight brown mustache. Not
withstanding the fact that Lis theo
ries are diametrically opposed to the
deduction drawn by the most promi
nent scientific observers, it is impossi
ble to talk to him for five minutes
without being convinced of Lis
thorough good faith and his implicit
confidence in himself and his
tions, As an entering wedge
ther conversation, tins question was
put to him:
“Professor, did you predict the re
cent earthquake?'”
“No,” was the prompt reply; “but
had I been as conversant with the pro
existing condition of the atmosphere
about Charleston as I am now, I
might have predicted it. The nearest
I came to it was some two months ago
when, conversing with my neighbor,
Mr. Bcribner. Ha is a Yale man, at;d
and we were turning over some
rometric tables showing the state <>l
the weather along the seaboard of the
Southern Stales. “There,’ I exclaim
ed, ‘if these storms continue, and I
have every reason to believe they will
there is a fair probability of an earth
quake in that region;” ami I ran my
finger througli the various States fro in
Georgia to Pensyivania,”
“Would you object to giving the
readers of the Star an insight into
your theory?”
“Not at all,” replied the Professor
and added after a pause: “It has
As soon as the conditionc existing
prior to the Charleston earthquake
reoccur the earthquake must uecessily
follow.”
“When and where will such condi
tions reoccur?”
“On or about the 25th of this month.
The earthquake may be expected be-
predic- j tween that date and the 28th. It will
for fur-! be a violent one, but its 'center
will be in the northwestern part of the
United States. Washington Territo
ry, Idaho, Montana, Dakota, Oregan,
California, Nevada and Untah will
get the full benefit of it. We shall
very possibly feel it here. From the
20th to the 25th of the month it will be
intensely hot. Then will follow viol
ent storms and immediately after-
ward or simultaneously therewith,
tiie earthquake.
Impresed by the similarity of the
to Prof. Hammond's nredic-
a ,., AiuerviMwer asKefi Frot.
ynether he had read the Western
scientist’s prognostication. He hadn’t
but after glaucing at it he remark
ed :
“I am glnd that my opinion meets
with the corroboration of an able man
who is actually upon the ground. It
strengthens me in my conviction.
By tlic way, I forgot to say that the
eirthquakes always move from the
southeast toward the northwest, or
directly opposite to the movemeuts of
storms.”
SOUTH CAKOIilN'A GEYSEKS.
is now bus ily engaged col-
tteri&l preparatory to for-
ais theory of earthquakes,
interim he has refus-
in specific terms that a
of shocks might be expect-
is hinted as much, however
»t of bolder savants have not
in placing themselves ou
as adherents to the belief,
i the cautious professor enunciat
1 only by innuendo.
Prof. McGee, whose “displacement”
has been so thoroughly venti-
ln the columns of the daily press
asserted that the last great “sea-
slip” may quite probably be the
junpr of others. Prof. Menden-
11, of the signal office, Washington
;came familiar with eartquakes
luring a three year’s residence in Ja-
}an. He hoots at the “displace-
Inent” theory, but expects a recur-
_rence pf the disturbances, although
bot in such a severe form.
Majop Joseph 8. Powell of the
United States Signal Corps has made
terrestrial and atmospheric pheuome-
bis special study. He docs not
3lieve in “displacement,” but has
[theory of his own to account for the
marlcston manifestation. In brief
)is theory is that the disturbance was
lue to the recent spouting of a num-
of dried up geysers in the far
rest. The superheated gases and
illiug water could not find a suffi
cient outlet there, so they worked
their way across the continent cntil
they struck the Atlantic side, where
the earth’s crust is thin ami sensitive,
ic result was au upheaval, followed
a series of cavings in. As it did not
Appear reasonable to Major Powell
that all this pc*nt-up liquid and gas-
matter could have jsca^en in
ciuHy l
Ihis pi
>een verified. Jt
whether it will be
st extent.
and exact pre-
is yet been enuuciut-
Fntific fraternity comes
P. Hammond, sojourn-
Oregan. He dedans
jptember 14 and 15,there will
Ionic disturbances throughout
festern portiou of the continent
at to raise
Fair of the settlers and miners as
[ally as if a Sioux brave superintend
the job, Prof. Hammond adds that
‘terrific cyclones,earthquakes and tor
nadoes,” will devastate the United
Statts in general and the Pacific sea
board in particular on September *6,
87 and 28. His predictions cannot be
dismissed in a summary fashion, as
has been a devoted student of seis
mology for many years, and residing
Jo a country where such disturbances
me of frequent occurence, he lias had
opportunities for observation such as
the merit of simplicity, which is more
than can be said for the theories of
some of the so-called scientists. In
brief then, my theory is simply tills:
Earthquakes and atmospheric distur
bances go together. The latter is the
promoting cause of the former. Now
the normal external pressure of the
atmosphere on the earth’s surface is
about fifteen pounds to the square
inch. A series of heavy storms come
and displaced portion of the atmos
phere, diminishing the external pres
sure in that particular locality. The
The internal presure—the volcanic
forces at work within the earth—seeks
vent wherever the external pressure
is least. Result an earthquake.”
“Is this all there is to your theory!”
“Not quite all,” he answered, with
a smile. ‘T paused in order to give
you an opportunity to grasp the gen
eral outline before I went into my
theory more in detail. Now all
storms, in my opinion, are attributa
ble to the movements of the moon.
The moon carries the atmospheric
waves upward—attracts them toward
herself. Scientists of the schools do-
qy this because they cauuot weigh
these suspended waves. I have a
inuiWu ailgwer
A DANGEROUS EXPERIMENT.
aftorded to few scientists. But the
startling corroboration of Prof,
up lid’s forecast is furnished Ly [ to our
. Andrew Jackson Dovoe, the self- • storms
meteoi^iogist of New Jersey,
medium height, and appareut-
; 37 years of ago. His eyes art
ight. They have a peculiar
look, *uch as is often re-
eyes of students and
deal by theiu-
bat narrow.
(Hngafl
jection. Let U£ suppose that we have
a small letter balance, before us on
this table. I place a steel weight
on the balance and it bears
it down. Now, let me take a power
ful magnet and hold it above the
weight. Note the result. The balance
returns to its normal position just
as if the weight did not rest upon it
How can I weigh that suspended
weight now? Tell me, and I will
show the scientists how to weigh a
suspended atmospheric wave. My
second answer is levelled at those
who doubt the power of the
moon’s attraction, It is simply au
argument by analogy, The moon,
according to the very generally accept
ed scientific theory, cfuises the ebb
and flow of the tide. What is this
but attraction and repulsion? If the
moon can lift a column of water thous
ands of miles in area and hundreds of
fathoms deep, why cannot it lift a
volume of air? Now, to go back a
little ways to where I said that the
normal pressure upou the earth’s sur
face was changed by a series of heavy
storms, you will now comprehend
that tins atmospheric displacement is
directly attributable to the attraction
of the moon. The moon causes the
storms and then lifts the atmospheric
waves. The pressure within the
earth's crust has a diminished pres
sure from without to contend
against. An upheaval follows.”
“Do the recorded facts concerning
the state of the barometer at Charles
ton and the condition of the moon im
mediately preceding the earthquake
bear out your theory?”
“To the fullest possible extent thev
do. There has never been an earth
quake in any quarter of the globe
where tiie previous meteorologk
eoiuliiToTWKyo nor, ifel-.t Hub-aant’^ 1
such as I ■^^^pbfe'eribed. "to
j Cliarleston^ram storm after rain
«torm lias swept over the city during
ttiepast twomonths. Destructive floods
have been chronicled throughout that
section of tiie country. Lastly a most
important fact, the moon was directly
over head at the time of tiie earth
quake. In this position according to
my theory, it ex ercises the strongest
attractive force.”
“Do you not think, it possible that
the thinness of the earth’s crust in
the neighborhood of Charleston
might have much to do with the re
cent earthquake?”
“I am not a believer in that thin
crust theory,” said he. “Now,scien
tists say that the earth’s crust is sixty
five miles thick here and only twenty
five at Charleston. If that be so how
do they account for the fact that we
experienced quite a severe shock of
earthquake here in New Jersey two
years ago, and that they didn’t feel it
in Charleston at ail. Now they haven
terrific shock and we scarcely a per
ceptible one. Deiieve me the storm
theory is the only reliable one. Prior
earthquake of 1SS4 terrible
and destructive floods raged
throughout this State.”
“Do you think we have seen the
list of tbo earthquakes for this
3* car?”
;rv
The Odd Fellows to Run Monster Ex
cursion Train from Chicago to
R< >s ton.
Chicago, September 15.—Next Sat-
urda3 T morning an extraordinarily
large excursion party will leave this
city for Boston over the Chicago
Trunk Railway. Tiie contract with
the company calls for sixty Pullman
and forty Wagner sleeping coaches
and twenty baggage cars. The first
section of this remarkable train will
leave Chicago on Saturday 9 a. m.,
and the remaining sections of the
train will leave every twenty minutes
thereafter until the entire party is on
tiie move. «
The Grand Trunk Companj r will
clear tiie tracks of ail other traffic, as
far as possible, and fast time will be
made to Niagara, where the first stop
will be made for breakfast the follow
ing morning. This great excursion is
going to the Odd Fellows’ celebration
at Boston next week when tiie Sove
reign Grand Lodge of the world will
hold its meeting. Tiie Odd Fellows
are vainly trying to get lower rates
-i+Hes. --They
entered into the contract with the
jo p oil
trip. Since that da* i .
ing roads have made concessions.
After the rates were arranged 75,000
circulars were sent out to the whole
Western country asking the various
Orders (*» rendezvous at Ch^iago ai
from there make a grand (start for
Boston.
Responses already received indicate
that from.S,000 to 10,000 of the frater
nity will assemble and pass througli
Chicago. The celebration at Boston
is expected to eclipse anything ever
attempted by the Odd Fellows before.
Tiie Patriarchs Militant ( a Military
Branch of the Order) will for the first
time participate in the annual festivi
ties and it is estimated that 10,000
chevaliers aud 60,000 subordinates
will make up the parade.
The Convnlsctl Region—What lied to
the Tidal Wave Story—Spouting
Water* Around Charleston-Subsid
ences. i Rations and Ivong Fissures |
A'cw York World.
Charleston. 8. C., Sept. 11.—So
many extraordinary reports have
readied this city of the efforts of the
earthquake and the appearance of the
earth’s surface throughout the coun
try southwest of here and cast of the
Edisto River, that the World’s cor
respondent went down there yester-
ter and drove over a large extent of it.
It is a remarkable fact that no dis
turbances of the earth’s surface have
been reported from the country west
of the Edisto River. Within the re
gion above indicated, Aiiere
are abundant evidences of an aston
ishing convulsion. The face of the
V jt..: v »-»■'. r\ r i-nving been
inundated. Previous to the earth
quake there had been a prolonged
drought, aud the ponds and swamps
had dried up. The moruiug after the
earthquake people saw water every-
wliere. When they were sent by* the
shock from their houses into the dark
ness of a moonless night they were
thrown into a state of utter consterna
tion by finding water auklo-deep at
the foot of their door-steps, hearing
the rush of-water in the darkness all
around them, and seeing it dripping
from the trees while the stars were
shinning quietly from a cloudless sky
overhead. It was this extraordinary^
phenomenon that, in the absence of
communication with Charleston,caus
ed the first reports to be sent out that
the city had been swept by a tidal
wave. Not knowing where the water
came from, the terrified people natur
ally thought that the ocean had rolled
in a great wave over the land and sub
merged O o seacoast. A man at
Ravenel’s Station, on the Charleston^
and Savannah Railroad, eighteen
miles from Charleston, heard shrieks
and calls for help emanating from his
son’s house, a few hundred feet awa3*.
He rushed to his son’s assistance and
was transfixed with astonishment at
finding a column of water spouting
up from an opening in tiie earth be
tween the j-oung man’s gate posts.
The 3*oung man and his family were
clinging to each other upon the piazza
of tiie shaking house, expecting to be
crushed by the fall of the building,
yet afraid of being drowned by the
waterspout if they left the piazza.
At Adams’ Run, seven miles further
west, the earth was rent by inuumera-
ble g03’sers, some of them larger than
af5"t8 L JjSj’ouud anywhqa^Jae. Some
of the craters by the
DONE BY T?lE EARTHQUAKE.
—f
Has There Becnift Change in Colum
bia's Unpogi-aphy?
ColumHr Register.
A Register reporter, while standing
at the intersectit-n of Richardson aud
Washington streets yesterday, was ac
costed bj' a gen Jem an, who said:
“Step into ttjD middle of Richard
son street, look Korth and tell me if
you see anythitj’*.”
The reporter \iid ns requested, and
replied that thejiostoffiec didn’t seem
to he as high ai eminence as it was
previous to the «cent disturbances.
‘That is just ex, illy what a dozen men
have aid. ThJ e is scarce^* a man
who looks at It ut doesn’t notice that
something is wi >ng—that is, the post
office end of i ichardson street has
-Legn depressed ilse the State House
end This Vixui fljfva ted. ’ ’
The scribe wujded his wa3* to the
Fostoffice ano-fjokecl towards the
inly seeing tiie hot-
entering from the
aseof the Confeder
n front of the build
“THAT TIDATj WAVE.’’
TI E RIGHT KIN
MAN.
A VAi.H W! T}l Dit. \EI DEU.
State Houae, p
tom of the ste
plaza, while tl
ate monument
ing was clea*/ outlined.
passed riding o
asked how Ion
iumbia. He re
A man
a dray, and he was
he had lived in Co-
*ed that he had lived
here most all lilfl life, and was there
upon asked to Iftk towards the State
House and see S there was anything
stange.”
“By Georgel’l he said, “the street
dont look like mise to. j dont know
what’s the matfer, but there’s sorae-
thing wrong somewhere,”
Others also unde similar observa
tions. Number* of citizens could be
seen throughomthe day stepping into
the middle of tl$ street, and almost
unanimously they agreed that the ae-
clivity at the ptstoffice could not be
seen as plainly as formerl}’. Some
thought they ceuld see further up the
street than they ever could, while a
very fow were incredulous about the
biatter.
Some of the “oldest citizens” were
called on, and they agreed that there
was something wrong. They asserted
that the postofliee had heretofore been
on a considerable eminence, that the
street was an inclined plane lending
to it from the South, and that it could
be plainly seen all the way up.
The “oldest citizen” and all the ob
servers may be mistaken as to the for
mer topography of the street, but sure
it is that nov there is no inclined
plane looking Nortli from Washington
street. An incline begins about
Washington street aud then declines
to the vicinity of Taylor street, the
brow of the iijHiue almost complete^’
C.nLLi*~r—ythe postofflee.
GETTTING
DOWN TO
FACTS.
BOTTOM
The Special Geological Agent’s New
Discoveries.
yews and Courier.
Mr. Sloan, who is engaged in inves
tigating the earthquake phenomena
for the United States Geological Sur-
vey, spent yesterday taking observa
tions in the cemeteries and other
places around, aud succeeded in
making a number of interesting dis
coveries.
Among them was the shifting of
the enormous guano shed at the South
Carolina Railway wharf on Cooper
River. The shed is 400 feet long to six
ty feet wide, ^udis supported ou bents
which rest on piles. The building
contained about 150Q tons of guano at
the time of the earthquake, and yet
notwithstanding its great size and
weight, the entire structure was shift
ed 8 feet : , l 2 inches towards the south-
tb-.:* the vast energy
ma " ed by the earth wave.
Aimt. er discovery of interest, a-
showing the direction of the force,
was that the brick casing or well of the
gas reservoir on Washington street,
although buried in the ground, had
been'forced eight inches towards the
southeast aud had then recoiled into
its original position. Tiie evidence
of its displacement was found in an
opening or indentation about eight
inches wide in the ground showing
where the brick curbing had pressed
back the dirt.
Mr. Sloan will continue his obser
vations to-day, operating in the sec-
• .r. ...... 1 mtxtruwn up bear
evidence of having spouted with
inconceivable energy. Indeed, the
water must have been thrown to an
astonishing height. The people could
not see how high the water spouted,
but they say it went up with noise
like a mighty escape of steam. One
of these geysers, on the edge of a deep
pond about ten acres in extent, threw
up sand enough to fill up nearly an
acre of the pond to the level of
surrounding surface:* The
sides of this crater form an irregular
curve. The crater itself is thirty feet
in length,, fifteen in the narrowest,
and twenty feet in width at its widest
part. It is full of water. In depth it
measures about two and a half feet
above the surface of the water, and
the water is between five and six foot
deep. Beneath the water is a bot tom
of soft mud, through which a pole may
be sunk to any depth. This crater is on
the north side of the pond, and on the
south side of it are two other craters
of very nearly equal dimensions. The
grass and underbrush of the
surrounding pine forest in-
dioate from tiie marks left on
them that the surface of the country
was covered with water to a depth of
more than four feet. A remarkable
fact coueerning these geysers, as well
as Hie fissures in the earth’s surface,
is that they are chiefly confined to a
strip of country not more than two
miles wide, or three at the outside,
extending from Summerville, in a
southeasterly direction, to the Wil-
town Bluffs, on the Edisto River, a
distance of fulli* thirt3 r miles.
The subsidence that occurred on last
Tuesday afternoon, on the Charleston
and Savannah Railroad, between New
Hoad and Adams’ Run Station, is in
this belt. That s)ibsj«l»*i in" I
or wilTbe ealletv
ter.
Almost but Not Quite Married,
, BrOoksviUe {Fla.) News.
An amusing hut disgusting affair
tiappened in the town of Leesburg one
day’ last week. We will mention no
names for the sake of the family* of
the young lady. A ymung man, a
resident of Fernaudina, took the
young lady apoken of, who lives in
the country, near Leesburg, out driv
ing, aud while on the trip he proposed
(presumably in a jesting manner)
that they get ruirried. She accepted
and the young turn ordered the driver
to turn aroumj and drive to town,
evidentl^think ngthat the young lady
was jesting and * r ould back out, before
they reached the town, but as they
neared town aii *J.he young lady did
not say anyth’
iiad considered!
that he was in
scheme to devijj
get out of the
tion of country*
and Lamb’s.
between Raveuel’s
‘'Indeed I do not,” was tiie reply.
“In fact tiie condition of thentmos-
phere tends to confirm me in the be
lief that at least one violent earth-
quakc will come within 6 short time.
* ^ _ . ^.. v .. -v -
A Fanner's Discovery.
Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 13.—The
ravages of hog cholera in the central
part of the State are a matter of seri
ous study by* those concerned. An
important discovery isal'egod t > have
been made by a fanner named Shep
hard, near New Castle, Henry Com -
ty. He had long believed that tiie
disease is nothing hut parasites or
trichina. 1 in the stomach of the hog,
aud to vindicate his judgment he heid
a post mortem examination upon
a hog that died this week. With the
naked eye could bo seen many of tiie
parasites in the second lining of the
stomach- He communicated the fact
of the discovery to the Secretary of
the State Board of Agriculture, who
has referred the subject to a miero-
scoplpt for examination and report.
rangUf Than was at first reported. It
extended for at least 300 feet and was
directly below the track. The track
did not simply sink down. The earth
went down and left the crossties
hanging to the rails. In the immedi-
aie vicinity of the subsidence there
is a very large fissure measuring one
or two hundred ten feet in length aud
several feet in width. At
Ravenel’s there is a slightly rounded
elevation of ihe earth’s surface mark
ed by’ parallel lines of narrow fissures
measuring trom ten to fifteen feet in
width and about two aud a half miles
in length. Tiie general direction of|
this elevation is from northeast to
southwest.
A Family Catastrophe.
Liiele Rtck, Auk., Sept. 15.—The
12-year-son of Joseph Morse was bath
ing in a pond near his home yester
day, when lie was attacked with
crump. His brother jumped in to
save him and both drowned. Mrs.
Morse had run from tiie house when
the first warning was given, and wit
nessed the death of her two sons. She
f diited afthe sight, and when restored
to consciousness it was found that she
had become a raving maniac.
> he found that she
lie thing earnest, and
trap. So he began to
e a plan by’ which to
llemma in which he
had placed bin (elf. He hit upou the
plan of escapi^, from tiie young lady
under the pretg se of having to cash
a check at t)o batik, expecting to
make his way* 3 ! the depot, where lie
hoped to find ferain going out, which
lie intended b- hiina:, and thus escap
ing. Kavingjjincocted this scheme,
when they rt-ihed the city he told
the young lad&s they intended leav
ing ou the tran as soon as the cere
mony was pe rmed, it was necessa
ry for him tiT^t a check cashed at
the bank, antSld her to go down to
tiie hotel and/ wait his coming; that
he would tra&iot his business at the
hank, procure*he services of a Jus-
tic of the Peso aud have the mar
riage take plajfc V
—nr seems tli*J1!i*ymung lady was a
little suspieieW th»t all was not right,
so, after waiti* awhile and her future
intended not Jtting in an appearance
she set out \ hunt for him. Site
went to the Ipk, and on being told
that the youniuan in question had
not been seenjhe became convinced
that he inten^J to deceive her. She
went to the **pot and found him
waiting for a jin. When he sa*w her
coming he trfc to dodge around the
corner of the (ilding and escape, but
she caught upith him aud marched
him up towniuending to take him
before a Justiiof the Peace and have
tiie knot tiethen and there. But
while going c town he broke away
from her, audiaking his way to the
depot this ti> struck a train that
was leaving, iich he boarded, and
was soon farWay from what
DeYVitt Ta’mage makes Fnn ot Die
Scientists ami their Theories.
In his last “Friday Evening Talk”
at the Brooklyn Tabernacle the Rev.
T. DeWitt Talmave referred to the
terrible earthquake in Charleston a.-
followers:
“Among other things to rejoice over
in this week’s history is the munifi
cent supply sent from fill parts of the
land to sufTering Charleston. Y< here
is now the old quarrel between Fort
SumterandFortMoultrie? AH tr.e past
drowned out in the magnificent sym
pathy of the present. Yet I notice
there has been some contro% ersy
among worldly* scientists and the re
ligionists of this city, but the Chris
tian people are coming out ahead. The
philosophers, it seems, are disgusted
that the ministers and churches down
there should have been praying and
learning pious lessons about the eai th-
q iakc when nothing hut natural
causes were at work. Yet never did
science so conspicuously show its
impotency* for the work of comfort as
in Charleston this week. It lias been
trying to find out the cause of that toi-
rible shaking up, aud the only help it
gave to the afflicted people was to tell
them that a tidal wave would rush in
and sweep off everything that the
other calamity had left. What a
mighty consolation it mustfliave been
to those citizens logding in the parks
and on the Battery of Charleston, be
cause their homes were gone, to have
the scientists rush out from their
laboratories and practically say .
‘Men and women of Charleston, your
houses are gone and your churches
gone, and all I have to say by way o'
comfort is that a wave of the -A-’^anlic
Ocean, about fifty* feet hi" 4lj ^ v iji soon
roll over and put ye u rji ou t G f your
misery.’ But ‘^ence lied, thank God!
And ‘he t i(]al wave did not come,
and even the September rains have
'.,cen withheld, and that city will be
rebuilt and her churches reconstruc
ted and her storehouses filled, aud
better days than Charleston ever saw
will yet come to that suffering city.
That is God’s way of doing things—
“Beauty for ashes.” In proportion to
the trial, the victoLv. It is through
great and overwlWlraing suffering
that individuals and cities and na
tions rise to their highest throne. Had
I been in the awful scene and my
home destroyed and my children dead
under the fallen walls, rather than all
the learned things that tiie scientists
of the earth could tell mo about
seismographs and seismometers, and
tide guages and spiral springs and the
certain coming of the tidal wave, I
would im v —
menis
own name, but had the grace of God
in his heart, come and pray for my
soul aud assure me that the moun
tains may depai t and the hills be re
moved, but that God’s loving kind
ness never fails. My friends, we all
want something to hold on to. We
want an arm that never wearies, that
is God’s arm; aud a heart that always
pities, that is God’s heart; and a
promise that never fails, that is God’s
promise. There is a tidal wave that
comes in not to overwhelm us, but to
lift us into peace and pardon and life
and heaven. On its briglit surges what
multitudes have floated into the har
bor of God’s consoiatiou. May we
this moment feel its power amid the
wreck of all other prospects. ‘This
foundation standeth sure, the Lord
knoweth them that are His.’ Com
fort one another with these words.”
M.
the
was
perhaps the n|rest approach to mar
riage a man c<r got without aeluaiiy
Imagined She xvas Chloroformed
The residents of First ward, Atlan
ta, near the corner of Mitchell and
Haynes streets, were aroused Tues
day morning about 3 o’clock by* the
cries of Mrs. William Postell foi
help. Mrs. Postell lives on Haynes
street, one door from tiie corner of
Mitchell. She stated to citizens who
responded to her call for assistance
that some one had administered
chloroform to herself and family’ with
the view of robbing their house. She
said that the drug had been squirted
through the key-hole of her door, and
that when she stepped out into the
yard to see who had done it, some one
squirted more clhoroform on her from
the opposite side of the street. Her
story’ was regarded improbable, as tiie
street was full forty feet wide, and
there was no smell of the drug about
the house. •The police, however, were
telephoned for at her request,and upon
their arrival a careful inspection of
tiie premises was made. The odor of
the drug was net detected, and the
officers left. They place no depen
dence upon the statements of Mrs.
Postell. They think that she was under
the influence of either morphine or
other medicinal drugs when they’ were
at the house. Mr. Postell works at the
Air Line Depot, being employed as a
night watchman. When sent for he
paid no attention to the matter, and
did not go home until ids usual hour
tiiis morning When his wife told him
of tiie chloroform business lie told her
that there was nothing in it. Mrs.
Postell frequently acts strangely. She
is about 55 years of age aud has three
children. When the police called the
children were sleeping soundly, and
did not seem to lie drugged in any way.
AssLslam .Seeieiary Xiioinnson’s I>
tion to Civil Service Reform,
New York Times.
Washington,*Sept. 13.—Mr. J.
Thompson, a young man from
South, who lias been in business in a :
cotton house in Memphis, and whose i
health was suffering in consequence j
of an uncongenial climate, came to j
Washington a short time ago, and de- i
siring to enter tiie Government ser-i
vice, he made application to the civil j
service commission to he examined
as a bookkeeper. He was examined
and passed successfully, with a rating
of 85.
On Wednesday or Thursday last
Second Auditor Day, of the treasury
department, made a requisition upou
the civil service commissioners, as he
needed a bookkeeper. Four names
were sent to him, hut of < lie four, after
an examination of the papers of all,
1 ho selected Mr. Thompson in conse
quence of his excellence as a penman
together with his ability as a book
keeper, On Thursday Secretary Fair-
child, upon the recommendation of
Auditor Day, and without knowing
that the candidate was related to As-
sistantant Secretary Thompson, ap
pointed Mr. Thompson to a fourteen-
hundrcd-dollar clerkship, and he took
service under Auditor Day in the
Winder building. The next day* As
sistant Secretary Thompson,the father
of this young man, who had been ab
sent in Columbia, S. C., for Several
days, returned, He v; rtS met by his
son, who gleofu^y imparted the news.
Assist**Secretary Thompson was
bought fully rather than delighted.
On Tuesday it was stated that the
young man had decided, with his
father’s approval, to ask to have the
appointment revoked. The Reason
given was that the supposition might
go abroad that he secured his place
through the exercise of his father’s
official influence.
When Assistant Secretary Thomp
son was asked about the matter he ad
mitted that the facts were as stated,
and that it was true he had counselled
his son to decline the appointment.
Ho had not advised him to resign be
cause he doubted the honesty of tiie
examination and report, but because
he did not wish to give the enemies of
civil service reform any grounds upon
which to assail the operation of the
law. “I am for civil service reform,
and stronger in my advocacy of it
since I have been in office than I was
before, and I do not wish to afford
anybody a chance to suspect my’ de
votion ta it.” Auditor Day arnj-Sec
retary Fah».‘ 1 '
naot^n^ippoi nmien _,
do not consider that Assistant Secre
tary* Thompson should discriminate
for or against his son in such a matter,
and believe that as the young man
passed examination on his merits and
was chosen for his proficiency as a
penman and bookkeeper, he is enti
tled to hold his place.
He Tells a IV.lhei ir si.*ry of How Che
Norih Feels Toward Charleston.
The Rev. Dr. Veddcr and wife have
returned to the eity and are staving at
tiie Mansion House on Broad street.
Dr. Veddcr, in conversation with a Re
porter for the News and (’mirier, said
that lie was in Schenectady, N. Y.,on
tiie fateful Tuesday. He had no in
timation of the earthquake until the
following morning, when the morn
ing papers gave a whole page to the
terrible event, with the appalling
declaration that no single word could
t>e received from Charleston.
“The New York Sun contained Uio
suggestion of a tidal wave,” said Dr.
Veddcr, “which had swept-the dear
old city and its inhabitants out of ex
istence. Fearful ns must have been
the reality of what was suffered here,
second only to it was the uncertainty
and suspense endured by* me aud
mine for more than twenty-four hours,
j until telegraphic communication was
re-opened. Then it was impossible to
get private intelligence. Dispatches
remaiued unanswered, and seeming-
inglv unnoticed. There was a reason
for tills well known now, but then in
explicable. The torture of all those
hours need not he dwelt upon.
When the first tidings of the awful
catastrophe came, the whole heurt-
the people of the i-xovth seemed to?
throb with a, single impulse of sym-
pftCiy for Charleston. I have never
1 seen — scarcely ever conceived —so
spontaneous, universal and abound
ing an omotiou thrilling every class
of the people. Everything was for
gotten, but the historic and beautiful
city and Ur, woes. Having an ap
pointment to preach in the church of
HVy childhood, I was requested to
speak upon the all-engrossing event,,
and did so in the few broken words at
my command, and I am ^ftire no
speaker ever addressed an audience
more in sympathy with his theme,
more considerate of his inability to
give voice to his feelings. Assurances
of help were given to every degree aud
in every form needed, and this same
spirit was manifest everywhere and
in all ways. Alf these things are
known here, and I only mention
them because you a >k. It i 8 un ailevi-
tion, even of so fen: ful a calamity as
that which has bef u’len Charleston,
that the tenderest thoughts of the
whole land have been lovingly drawn
out towards her, and t he band ol help
ungrudgingly and gla tfiy extended.
If any heart hero dee V 011 ^ 8 h*r the
dear city.it may find cou tago in the iu*
terest of all the country i 5
Lefc it be high treason to
despair of her future.”
GARFIELD PROBED
XO IkJSATH.
VOLCANOS AND EARTHQUAKES.
America Hast More Than Her Share
of the Earth’s Chimneys.
The name volcano is derived from
Vulcanus, the god of fire of the an
cient Romans. They are generally
divided into three classes—active, in
termittent and extinct. Stramboli,
n tiie Mediterranean, is a good ex
ample of the first class, making a fiery
beacon light for sailors on the neigh
boring sea. Etna and Vesuvius are
<ood examples of the second kind.
To the popular mind they are the
himneys of the vast roaring furnace
if heat in the bowels of tiie earth, and
undoubtedly serve as vents for the
powerful gusts that might, if con
fined, created a total destruction to
the crust upon which we live.
There are supposed to be some 330
and over of these chimneys upon the
face of the earth, two-thirds being
situated upon islands. America has
about 114 of these, and more than any
other geographical division of the
globe. Earthquakes appear to be
from the same cans as volcanic erup
tion , tiie energy of vapors and gases
in the earth struggling to find a vent.
Tiie same night ihatthe.city of Lima,
South America, was shaken down
four now volcanic vents were found
in the Andes. Soon after the earth
quake in Libson in 1735 there were
some of the most violent eruptions
ever known. After the destruc
tion of Caracas the volcano of St.
Vincent became active, and at tin
beginning tiie eartli was shaken foi
a space of nearly 29,000 square miles.
The movement of the eartli during
au earthquake may bo vertical, hori
zontal or whirling. The most destruc
tive shocks are generally tin* shortest
in duration. That of Lisbon, Nov. 1.
1755, lasted about six minutes. Tin
three shocks that red need Caracas te
ruins, March - r >, 1812, were over in a
minute and most of the damage to the |
city* of Conception, Foil. 20, 1835, was
done in six seconds. At Lima, Peru,
an average of nearly fifty’ shocks in a
year are expected, and in some parts
of South America over sixty have
been counted iu a year, not reckoning
the slight ones, which were sM’*
That is the Rolled Down < •pKJon of
the Best Medical Mei '*
Tiie death of Dr. Ilamilt? *•' w ^ , °
with Dr. Aguew, was consult.
geon iu the treatment of the ’ ^und
inflicted by the assassin Guiteau
the body of President Garfield,
only revives that sad affair, but h
to some new facts. Not long bef
his death Dr. Hamilton wrote a rii. u
tiuguished surgeon giving his opinion
on the treatment of this case, which
confirmed the views other eminent
authorities have entertained, but '
which have been withheld from the
public. Dr. Bliss, who had charge of
the case, has long been an invalid and
his friends say he cannot survive long.
A recent analysis of tiie case and its
treatment bv Dr. Esnach, of Germany
the acknowledged greatest surgeon of
Europe, and an author on surgical
subjects, charges the case with having
been badly managed; that had the
wounded man been a common soldier,
subjected to tiie ordinary course of
hospital treatment, he would have
had largely more than uneven chance
of recovery. His idea is that tiie Presi
dent’s death was caused not by the
3L:I more
y i
Far-famed Editor Cutting is nearly
destitute, his half interest in the
Mexican paper, £7 Centinct, which he
owned in Paso del Norte having been
absorbed by the expense of his im
prison men t and trial.
young
sue
man
going througKjp ceremony.
The youngady finding that
was baffled ai that the
had left, retutd home.
It is said l father of the young
lady, when lit arued of the disgrace
ful conduct oiib daughter—although
the young la is all of 22 years of
age—became incensed that he gave
her a sound fcging.
A level-lMied writer says that
when you heb man talking against
his county Xspaper you may just,
put it dqwmat he owes for about
two years’ s icriplion, and is mad;
because the (tor wants the money. 1
irnm Afar.
yews euid C->url> r.
If one t^U'.'h of nature makes the
whole world kin, a shock <<f nature
should make the relationship very
manifest indeed, and the earthquake
has certainly* hud this effect. Here
are the good people in far away Lon
don, with tiie Lord Mayor at
head, opening a fund for tiie relief oi
the sufferers iu
they* have never seen and will never
see, and from whom they are separat
ed by thousands of miles of safe inter
val. Without comparison with other
offers, it is a kiudlv aud utterly un
selfish thought which prompts the
The Steel IJuii Tribute.
Philadelphia Record (Deni.)
a i
Tiie diff y on sto? ] ra Is which Mr.
Blaine lias invested with such won
der-working powtr, *> * far from in-
their ! creasing the prosperity of the country
ief oi [ has created and enriehed a gigantic mo
Cluu’lcstOL—whoru.j nopoiy at the expense of the public
Interests. It levies tribute upon
every' new line of railroad and upon
every old lino that is obliged to re
new Its rails. And this enhances the
cost of frieghts to every comsmner in.
, •*»« i the laud. Yet this is the tariff
tender of aid from this far city, aud i idol in whoso honor tho Maiue states-
It will be appreciated accordingly. * man has erected au altar.
wound, hut by too much probing and
other interferences with the processes
of nature. This view of tiie case is
generally'sustuined by physicians who
were familiar with the treatment at
the time.
It l a? not yet been explained why
Drs. Hamilton and Agncw permitted
such now alleged inefficient treatment
to go on without interceding. It is
known that the President’s suffering
was greatly increased by the tinkering
treatment lie received at tiie hands of
Bliss with Lis probe and Professor
Bell wjth his electric balance, which
latter tiie post mortem showed was
the biggest piece of humbuggery of
the series. The fact that the ball was
encysted indicated that no further
trouble was to bo feared from that
source, and tiie course of the hall hav
ing been kept open it is believed by
experts it would have healed but for
the persistent probing. A surgeon
who had his imfonnation directly from
witnesses to the post mortem says that
the entire absence of knowledge of the
principal facts in tho case was then
demonstrated. After, cutting down
with tiie course of the wound to ha
end and not finding the ball there was
a pa«iic among the operators. Tho
bowels were then taken out and placed
in a basin on a t'and. Exai.i^luation
there failed to show any traces ot tho
hall. Then there was another panic.
Tiiis is supposed to have shown how
thoroughly* the process of healing had
gone on, and with less officious care
would have resulted in recovery.
After !• eg search the ball was found
near the spine, nicely healed in Us
surrounding sack. It is charged that
the excessive probing was too severe a
strain upon the vital forces of the
patient. Parties who are familiar
with the case say that “Garfield was
probed to death.”
$
llv
. -:-*i
-L'JI .3*®$
-Mi
“I am willing to give a young man
a start in lift;, said old Hunks as he
kicked Jones out of the dbor, but I
don’t consider my daughter
to be thrown into the
ell CitiMen.
r. *