1886 — Aug 31, Charleston, SC Earthquake, felt in 27 states and DC –100->124

100->124  Blanchard[1] estimate.[2] (Based on sources noted below; not including low and high numbers.)

—  5  Georgia.

–95  South Carolina (Charleston/83).

 

—  146  Philadelphia Record Almanac 1885. “General and Local Events, Sept., 1886,” p. 94[3]

—>124  Côte. City of Heroes: The Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. 2006, p. xii.[4]

—  100  Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.

—  100  History.com. “This Day in History, Disaster, August 31, 1886, Earthquake Shakes…”

—    96  Pinckney. “Lesson Learned From the Charleston Quake…” SF Chronicle, May 6, 1906.

—    83  Charleston. City of Charleston Dept. of Health. “Earthquake Deaths, 1886,” p. 61.[5]

—    83  Côte. City of Heroes: The Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. 2006, p. xii.[6]

—    83  Pinckney. “Lesson Learned From the Charleston Quake…” SF Chronicle, May 6, 1906.[7]

—  ~60  Gunn. Encyclopedia of Disasters (Vol. 1). “Charleston [SC] Earthquake.” 2007, p.137.[8]

—  ~60  Rankin. Studies Related to the Charleston, [SC] Earthquake of 1886… 1977, p. 2.

—    60  Stover and Coffman. Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised). 1993, p. 348.[9]

—    60  USGS. Deaths in the United States from Earthquakes (webpage). 7-16-2008 update.

—    60  USGS. Historic Earthquakes: Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, 1886. 1973.[10]

—  ~60  University of SC, Geological Sciences Dept.. “The Charleston Earthquake of 1886.”[11]

—    40  Johnson. Situation Desperate: U.S. Army Engineer Disaster Relief Operations…. p. 31.[12]

 

South Carolina          (95)

—     95  Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.[13]

—       3  Aiken, ~Horse Creek. Côte. City of Heroes…Charleston Earthquake. 2006, p. 458.[14]

—       3  Aiken, ~Horse Creek. Côte. City of Heroes…Charleston Earthquake. 2006, p. 458.[15]

—     83  Charleston. City of Charleston Dept. of Health. “Earthquake Deaths, 1886,” p. 61.

–40  Injuries (August/27)

–43  Cold and Exposure (September/36, October/7)

–60-83  Charleston. Blanchard range based on USGS, et al. and Côte.

—     60  Charleston. Stover/Coffman. Seismicity of the [US], 1568-1989 (Revised). 1993, p. 348.

—     60  USGS. Historic Earthquakes: Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, 1886. 1973.

—   ~60  University of SC, Geological Sciences Dept. “The Charleston Earthquake of 1886.”

—       2  Langley area, near Aiken. Train “wreck” — two firemen killed.[16]

—       2  Summerville area, Aug 31. Columbia to Charleston train derails; engineer and fireman killed.[17]

—       2  Summerville, Nettles House (John Allen and Thomas Ellis). Côte 2006, p. 460.[18]

–Many  Summerville. Salt Lake Evening Democrat. “The Very Latest!” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 5.

 

Georgia                      (  5)

–5  Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.

–1  Augusta, Sep 4. C. H. Murphy, mentally effected by earthquake, committed suicide.[19]

–1  Bath  “A woman drowned herself through fear…” Côte 2006, p. 458.[20]

–2  Rural GA. “At least two deaths are reported from fright…” Côte 2006, p. 459.[21]

–1  Savannah. “One negress died from fright.” Côte 2006, p. 459.[22]

 

Narrative Information

 

City of Charleston Department of Health.

 

Earthquake Deaths, 1886.

 

August            September      October           Totals

Causes of Death          W[23] C[24] Totals  W. C. Totals  W. C. Totals

Injuries received                      7    20     27      5    8    13    ————–       40

Cold and Exposure                                           10  26    36           7        7        43

 

(City of Charleston, SC. Year Book — 1886. Charleston, SC: Walker, Evans & Cogswell Company, 1887, p. 61.)

 

Côte: “….the seismic history of the eastern United States is dominated by the 1886 earthquake. The earthquake was devastating, lethal, terrifying; the recovery process was inspirational….

 

“The 1886 earthquake killed and injured more people than all previous American earthquakes combined.[25] The city’s offi­cial death record named eighty-three victims. Based on new research presented here, the casualty count is now known to be at least one hundred twenty-four dead and one hundred thirty-nine severely injured. Countless others died or were hurt and went uncounted. Total casualties — those who died or were injured by falling debris, premature childbirth, or exposure to the elements, and those who committed suicide or were driven insane by the terror — were likely as many as five hundred souls. The earthquake shook an immense area of about 2,500,000 square miles, and was personally experienced by two-thirds of all Americans. It reached as far north as Toronto, Canada and Somerset County, Maine; south to Key West, Florida and Havana, Cuba; west to Omaha, Nebraska; and east to Long Island, New York and Bermuda. [end of xii]

 

“Sixty-seven percent of Charleston’s brick buildings were severely damaged or destroyed. Every building in the city and in Summerville, twenty-two miles to the northwest and within several miles of the earthquake’s twin epicenters, was affected. Of fourteen thousand chimneys in Charleston, scarcely one hundred escaped damage. The damage to Charleston’s struc­tures alone was estimated by the city’s assessor at $5 to $6 million ($100.5 to $121.2 million in 2006 dollars).

 

“The aftershocks eventually trailed off, but they never stopped. A systematic review of newspaper reports for 1886 through 1889 identified 522 aftershocks following the August 31, 1886 event. 6 In 1959, a chimney was knocked down, plaster fell, and a ceiling cracked in Summerville. In 1974, an outside brick wall was separated from a North Charleston house, and a five-hundred-ton machine tool jumped around on its bed at Ladson, near Summerville. On November 19, 2005, yet an­other small earthquake was felt in Summerville.

 

“….Charleston’s recovery from a natural catastro­phe that touched every one of its more than 60,000 citizens remains unsurpassed in its speed, efficiency, frugality, and humanity. Its successful aspects are presented here as The Charleston Disaster Recovery Model…. [xiii]

 

“In 1886, earthquakes were not a hot topic of conversation in the elegant, tho-hundred-year-old port city of Charleston, South Carolina. But something suspicious was definitely underway — and under foot. In the spring, a small tremor knocked several books off the shelves at the library of the College of Charleston one afternoon. Other than the librarian, few people were aware of the event. During the sitting of the federal court in June, there was a ‘decided rattling of the sashes in the court room which excited much observation, and which was thought by some to have been produced by some other cause than passing wagons or a boiler explosion.’ Even though there was no logical explana­tion for the odd event, it was largely ignored. Some time later, a Charleston man recalled that while sitting in a rocking chair in his library that June he was ‘slightly thumped by an earth movement.’….” [pp. 1-2]

 

“Maurice Lynch died of his injuries just before midnight, and became the third of twenty-seven victims (seven white, twenty black) entered into the “Return of Deaths Within the City of Charleston” for the evening of August 31, 1886.E Eight more (three white, five black) were added the next day, and the official list of earthquake-related deaths within the city limits grew to eighty-three (twenty-two white, sixty-one black) by the end of October. Later inquiries would determine that the actual death and injury toll was far higher. Many of the injured undoubtedly died later, but they were not recorded on the city’s official rolls….” [p. 37]

 

“As telegraph lines were restored, and news was ex­changed between Charleston and the rest of the world, it became apparent that the earthquake was not just a Lowcountry event. It had not only shaken the entire state, it had also sent a seismic wake-up call throughout the eastern half of the nation and beyond. Ultimately, earthquake intensity reports and information were gleaned from as far north as Toronto and New York; south to Havana, Cuba; west to Omaha, Nebraska; and east to Long Island and Bermuda. The editors of Harper’s Weekly put the totally unexpected event into per­spective: “That so vigorous an earthquake centre would be established on the Atlantic coast as that which last week wrought havoc and destruction in South Carolina was not an­ticipated or believed to be within the bounds of probability.”” [p. 58]

 

“In the days following the earthquake, the traumatic event generated story after story throughout the state. Modern seismologists took detailed accounts of damage written in 1886 by people and newspapers representing more than 205 communities in South Carolina. These reports were then con­verted to intensity values and rated in Roman numerals from I to XII. On this scale, an intensity of I signifies a seismic event not felt, or felt only under especially favorable circumstances. An intensity of XII means that practically all man-made works were greatly damaged or completely destroyed.

 

“In the Summerville area, and near Langley in Aiken County, the intensity level measured X. The ground cracked and fis­sured. Well-built wooden structures were severely damaged, and most masonry and frame structures were destroyed. Rail­road rails were bent, and dams, dikes, and embankments were severely damaged.

 

“In Charleston, the intensity level measured IX. General panic ensued. Well-built masonry structures were consider­ably damaged, and walls or entire buildings collapsed. Frame buildings were shifted off their foundations, and underground pipes cracked.

 

“Almost the entire coastal area of South Carolina registered VIII. There was general fright and alarm approaching panic. Trees shook strongly. Sand and mud were ejected from the ground. Brick buildings suffered considerable damage, and wooden houses partially collapsed or had thrown out panel walls. Chim­neys, columns, and monuments were twisted or overturned. Heavy furniture was moved conspicuously or overturned.

 

“In the northwestern third of the state, most places experi­enced intensity VII. There was general alarm, and everyone ran outdoors. Some or many found it difficult to stand. Trees and bushes were shaken moderately to strongly. Large church bells rang. Damage was slight to moderate in ordinary build­ings. Chimneys cracked and fell, and damage to plaster was considerable. Windows and furniture were broken….” [p. 59]

 

“Although the most extensive damage took place in the Charleston-Summerville area and along the coast, where popu­lation was densest, the earthquake spread a dry tidal wave of destruction throughout 2.5 million square miles, affecting all of South Carolina and most of the East Coast. It was the largest earthquake felt in the United States since the New Madrid, Missouri, earthquakes of 1811-1812, and by far the most lethal.” [pp. 59-60]

 

“At Langley Mill Pond, near the cotton mill village of Graniteville, South Carolina, a dam broke as a result of the first shock, sending a four-foot wall of water across the rail­road tracks, washing out the rail bed and forming a small pond just beyond where the rails had been. Instantly, the tracks were twisted in the shape of an “S,” their iron bars bending as if they had been heated. Some of the bars were turned up, the ends lifted high in the air. The whole track was zigzagged. The night was coal black, and a short curve hid the damaged, sub­merged rails.

 

“Completely unaware of its fate, the night express train from Augusta to Charleston thundered out of the darkness and into chaos. ‘The night passenger [train] running into the misplaced tracks was wrecked….The engine followed the dislocated track and plunged into the smaller pond,’ a reporter wrote. ‘The fireman {Henry Ivy or Ivie} jumped and was thrown with tremendous force into the water and instantly drowned….Miraculously, none of the passengers was reported to have been hurt.

 

“Moments later, a similar tragedy played out, this time near Horse Creek in Aiken. County. There, another break in a mill dam sent an eight-foot flood into the path of another South Carolina Railway train. The locomotive, its tender, and two cars loaded with livestock were washed off the ]racks and com­pletely submerged. The engineer, Mr. Brisenden, survived, but his black fireman, Jack (also cited as Adam) Simmons, was killed, and the horses in the stock cars drowned. Two black residents near the creek also reportedly drowned, and a mounted rider reported finding the bodies of an entire family nearby. [pp. 83-84]

 

“A seismic wave from the great quake washed across the western border of South Carolina into Georgia….” [p. 84]

 

“Even though the effects of the great quake lessened some­what as they reached upstate South Carolina, they were still memorable. Throughout the northern her of counties in the South Carolina Piedmont, the shocks were severe enough to cause general fright. In Pickens, a small town between Greenville and the North Carolina state line, six distinct trem­ors were felt, each accompanied by a low, sullen, rumbling.” [p. 86]

 

“Before dawn Wednesday, September 1, 1886 the first two shockwaves had roared through Charleston only eight minutes apart on Tuesday night, sending the terrified citizens fleeing into the streets. Then came two more before midnight. Four others struck before daybreak on
Wednesday, followed by four more before the end of the day.” [p. 89]

 

“….Within sixty seconds of the first vibrations, the city went dark and mute. And then came the fires….” [p. 90]

 

“Because the earthquake took place at night, and many residents were awake at the time, the oil lamps that illuminated bedrooms and sitting rooms became the main source of fires. Numerous lamps were thrown over by the Shocks, and many blazes resulted.” [p. 91]

 

“As flames from multiple fires began to appear, the lack of the alarm system meant that calls for help had to be delivered in person. Getting a message to the fire department entailed fighting through crowds of hysterical people and climbing over heaps of rubble. It was no wonder that firemen were delayed in responding, and when eight fires broke out at once, the force had to be divided to take care of all them, causing a greater than normal loss of property.

 

“When firefighters finally did arrive, there was no water pressure in the hydrants for the first hour after the fires broke out. The nipple from the reservoir to the standpipe of the city water plant had been broken, and all the water in the pipe drained out. Two city engineers rapidly fashioned a new nipple, and the firemen were able to pump water from the mains again.

 

“To add to the growing calamity, debris from fallen cornices blocked the doors to several of the firehouses, including Engine House No. 2, on Queen Street, where the front parapet wall was damaged beyond repair; Engine House No. 3, on Anson Street, whose rear wall was also beyond repair; and Truck House No. 2, on Meeting Street. Engine House No. 5, on Archdale Street, was shaken into a dangerous ruin. The fire engines and hose trucks from these stations were initially unable to reach the streets. In addition, at Engine House No. 2, all of the fire horses stampeded, escaped the firehouse stable, and “ran in wildest affright through the upper part of the city, snort­ing and neighing, to the terror and alarm of all they passed.”‘ They were not recovered until the following morning, when they were located on a farm in the northern part of Charleston Neck. In all, only four of the city’s nine steam pumper engines were immediately capable of being deployed to serve the en­tire population of Charleston on the night of August 31….” [p. 93]

 

“Although there were few direct casualties from this fire, the economic loss to the owners was enormous.” [p. 97]

 

“One of the fire department’s pioneers died as a result of the earthquake. Jeffordson C. Richardson, sixty years old, was crushed by a falling wall and fatally injured at his residence at 16 Friend (now Legare) Street on the night of August 31.” [pp. 100-101]

 

“Most of the fires, which started about 10:00 p.m., were con­tained by 1:30 in the morning, but the King Street fire near Broad continued until 3:00 a.m.” [p. 101]

 

“Between midnight and daylight, four more shocks rumbled through the city, shatter­ing glass, felling walls, raising clouds of dust, and beating the citizens into an almost catatonic state.” [p. 114]

 

“In any catastrophe, treatment of mass casualties becomes the highest priority, but Charleston’s medical system had taken fatal blows. All three of the city’s most important medical in­stitutions were simultaneously destroyed: the City Hospital, Roper Hospital, and the Medical College of South Carolina. The Medical College, a teaching institution with no hospital rooms of its own, provided free services to the poor of both races at the City Hospital and at Roper, as well as as several neighborhood dispensaries. These three major insti­tutions were situated on part of a square bounded by Queen, Franklin, Magazine, and Mazyck (now Logan) streets. No other block in the city suffered worse damage….

 

“Within minutes after the earthquake hit, the City Hospital was literally jolted into action. Two patients from the black wards were killed. One was Robert Redoff (or Rodoff), a forty­-three-year-old laborer, who was crushed in his hospital bed by a falling piazza. The other was Florence Rector (or Flora Reston), age sixteen, who was stoned to death in her bed by falling bricks….” [pp. 129-130]

 

“With the first shock, both towers were wrenched from Roper’s main building, and serious cracks appeared in all of the exterior walls. In addition, the top story of one of the tow­ers was thrown onto the piazza of the east wing, leaving that part of the building “a gaping wreck.” The interior was heavily damaged, as was the four-story training school for nurses be­hind the hospital. When the full damage was assessed by the light of day on Wednesday, it was apparent that both wings of the hospital were beyond repair, and the main section was abandoned for medical use. By some miracle, only two of the 110 patients had been killed….” [pp. 132-133]

 

“The Ashley River Asylum, an institution for aged and in­firm blacks and the insane, was established in 1867. It suffered significant damage during the 1885 cyclone and was hit hard by the earthquake. The asylum cared for sixty-eight residents, but few lived there for long. Its annual report showed forty persons admitted in 1886, matched exactly by forty deaths. The dead were buried in the adjacent potter’s field, also known as the “Field of Rest” or “public cemetery,” the city’s final resting place for those who could not afford a private burial plot. When the tremors in the earth began, the patients in the asylum were panic-stricken. One woman escaped but was recaptured. By the end of October 1886, twenty of the earthquake’s indigent black victims had been laid to rest in the potter’s field….” [p. 135]

 

“On the night of August 31, the first shock killed the father of Wilhelmina Powell, a six-year-old girl from a Lutheran family who lived on Queen Street.” [p. 137]

 

“Each succeeding shock caused more excitement and appre­hension because daylight had made the fall extent of the devas­tation readily apparent. The majority of the buildings appeared to teeter on the edge of collapse. Word that many people had been killed. and injured spread quickly. Predictions of future shocks were almost universal. Rumors began that the ground had opened all over the city, although there were only seven documented. instances of craterlets or fissures on the peninsula.” [p. 139]

 

“The first shock on Tuesday night [Aug 31] had downed telegraph lines and forced the operators to flee their shattered offices in order to save their lives. People flocked to the telegraph offices on Tuesday night…desperate to get word out to their families and relatives, but no communication was pos­sible. Charleston was totally cut off from the rest of the world. The telegraph companies worked without rest to re-establish service. By 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, the Southern Telegraph Company was able to reconnect a line to the outside world, and Captain Dawson was able to send his crucial telegram to the News and Courier’s Columbia bureau, which distributed it to the nation via the Associated Press.” [p. 145]

 

“Ultimately, the only funds that ever flowed from Washing­ton were individual donations from government employees, which had been personally solicited by South Carolina native William L. Trenholm, then U.S. Comptroller of the Currency, and other government officials.” [p. 163]

 

“On September 10, in addition to sending an initial $5,000 to Charleston and $1,000 in aid to Summerville, the New York Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution to call on New York Governor David B. Hill to send tents owned by the state Na­tional Guard to Charleston, but Hill’s adjutant general gave the same reply as his Pennsylvania counterpart.. “The governor regrets his inability to comply with your request. The military code {of New York} absolutely forbids the loaning of military property of the state for any purpose outside of the national guard.”

 

“That same day, Willard C. Fisk, the private secretary of New Jersey Governor Leon Abbett, and Capt. John McKechney, of the quartermaster general’s department of New Jersey, per­sonally escorted a delivery of three hundred fifty National Guard tents, which had been sent to Charleston at the order of Governor Abbett. The massive shipment consisted of fifty hos­pital tents, two hundred wall tents, and one hundred “A” tents. The first two types were large and especially prized; the “A” tents sheltered. only two or three people, and then only for sleeping. The News and Courier noted, “Neither in New York nor New Jersey is there any law authorizing the Executive to send away any tents for any purpose outside of the State, but unlike Governor Hill, of New York, Governor Abbett did not believe this a time for red tape, having said that there was no law for earthquakes, either.”

 

“That same day or the next, 160 wall tents arrived from Ohio — and created a small furor. The newspaper noted, “When the tents reached Charleston, however, they were burdened by a debt of $572.66 ($11,500 today) in express [shipping] charges due to the Adams and Southern Express companies for their transportation.” According to the article, the tents were sent by Ohio Governor Joseph B. Foraker, “despite the fact that there was no law authorizing him to loan the camp equi­page of the State National Guards.” The E.R.C.[26] asked S. G. Pinckney, superintendent of the Southern Express Company, to intervene, and he convinced the two shipping companies to cancel the charges. The tents were then donated to Summerville.

 

“By September 11, the E.R.C. had erected at least 215 wooden booths, received 1,091 tents, and declared that it had enough shelter “to meet pressing needs.” At face value, that decision would appear to have been mindless. Tens of thousands of Charlestonians, mostly poor and black, were living in unimaginably squalid conditions in flimsy homemade shelters created from bed sheets, which were incapable of protecting them from the weather. On top of that sanitary conditions were appalling. Nevertheless, instead of putting out urgent calls for several thousand more tents, the committee chose to cut off the supply. With a huge number of Charleston’s residents homeless, the decision seemed poised to inflict immense suf­fering on Charleston’s poorest refugees, yet there was a dark, driving necessity behind what seemed to be a callous decision. The city elders were haunted by the imminent outbreak of mass disease epidemics in the rapidly growing, foul-smelling refu­gee camps.

 

“By the end of the first week after the main shock, the hous­ing patterns of Charleston had been ‘totally transformed, and the city’s social fabric had been rewoven. The fabled mansions were empty, replaced as dwellings by an immense quilt of tent cities, which filled every safe open space. The newspaper noted, “Necessity, which has been said to be the ‘mother of inven­tion,’ has taught people to take care of themselves, and in the parks, public squares, and vacant lots a very great variety of tent architecture may be seen. The only material available for the construction of tents is sheeting, old rugs, shawls, carpets, matting and other miscellaneous articles of bed furniture. The people in the various sections of the city have gradually con­gregated together, and as the sun sets, the whole population repairs to their open-air houses.”

 

“Two rows of hastily planned, quickly built, one-story wooden sheds were erected on the Meeting Street side of Marion Square. They were constructed in rows of five or six one-room adjoin­ing compartments. Each compartment measured twenty-five by about twenty feet and was supposedly capable of accom­modating about twenty people, but not comfortably. “The sheds are roughly but substantially built and with proper ditch­ing would afford good shelter,” the News and Courier wrote on September 8. “These are all occupied by colored people. To-day another row will be constructed on the south lawn [adjacent to Calhoun Street] and accommodations will thus be provided for about one thousand eight hundred colored persons on this square.” Compared to the primitive tents they replaced, the high-roofed sheds permitted adults to stand erect, and offered protection from the rain and winds.

 

“The next day, the Committee on Shelter reported that fifty- two ten-foot-by-seventeen-foot sheds had been built for whites in three areas of the city. For blacks, ten sheds of the same size were built on Marion Square and sixteen on. Linguard. Street. Records also note that sheds were erected “at the Base Ball Park for the inhabitants of that part of the city” on September 9.

 

“The sheds had earthen floors, slightly sloping roofs, and no doors. People who wanted privacy had to hang their own sheets or blankets from the roofs to provide it. Unfortunately, the low ends of the shed roofs faced the front, which caused rain to be channeled onto the ground, creating rivers at the openings of the booths. No ditches were dug to channel the rainwater away, so the sheds were prone to flooding. Their flawed design notwithstanding, the wooden shelters filled up as rapidly as they could be built.

 

“A week after the refugees had started crowding into Marion Square, the city installed several water hydrants for the tem­porary residents to use for washing and drinking. The news­paper noted that by September 8 “The committee has also taken precaution to provide sanitary closets [toilets] for the place and it is hoped that by tonight this camp will be well-policed.”

 

“The relief committee also erected enough shed.s to house five hundred white people in a vacant lot formerly occupied by the west wing of the Citadel. These shelters were intended for residents who occupied stores and houses in the upper part of King Street, and who, it was thought, would naturally want to camp close to their property. The shelters were completed on September 8, and most of them were occupied that night. Just four days later, however, the newspaper reported that the whites had quickly changed their minds. “Nobody seemed to be desirous of occupying them, and the settlement was, there­fore, turned over to the colored people,” the paper reported. By September 12, “excellent sanitary arrangements” had been made for the shelters to the west of The Citadel, and “about three hundred colored persons are quartered there.”

 

“A large settlement had sprung up at the tip of the peninsula at Battery Park, a flower-filled three-acre space now known as White Point Gardens. This neighborhood was an area of lavish mansions owned by some of Charleston’s richest families, many of which now joined the homeless. There they had a beautiful view, in addition to some of the best tents. An Atlanta Consti­tution reporter wrote from Charleston, “The tents from the war department…were mostly put up in the park facing the bat­tery and overlooking the confluence of the Cooper and Ashley Rivers, leading out to the bay.” Two hundred improvised tents grew up around the fed­eral tents. About six hundred people, divided almost equally between the races, slept there at night. “The nights at this place are very cool,” a reporter noted, “and considerable suffering is the consequence.”

 

“Laura. A. Bennett…pregnant black woman…had been injured during the initial shock, and her baby daugh­ter had been stillborn at the Battery Park camp on the morning of September 1, after only one hour of life….

 

“…At night, the one-acre space behind city hall [Washington Park] was home to nearly six hundred people, and no one had adequate protection from the elements. There were no outhouses or other sanitary facilities at all. By September 7, blacks occupied all the space there….

 

“Smaller tent cities sprang up everywhere like mushrooms after a heavy storm. About three hundred people camped at Hampstead Mall. Another one hundred took shelter in a large garden behind the saloon operated by Bernard Heslin on upper King Street. “All the awnings in the vicinity have been taken down, sewed together and fastened to the extensive grape arbor in the garden,” the newspaper reported, “thus making a large pavilion. The settlement is known as ‘Camp Heslin.'” About thirty families camped behind August Tamsberg’s Hair Works on King Street. Nearly three hundred blacks camped out at Robb’s Lot on the east side of King Street, between Market Street and Horlbeck’s Alley, opposite the Hotel Windsor….The Queen’s Camp, a large settlement of blacks, was located at the north end of the King Street burnt district. The brick foundations that remained after the fire provided some shelter for the two hundred people who camped there.

 

“Artesian Park, at the corner of Meeting and Wentworth streets, named for its location near one of the city’s two arte­sian wells, attracted about 150 white refugees. There, “the tents are apparently well made, but these constitute only a small proportion of the resting-places,” a reporter noted. “There are several ‘busses [horse-drawn omnibuses] there, two or three ice wagons and carts, and several carriages. These last are tied to stakes driven into the ground, and are used by white families.” Two of the city’s fire engines were also stationed there, and the firemen used one of the festive red-and-white circus tents sent from New Orleans as shelter.

 

“Graham’s Castle was a comparatively luxurious settlement made possible through the generosity of Robert Graham, a forty-nine-year-old native of New York, who offered his forty- stall stable at 71 Queen Street as shelter for about 150 people, many of whom were able to sleep on mattresses in the stalls.

 

“Captain Thomas Young built a shelter on Southern Wharf, fronting on the Cooper River near South Battery. It was made from a ship’s sail erected over a wooden floor covered with canvas, and it sheltered about one hundred people. The adja­cent wharf shed held five hundred additional refugees. Young also had a camp of about fifty people who occupied his lot on Church Street at night. Emulating Young, James Doran, a thirty-­six-year-old stevedore, who managed to get ahold of a ship’s mainsail, erected the Doran Tent on the corner of Trade Street and Bedon’s Alley. When spread on a wooden frame, the sail provided covered shelter for about three hundred black and white refugees at night. Judge Patrick E. Gleason presided over Bennett’s Hotel, a mammoth canvas pavilion erected in the lot at Bennett’s [Rice] Mill at the east end of Society Street, which sheltered about fifty people, all white. “Comfortable quarters” for homeless blacks were erected in Linguard Street, and were quickly filled. Other tent cities sprang up at Gadsden’s Green and at several farms above Sheppard Street.

 

“The South Carolina. Railway made between one hundred and one hundred fifty passenger coaches and freight cars avail­able to the refugees. They were placed at the disposal of the relief committee and were parked in the rail yard between Anne and Line streets, just north of the railway’s main terminal. “These cars can be occupied at night, and at night only, by any persons who have no other shelter,” the newspaper noted. If used as intended, the cars could have accommodated about two thousand people.

 

“The Northeastern Railroad also donated freight cars, which were parked in their rail yard at the northeast end of Mary Street. The Enterprise Railroad, which ran one of the city’s trolley lines, also came to the rescue. Through the generosity of its superintendent, Theodore W. Passailaigue, Enterprise parked its enclosed trolley cars at convenient points along their tracks when they stopped running each night, which made the trolleys available to a few more of the thousands of people who were afraid to sleep in their houses. These selfless acts of charity helped, but the need was unquenchable, and even a week later, the owners of livery stables were doing a brisk business hiring out carriage buses to people who wanted a safe place to sleep while living in the streets.

 

“Several ships belonging to the federal government provided aid and shelter. Charlestonians remembered in particular the kind­ness of Captain Brown, master of the U.S.S. Wistaria, a four-year- old, Charleston-based, steam-powered, 167-foot lighthouse tender vessel with side paddle wheels. Brown “immedi­ately sheltered and fed people to the fullest capacity of his boat, which conduct has been not only approved, but commended by the lighthouse board at Washington,” the newspaper stated. Merchant ships in port when the earthquake struck also offered temporary shelter….” [pp. 170-181]

 

“Within nine days after the earthquake, the committee on shelter estimated that they had housed 5,500 refugees in the donated tents and the city-built wooden sheds. Although this was a remarkable achievement in that short period of time, the shelters filled only a tiny fraction of the huge need. In its Sep­tember 7 issue, the News and Courier estimated that 40,000 of the city’s 60,000 people were sleeping in their yards, in the streets, and in public squares every night. With two-thirds of the population unable to sleep in their own houses, and over­crowded public shelters available for less than fifteen percent of the displaced people, problems were inevitable — and soon surfaced.” [p. 184]

 

“The earthquake, which -could be viewed as the most demo­cratic, egalitarian, and totally race-less event in Charleston’s history, did nothing to alter the segregation of relief services provided in its aftermath. Access to food distribution was not skewed by race, for the ministers of both races were able to issue ration cards, and the soup kitchen was open to anyone with who was willing to stand in line. But when it came to emergency housing, race was the key to who got what.

 

“The E.R.C. allotted most of the best emergency housing — the well-made, waterproof canvas tents — to whites. Blacks had access chiefly to the city-built wooden sheds or nothing at all. When it set up tents and sheds, the E.R.C. initially designated certain areas for white refugees and others for blacks. In practice, the planned segregation of the tent-and-shed cities collapsed almost immediately. The mass homelessness produced by the earthquake overwhelmed the city’s resources to such an extent that it brought large-scale, unplanned public mixing of the races in the only safe places left to congregate. People of both races quickly staked out their outdoor living spaces on squatter’s rights terms, with possession being ten-tenths of the law.

 

“Through sheer force of need and numbers, the largest of the open-air parks, notably Washington Park and Marion Square, started out as racially mixed refugee camps. That twenty-four-­hour-a-day, elbow-to-elbow mixing soon triggered sparks of racial tension and demagogic outbreaks of race-based anger. Much of the strife was based upon differences between white and black religious practices, which quickly produced friction among the highly stressed residents of the overcrowded tent cities.

 

“Many white Christians in Charleston were disturbed — and even alarmed — by the intense, emotional, and exuberant worship practices of their black fellow Christians. Whites were much more restrained in their worship. Spontaneous, ecstatic experiences of the Holy Spirit or public expressions of emo­tions made earthquake-era whites extremely nervous. Unlike many blacks, Charleston’s white Christians did not derive their religious practices from direct experience. Like their houses, plantations, former slaves, and silver plate, their be­liefs and behaviors were inherited. To paraphrase psychologist William James, their religion was made for them by others; communicated to them by tradition; learned by rote; confined to fixed, orderly forms; retained by habit; preached ex­clusively by men; and practiced chiefly by women….

 

“The perceived difference between the forty-six-percent white minority and the fifty-four-percent black majority was clearly defined by the opinion of Louis A. Beaty, editor and publisher of the Berkeley Gazette, a newspaper published in Mt. Pleasant. Of the aftermath of the earthquake, he wrote, “The negro character, permeated with animal excitement, superstition and fetichism [fetishism], shone forth in its glory. The demeanor of the whites was calm and reassuring.”” [pp. 189-191]

 

“Professor McGee arrived in Summerville about 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 3. Having already seen the massive dev­astation in Charleston, what he was to experience in Summerville would astound him. When the morning after the earthquake had dawned, the ruin and desolation of the village seemed complete. All of the houses had been destroyed or damaged. Virtually all the chimneys were down. “Walls were rent in twain, ceilings had fallen, and in numerous cases the houses that rested on wooden blocks or masonry were leveled. to the ground. Other houses were split from top to bottom and left yawning chasms in the buildings.” The falling ruins of a house had. killed two black residents, Thomas Ellis and John Allen. They were Summerville’s first earthquake fatalities….From the increasing levels of geological disturbance and destruction of manmade structures he saw as he approached Summerville, Professor McGee quickly realized that he had reached the settlement closest to the earthquake’s epicenter. For all practical purposes, Summerville was Ground Zero. [p. 239]

 

“McGee estimated that three-fourths of all chimneys in the village were thrown down, and about three-fourths of these were thrown either to the north or the south. The portions of the chimneys located below the roofs suffered the most seri­ous damage. “A very large number of them [chimneys] were crushed at their bases; the bricks as well as the mortar being disintegrated and shattered, allowing the whole column to sink down, carrying fire-places, mantels, and hearthstones with it through the floors. All this indicates a direction of motion more nearly vertical than horizontal.” This was a clear indication that Summerville was closer to the epicenter than Charleston because it had received the main force of its shocks from almost directly below. In Charleston, the chimneys had been broken off chiefly by lateral, shaking motions rather than vertical thrusts.

 

“If McGee held any notions that the earthquake was done with South Carolina, those beliefs were immediately dispelled. No sooner had he stepped off the train, which ran through the center of the village, than he was greeted with the explosive sounds and shaking that had terrified Summervillians for three days since the first shock. “Detonations were heard at intervals averaging perhaps half an hour,” McGee wrote. “From that time until 9.30, occasional and very slight spasmodic tremors of an instant’s duration accompanied the detonations. I en­deavored to determine the direction from which the sound appeared to come and had others make the same effort; but the result was that no two individuals agreed as to the direc­tion whence the sound proceeded…. The detonations were very much like, but somewhat more muffled than peals of thunder at a distance of a half more or more, or perhaps more like the discharge of a blast in a mine or quarry at a little distance.” [pp. 241-242]

 

“Mayor Courtenay…faced two major challenges. First, he had to get people out of the squalid, overcrowded refugee camps and. back into their homes before massive epidemics swept through the population. Then, he needed to raise huge stuns of money to continue to feed the homeless and to repair or replace thousands of damaged or destroyed houses and businesses.

 

“Public health topped the list of Courtenay’s immediate con­cerns. According to the official record of deaths, more than fifty people had died by the time he returned,[27] and the death toll was mounting daily. By midnight on August 31, at least twenty-seven people (seven whites, twenty blacks) had been killed by falling buildings alone. That exceeded the total num­ber of people killed by all other U.S. earthquakes in recorded history.

 

“The first earthquake death to be entered into the official record on August 31 was that of Charles Albrecht, a fifty-two­-year-old native of Germany who had lived in Charleston for thirteen years. The cause of his death was listed as “Accident – earthquake.” C. H. Rivers, Charleston’s deputy coroner, signed his death record, and he was buried in Bethany (Lutheran) Cemetery in the northeast part of Charleston Neck. For two months following the first shock, the city carefully kept two separate tallies for deaths: one for those resulting from the earth­quake and one for those resulting from other causes. Forty out of the eighty-three officially recorded earthquake deaths were caused by blunt-force trauma from falling bricks and masonry. Of those, twenty-seven took place in the first two hours after the main shock, and the rest were victims who died in the first two weeks of September from the same injuries.

 

“In September, fifteen whites and thirty-four blacks died. How­ever the causes of those fatalities rapidly changed from “injuries received – earthquake” to “exposure to the elements.” Of the forty-nine September deaths, only fourteen had “injuries” listed as the primary cause. The rest of the deceased died from expo­sure to the elements brought on by being forced to live in tents or shelter sheds or on the streets. Once the blunt-force injuries tapered off, the most frequent causes of death (the 1886 terms in italics are no longer in use) included shock; premature or still births; malaria and other fevers; cholera; scrofula, a form of tuberculosis characterized by swelling of the lymph glands; marasmus,[28] extreme malnutrition and emaciation, especially in children; and trismus nascentium, a form of tetanus seen only in infants, probably due to infection of the umbilical stump. The clouds of brick and mortar dust stirred up by the earthquake and the heavy palls of smoke from the eight fires undoubtedly contributed to the increase in deaths from pulmonary prob­lems, including asthma, congestion, and pneumonia….

 

“As the temperatures dropped, hypothermia from exposure to the increasingly cold, wet nights took its toll. By the end of September, ninety percent of the earthquake-related deaths were caused by exposure or the foul sanitary conditions in the camps. As the News and Courier noted on September 7, “The earthquake was the indirect cause of many deaths attributed to disease.” By October, there were only seven earthquake-related deaths. All of the deceased were black, and they died from liver inflammation, enteritis, or malarial fever — all caused or aggravated by exposure to the elements. In all, thirty blacks and nine whites died exposure-related deaths during the two months after the main shock. The city recorded its last official earthquake death on October 8, 1886. The victim was Eddie Jenkins, a black man whose age was not noted. He died of exposure and malaria.

 

“Of the people whose deaths were officially recorded, twenty-seven percent were white and seventy-three percent were black. At the time, the population of the city was forty- six percent white and fifty-four percent black. Although blacks outnumbered whites by only a small majority, 2.45 blacks died. for every white. The reason for the disparity was simple: whites had much better shelter available to them than blacks.

 

“The eighty-three earthquake-related fatalities recorded in the Return of Deaths were the official death toll for the 1886 earthquake. However, that record. never captured the names of many who died-as- a result of the disaster. The reason for this disparity was also simple, though not immediately obvious. The only people whose deaths were officially recorded were those who died within the city limits of Charleston and whose deaths were certified by a licensed physician, the coroner, or the deputy coroner.

 

“Although the earthquake affected a 2.5-million-square-mile area, the official death records only listed those persons known to have died within the 1886 city limits of Charleston, South Carolina, a five-and-a-half square-mile area. Earthquake-caused deaths in the other ninety-nine percent of the area af­fected by the disaster were not included. The known dead from Summerville and McClellanville were not counted, and the railroad men who died in train wrecks near Summerville and Aiken and the earthquake-induced suicides in Georgia were never listed as “official deaths.” In addition, many deaths, those of blacks in particular, and rural people in general, were substantially under-reported because people died without the official oversight of a physician and were buried without a burial permit signed by an authorized Charleston city official.

 

“As a result, the city’s official. death register accounts for only about two-thirds of the earthquake deaths. Also, none of the severe injuries caused by the earthquake was ever officially recorded. A new count of deaths and casualties taken from the News and Courier; the Atlanta Constitution; other regional news­papers; private correspondence; and the city’s surviving church, public, and private cemetery, death, and burial records revealed that the earthquake resulted. in at least 124 fatalities and 132 additional major injuries, many of which were un­doubtedly fatal but were never recorded as deaths. Taking into account the massive area affected by the earthquake, the total casualties (deaths and injuries) could easily have topped five hundred people….” [pp. 297-301]

“The USGS…compiled an isoseismal map of the earthquake. Those who studied the map were stunned to see the immense area affected by the earthquake — a circle with a radius of about one thousand miles, embracing ‘somewhere between two and. one half and three million square miles.’ Within 250 miles of the epicenters — throughout the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and in northeastern Florida the energy of the shocks was enormous….the area of significant structural damage ex­tended for one hundred twenty miles, and the area of moder­ate damage extended for three hundred miles. The earthquake was felt as far as Bermuda, 800 miles from Charleston, and Cuba, 750 miles away.

 

“In the epicentral area, the shocks were sharp and intense because the thrust was nearly vertical. Farther away, the shocks came from a more horizontal angle, producing the visible rolling waves seen in Charleston. This was the first time that the wave motion of earthquakes had been clearly explained….” [p. 412] (Côte, Richard N. City of Heroes: The Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. 2006.)

 

Dutton: “There was not a building in the city which had wholly escaped injury, and very few had escaped serious injury. The extent of the damage varied greatly, ranging from total demolition down to the loss of chimney tops and the dislodgment of more or less plastering. The number of buildings which were completely demolished and leveled to the ground was not great. But there were several hundred which lost a large portion of their walls. There were very many also which remained standing, but so badly shattered that public safety required that they should be pulled down altogether. There was not, so far as at present known, a brick or stone building which was not more or less cracked, and in most of them the cracks were a permanent disfigure-ment and a source of danger or inconvenience. A majority of them however were susceptible of repair by means of long bolts and tie-rods. But though the buildings might be made habitable and safe against any stresses that houses are liable to except fire and earthquake, the cracked walls, warped floors, distorted foundations, and patched plaster and stucco must remain as long as the buildings stand permanent eyesores and sources of inconveniences.

 

“As soon as measures were taken to repair damages the amount of in-jury disclosed was greater than had at first appeared. Innumerable cracks which had before been unnoticed made their appearance. The bricks had ‘worked’ in the embedding mortar and the mortar was disintegrated. The foundations were found to be badly shaken and their solidity was greatly impaired. Many buildings had suffered horizontal displacement; vertical supports were out of plumb; floors out of level; joints parted in the wood work; beams and joists badly wrenched and in some cases dislodged from their sockets. The wooden buildings in the northern part of the city usually exhibited externally few signs of the shaking they received except the loss of chimney tops. Some of them had been horizontally moved upon their brick foundations, but none were overthrown. Within these houses the injuries were of the same general nature as within those of brick, though upon the whole not quite so severe.

 

“The amount of injury varied much in different sections of the city from causes which seem to be attributable to the varying nature of the ground. The peninsula included between the Cooper and Ashley Rivers, upon which Charleston is built, was originally an irregular tract of comparatively high and dry land, invaded at many points of its boundary by inlets of low swampy ground or salt marsh. These inlets, as the city grew, were gradually filled up so as to be on about the same level as the higher ground…As a general rule, though not without a considerable number of exceptions, the destruction was greater upon made ground than upon the original higher land. [p. 248-249]

 

“In truth, there was no street in Charleston which did not receive injuries more or less similar to those just described. To mention them in detail would be wearisome and to no purpose. The general nature of the destruction may be summed up in comparatively few words. The destruction was not of that sweeping and unmitigated order which has befallen other cities, and in which every structure built of material other than wood has been either leveled completely to the earth in a chaos of broken rubble, beams, tiles, and planking, or left in a condition practically no better. On the contrary, a great majority of houses were left in a condition shattered indeed, but still susceptible of being repaired. Undoubtedly there were very many which, if they alone had suffered, would never have been repaired at all, but would have been torn down and new structures built in their places; for no man likes to occupy a place of business which suffers by contrast with those of his equals. But when a common calamity falls upon all, and by its very magnitude and universality renders it difficult to procure the means of reconstruction, and where thousands suffer much alike, his action will be different. Thus a very large number of buildings were repaired which, if the injuries to them had been exceptional misfortunes instead of part of a common disaster, would have been replaced by new structures. Instances of total demolition were not common….” [p. 253] (Dutton, Clarence Edward. The Charleston Earthquake of August 31, 1886. U. S. Geological Survey (U.S. Government Printing Office), 1890. Excerpts in: Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Pages 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977, pp. 18-19.)

 

Gunn: “The epicenter located sixteen miles north of Charleston, South Carolina, experienced the most powerful earthquake ever to strike the east coast of the United States. Because of the epicenter’s closeness to the city, damage was extensive in and around Charleston… (Abstract)

 

“Charleston was the scene of a 7.3 strength earthquake on August 31, 1886, the greatest quake to hit the east coast of the United States in historical times. More than a hundred buildings and many thousands of chimneys in the city were destroyed. About sixty peo­ple were killed. The reason for the enormous amount of damage to chimneys and the lesser destruction of buildings generally stems from an edict dating back more than forty years following a disas­trous city fire. During that fire, older wooden buildings had been burned to the ground so it was mandated that, for all future con­struction, brick was required. Unfortunately, an inferior type of mortar was used in the construction of many of the newer buildings and, accordingly, these were the buildings that toppled in the Au­gust 31 event. This earthquake was felt all the way from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico….

 

“In the aftermath of the 1886 earthquake, railroad tracks buckled in a number of locations and telegraph wires were cut, leaving Charleston with no communication links to the rest of the world for a couple of days. Even then, there was no serious lack of food but the means for preparing the food that was available were inadequate since few houses escaped damage and many were totally destroyed. Much of Charleston was built on what was known as “made” land_; that is, land formed by filling in existing creeks or extending shorelines with deposits of sand and rock. Older houses stood up better than newer ones because they had employed hand­made bricks with a rough surface that were able to maintain a strong bond with mortar. One family that lived in an older house slept through the earthquake without knowing it had occurred. Well-built wooden homes with parts carefully pinned together withstood the shaking as well. These homes had an elastic quality enabling them to stretch under pressure and then return to their original shape.

 

“There were two epicenters for this earthquake, one sixteen miles north of the city and the other thirteen miles to the west. The close proximity of these epicenters to Charleston accounted for so much widespread damage. Summerville, a town of about 2,000 people near the north epicenter, expe­rienced sounds like major explosions…When the earthquake struck people in the town were tossed from side to side and frequently thrown to the ground. Houses appeared to be receiving heavy blows from below; chimneys fell down, sometimes carrying fireplaces with them as they collapsed into a heap of rubble. All indications pointed to strong vertical motion. Aftershocks gave a powerful boom sound. Ground fissures were everywhere and from some of them water was ex­truding, sometimes in the form of jets, at other times mixed with sand. The severity of the earthquake was felt over a much bigger area than the environs of Charleston, albeit in terms of lesser amounts of damage. For an area within eight hundred miles of the city severe shaking was experi­enced.” (Gunn, Angus M. Chapter 34, “Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake,” Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies (Vol. 1). 2007.)[29]

 

History.com: “An earthquake near Charleston, South Carolina, on this day in 1886 leaves more than 100 people dead and hundreds of buildings destroyed.”

 

“The earthquake was preceded by foreshocks felt in Summerville, South Carolina, on August 27 and 28 but, still, no one was prepared for the strength of the August 31 quake. At 9:51 p.m., the rumbling began, and it was felt as far away as Boston, Chicago and Cuba. There was damage to buildings as far away as Ohio and Alabama. It was Charleston, South Carolina, though, that took the biggest hit from the quake, which is thought to have had a magnitude of about 7.6. Almost all of the buildings in town were seriously damaged. It is estimated that 14,000 chimneys fell from the earthquake. It caused multiple fires and water lines and wells were ruptured.” (History.com. This Day in History, August 31, 1886, “Earthquake Shakes Charleston, SC.”)

 

History.com: “…better science and detection methods have recently uncovered a concealed fault along the coastal plains of Virginia and the Carolinas. Still, a quake of this magnitude remains highly unlikely in this location.” (History.com. “This Day in History, Disaster, August 31, 1886.)

 

Johnson/USACE: “The first non-flood disaster involving the Corps came after an earthquake shook Charleston, South Carolina, on the last day of August 1886, in which forty people perished. The quake so damaged buildings that people feared to enter them and resume their normal lives and reopen their businesses. In this emergency, Charleston’s mayor asked the secretary of war to rush engineers to the city to survey damages and certify building safety and thereby restore public confidence. Charlestonians living in tents could then return to their buildings before the return of summer rains….[30]

 

“When Charleston’s mayor agreed to reimburse the costs of damage surveys, the secretary of war ordered Capt. William Bixby, of the Wilmington office, to the stricken city to meet with Lt. Frederic Abbot, of the Charleston office, for the survey….

 

“Bixby and Abbot met with the mayor and accepted appointment to a commission headed by William Speir, a Treasury Department building inspector, to inspect the damaged structures, determine the extent of damages, and report whether they were safe for occupancy….The commission conducted building inspections continuously from dawn to dusk each day from 8 to 23 September. They examined some five thousand buildings, and of this number selected sixteen hundred for detailed study. They prioritized and first inspected federal and municipal buildings, then hospitals, churches, and factories, then businesses and residences. They identified safety hazards and devised means of correcting them, determined which buildings should be demolished and which might be restored, then delivered their recommendations to city authorities.

 

“The engineers estimated total damages to Charleston’s buildings at approximately $6 million. In their final report, they proposed measures for use in reconstruction to minimize building damages in future earthquakes: Masonry walls should be bonded throughout their thickness and securely anchored with iron reinforcing bars to floors, ceilings, and roof timbers; the use of projecting parapets and cornices should be discontinued; and porches and piazzas should be firmly anchored to buildings and adequately supported. No federal assistance was offered Charleston for its post-disaster reconstruction, which was left to local authorities and private enterprise….[31]

 

“These engineers had performed the first damage survey work assigned to the Corps, and because the Corps had substantial structural engineering expertise, it would receive many similar damage survey assignments in following decades.” (Johnson, Leland R. Situation Desperate: U.S. Army Engineer Disaster Relief Operations, Origins to 1950. Alexandria, VA: Office of History, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2011, pp. 31-33.)

 

Levy and Salvadori: “The greatest devastation was caused was caused by falling masonry; it was estimated that as many as fourteen thousand chimneys fell that day.  Although the main shock lasted not more than forty seconds, during that time few buildings escaped damage.  Small wooden houses survived best, acting somewhat like a small boat riding out a storm.  One family living in a wooden house in Charleston claimed never to have been aroused the evening of the earthquake and was not aware of any unusual occurrence until stepping outdoors the next day.” (Levy and Salvadori.  Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail.  1987, p. 99.)

 

Pinckney: “I am requested to present to Chronicle readers an account of the great earthquake which wrecked the city of Charleston, S.C., in 1886, with especial reference to the comparative severity of that catastrophe and the one through which we have so recently passed….

 

“Though I was just a lad at the time, I vividly recall the sensations of the moment and many heart-rending incidents of that night of terror. In view of the sharp intensity of the shock and its destroying affect, I do not hesitate to assert that the temblor which wrecked Charleston was more severe than that of April 18 last, and in relative destruction considerably worse.

 

“It was about 9:50 o’clock on the evening of August 31, 1886, that the people of Charleston felt the quiverings of the first earthquake shock ever known in that part of the country. They had just returned from worship and not many had yet retired.

 

“The day had been an exceedingly hot one and the evening was unusually sultry, with such a profound stillness in the air that it provoked general remark.

 

“The temblor came lightly with a gentle vibration of the houses as when a cat trots across the floor; but a very few seconds of this and it began to come in sharp jolts and shocks which grew momentarily more violent until buildings were shaken as toys. Frantic with terror, the people rushed from the houses, and in so doing many lost their lives from falling chimneys or walls. With one mighty wrench, which did most of the damage, the shock passed. It had been accompanied by a low, rumbling noise, unlike anything ever heard before, and its duration was about one minute.

 

“No need to tell of the horrors of that moment or of those succeeding. The fact that lighter shocks continued at frequent intervals throughout the long, dreary night kept the nerves of all keyed to such a high tension that it is not strange that several persons lost their reason.

 

“There were no electric lights in those days, and the streets were illuminated with gas. The people gathered in the public parks and squares and there in the dim light brave men and women gave help to the injured and dying. Soon several fires added their horror to this tragedy and much damage was done before they were got under control.

 

“It was not until the next day that the people began to realize the extent of the calamity that had befallen them. Then it was learned that not a building in the city had escaped injury in greater or less degree. Those of brick and stone suffered most. Many were down, more were roofless, or the walls had fallen out, all chimneys gone, much crockery, plaster and furniture destroyed. St. Michael’s Church, the pride of the city since 1761, was a wreck, its tall steeple lying in the street. It seemed on the first survey that all public buildings and the principal business blocks were utter ruins. Most of them had to be torn down and were rebuilt.

 

“To add to their dismay the people were cut off from the outer world, all wires being down, and it was not until next day that a courier rode to Summerville, nearly thirty miles away, and gave the world its first news of the disaster. At the same time he brought back the cheering message that the world was not utterly destroyed, as many had believed. the rumors current on the outside were to the effect that Charleston and all the coast country had been swept away by a mighty tidal wave and that the Florida peninsula had snapped off from the continent in the general cataclysm and fallen into the sea.

 

“But as to the actual extent of the damage to Charleston and the sequel: The number of deaths, according to my recollection, was 96 with a much greater number of injured. I have seen published accounts which placed the number at 83, some of which were caused from exposure, but no reliable statistics are at hand.

 

“The property losses were enormous for a city of only about 49,000 inhabitants. the Assessor placed the figures at $5,000,000, but the government commission found $6,000,000 of losses. Later authorities after fuller investigation fixed the total losses from temblor and fire at over $8,000,000.

 

“Four years later in 1890, the only visible evidence of this great destruction was seen in the cracks which remained in buildings that were not destroyed. A new and more beautiful, more finished city had sprang up on the ruins of the old in that brief time and the population had grown to nearly 55,000 with a corresponding increase in wealth and activity.

 

“Eleven years later Charleston astonished the world with the magnitude and magnificence of the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition.

 

“The new International Encyclopedia (1903) an authority, presents the essential facts of the Charleston phenomenon in a nutshell in one brief paragraph:

 

“Seven-eighths of the houses were rendered unfit for habitation, many persons were killed and property valued at over $8,000,000 was destroyed. The damage, however, was quickly repaired.”

 

“Following the first great shock, the only one which did any damage, lighter and lesser vibrations were felt at intervals for several weeks. These gradually became less frequent and finally ceased, even as the minds of the people ceased to dwell on the disaster as they took up again their ordinary pursuits.

 

“It will be even so in San Francisco. It was not the earthquake but the fire that wrought the destruction in this great city. If anyone thinks there is no resurrection from earthquake effects let him be referred to Charleston for an answer. Thousands fled the city as soon as they could get transportation, but as soon as they recovered their reason they returned as rapidly to join the brave army of workers that were rebuilding. It will be so here.

 

“Thrice in a generation Charleston was nearly obliterated. The civil war left it in ashes, the earthquake left it in ruins, a few years subsequent it was visited by a cyclone which damaged it over $5,000,000. Yet despite all these disasters her brave people have risen superior to every reverse and are daily growing in wealth and power. Why then should not the metropolis of the Pacific, animated by the spirit of ’49, and with resources and advantages infinitely superior, rise to a greatness undreamed of by those sturdy pioneers who founded her and whose spirit is reincarnated in their children of today.” (Pinckney. “Lesson Learned From the Charleston Quake…” SF Chronicle, May 6, 1906.)

 

Rankin: “One of the largest historic earthquakes in eastern North America, and by far the largest earthquake in southeastern United States took place about 9 :50 p.m. on August 31, 1886, near Charleston, S.C. The major shock lasted less than 1 minute, but resulted in about 60 deaths and extensive damage to the city of Charleston. Because the event took place before seismological instrumentation, estimates of its location and size must come from observations of the damage and effects caused by the earthquake. Most of what we know of the event and the resulting damage comes from a comprehensive report by C. E. Dutton published in 1889. A review of Dutton’s (1889) intensity data by Bollinger (this volume) confirms a Modified Mercalli intensity of X for the meizoseismal area (area of maximum damage) and of intensity IX for the city of Charleston….

 

“The cause of the Charleston earthquake has not been adequately explained in the 90 years since the event. An understanding of this large earthquake is essential in order to properly assess seismic hazards in the southeastern United States. The specific source of the earthquake and its tectonic setting must be established, both to permit evaluation of expectable future seismicity in the Charleston region and to determine whether that region differs in any tectonically significant fashion from other parts of the Eastern United States….” (Rankin 1977, p. 2.)

 

“The 1886 earthquake was followed by a series of aftershocks which may still be underway today. Of 435 or more earthquakes reported to have taken place in South Carolina between ‘1754 and 1975, more than 300 were aftershocks in the first 35 years following 1886….

 

“The meizoseismal area of the 1886 earthquake has been variously drawn by several investigators, but has been most recently reinterpreted by Bollinger (this volume) as an elliptical area roughly 35 by 50 km trending northeast between Charleston and Jed-burg and including Summerville…This interpretation contrasts considerably with the dual epi-centrums of Dutton (1889). Middleton Place is approximately in the center of Bollinger’s ellipse, about midway between the two epicenters shown by Dutton.

 

“The historic record suggests that the Charleston-Summerville area had a continuum of low-level seismicity prior to 1886 and that a low-level of strain energy release continues in the same area today. More specifically, Middleton Place is roughly in the center of the meizoseismal area of the 1886 event and at the SE end of a zone, perhaps 15 km long, of continuing microearthquake activity. These recent events, in the depth range of 1 to 8 km, are thought to be either the continuation of the aftershock series or events located along closely related structural features as the result of the modification of the stress environment by the 1886 earthquake. For lack of contrary evidence here or elsewhere, we assume that the 1886 earthquake originated at similar depths.”  (Rankin, 1977, p. 3.)

 

(Rankin, Douglas W. (editor). Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report (Geological Survey Professional Paper 1028). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977,

 

Stover and Coffman: “1866. Sept. 1 (Aug. 31). Charleston, S.C. This is the most damaging earthquake to occur in the Southeast United States and one of the largest historic shocks in Eastern North America. It damaged or destroyed many buildings in the old city of Charleston and killed 60 people. Hardly a structure there was undamaged, and only a few escaped serious damage. Property damage was estimated at $5-6 million. Structural damage was reported several hundred km[32] from Charleston (including central Alabama, central Ohio, eastern Kentucky, southern Virginia, and western West Virginia), and long-period effects were observed at distances exceeding 1,000 km…

 

“Effects in the epicentral region included about 80 km of severely damaged railroad track and more than 1,300 km of extensive cratering and fissuring. Damage to railroad tracks, about 6 km northwest of Charleston, included lateral and vertical displacement of tracks, formation of S-shaped curves, and longitudinal movement.

 

“The formation of sand craterlets and the ejection of sand were widespread in the epicentral area, gut surface faulting was not observed. Many acres of ground were overflowed with sand, and craterlets as much as 6.4 m across were formed. In a few locations, water from the craterlets spouted to heights of about 4.5 to 6 m. Fissures 1 m wide extended parallel to canal and stream banks. A series of wide cracks opened parallel to the Ashley River, and several large trees were uprooted when the bank slid into the river.

 

“At Summerville, a small town of 2,000 population, 25 km northwest of Charleston, many houses settled in an inclined position or were displaces as much as 5 cm. Chimneys constructed independently of the houses commonly had the part above the roofline thrown to the ground. Many chimneys were crushed at their bases, allowing the whole chimney to sink down through the floors. The absence of overturning in piered structures and the nature of thee damage to chimneys have been interpreted as evidence that the predominant motion was vertical.

 

“The meizoseismal area of MM intensity X effects is an elliptical area, roughly 35 by 50 km, trending northeast between Charleston and Jedburg and including Summerville. Middleton Place, about in the center of this ellipse, is at the southeast end of a zone (perhaps 15 km long) of microearthquake activity that still continues today. This seismic activity may be a continuation of the 1886 aftershock series.

 

“The intraplate epicenter of this major shock is not unique for large earthquakes in the Eastern and Central United States. Other intraplate earthquakes include those at Cape Ann, Mass. (1755), and New Madrid, Mo. (1811-12). Earthquakes occurring along boundaries of plates (e.g., San Francisco, 1906) are well understood in terms of plate tectonics, but those occurring within plates are not similarly understood. This problem still is being suited more than 100 years after the earthquake.

 

“This earthquake was reported from distant places such as Boston, Mass.; Milwaukee, Ill.; Chicago, Ill.; Cuba, and Bermuda…” (Stover and Coffman. Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised). 1993, pp. 348-349.)

 

USGS: “This is the most damaging earthquake to occur in the Southeast United States and one of the largest historic shocks in Eastern North America. It damaged or destroyed many buildings in the old city of Charleston and killed 60 people.  Hardly a structure there was undamaged, and only a few escaped serious damage. Property damage was estimated at $5-$6 million. Structural damage was reported several hundred kilometers from Charleston (including central Alabama, central Ohio, eastern Kentucky, southern Virginia, and western West Virginia), and long-period effects were observed at distances exceeding 1,000 kilometers.

 

“Effects in the epicentral region included about 80 kilometers of severely damaged railroad track and more than 1,300 square kilometers of extensive cratering and fissuring. Damage to railroad tracks, about 6 kilometers northwest of Charleston, included lateral and vertical displacement of tracks, formation of S-shaped curves and longitudinal movement.

 

“The formation of sand craterlets and the ejection of sand were widespread in the epicentral area, but surface faulting was not observed. Many acres of ground were overflowed with sand, and craterlets as much as 6.4 meters across were formed. In a few locations, water from the craterlets spouted to heights of about 4.5 to 6 meters. Fissures 1 meter wide extended parallel to canal and stream banks. A series of wide cracks opened parallel to the Ashley River, and several large trees were uprooted when the bank slid into the river.

 

“At Summerville, a small town of 2,000 population, 25 kilometers northwest of Charleston, many houses settled in an inclined position or were displaced as much as 5 centimeters. Chimneys constructed independently of the houses commonly had the part above the roofline thrown to the ground.  Many chimneys were crushed at their bases, allowing the whole chimney to sink down through the floors.  The absence of overturning in piered structures and the nature of the damage to chimneys have been interpreted as evidence that the predominant motion was vertical.

 

“The meizoseismal area of MM intensity X effects is an elliptical area, roughly 35 by 50 kilometers, trending northeast between Charleston and Jedburg and including Summerville. Middleton Place, about in the center of this ellipse, is at the southeast end of a zone (perhaps 15 kilometers long) of microearthquake activity that still continues today. This seismic activity may be a continuation of the 1886 aftershock series.

 

“The intraplate epicenter of this major shock is not unique for large earthquakes in the Eastern and Central United States. Other intraplate earthquakes include those at Cape Ann, Massachusetts (1755), and New Madrid, Missouri (1811-1812). Earthquakes occurring along boundaries of plates (e.g., San Francisco, 1906) are well understood in terms of plate tectonics, but those occurring within plates are not similarly understood. This problem still is being studied more than 100 years after the earthquake.

 

“This earthquake was reported from distant places such as Boston, Massachusetts; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois; Cuba and Bermuda.” (USGS. Historic Earthquakes:  Charleston, South Carolina, 1886 September 01.  July 16, 2008.)

 

Univ. of SC: The seismic history of the southeastern United States is dominated by the 1886 earthquake that occurred in the Coastal Plain near Charleston, South Carolina. It was one of the largest historic earthquakes in eastern North America, and by far the largest earthquake in the southeastern United States. A major shock, occurred August 31, 1886 at approximately 9:50 p.m. and lasted less than one minute, but resulted in about sixty deaths and extensive damage to the city of Charleston. Because the event took place before seismological instrumentation, estimates of its location and size must come from observations of the damage and effects caused by the earthquake. Most of what we know of the even and the resulting damage comes from a comprehensive report by C.E. Dutton of the U.S. Geological Survey published in 1889….

 

“The 1886 earthquake was followed by a series of aftershocks. Of 435 or more earthquakes reported to have taken place in South Carolina between 1754 and 1975, more than 300 were aftershocks that occurred in the first 35 years following 1886. The 1886 earthquake and its aftershocks dominate the seismic record of the southeast.

 

“The historic record suggest the Charleston-Summerville area had a continuum of low level seismicity prior to 1886, and a low-level activity continues in the same area today.”  (Univ. of So. Carolina, Geological Sciences Dept.. “The Charleston Earthquake of 1886.”)

 

State Breakout (Chronological By State & DC), primarily from newspapers

 

Alabama

 

Aug 31, Clanton: “VII [intensity] — Water level rose in wells, some went dry and others flowed freely; plastering ruined.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Mobile: “Mobile, Ala., September 1.–Mobile had a very light shock [31^st]. The movement was from the southwest. It was noticeable in the top floors of houses, making chandeliers swing, and giving people a distinct sensation of moving from side to side. One shock only occurred, lasting about two seconds.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 3.)

 

Aug 31, Tuscaloosa: “Walls cracked, chimneys rocked, blinds shaken off, screaming women and children left houses.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Arkansas

 

Bollinger: In Bollinger’s Figure 5. “Isoseismal map of the Eastern United States contoured to show the broad regional patters of reported intensities for the 1886 Charleston earthquake (Contoured intensity levels are shown in Roman numerals),” the eastern third of Arkansas is shown within the II-III contour band. (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston [SC], Earthquake.” Pages 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977, p. 25.)

 

Connecticut

 

Bollinger: In Bollinger’s Figure 5. “Isoseismal map of the Eastern United States contoured to show the broad regional patters of reported intensities for the 1886 Charleston earthquake (Contoured intensity levels are shown in Roman numerals),” all but a small part of the northeastern corner of Connecticut within the II-III contour band. (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston [SC], Earthquake.” Pages 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977, p. 25.)

 

Delaware

 

University of Delaware, 2011: “5:24 p.m., Aug. 23, 2011–The Aug. 23 earthquake, registering 5.8 at its epicenter in central Virginia, was the largest one felt in Delaware since 1886 when a magnitude 6.6-7.3 quake hit Charleston, S.C., according to geologist Stefanie Baxter, a research associate at the Delaware Geological Survey, a Delaware state agency based at the University of Delaware.” (University of Delaware. “Quake, rattle and roll: Quake largest felt in Delaware since 1886, researchers report.” UDaily, 8-23-2011.)

 

District of Columbia

 

Aug 31, DC: “Washington, September 1.–Officials of the Signal Service Bureau, report that four distinct shocks were felt here. The first began at 9:54, and lasted 40 seconds. The second shock was felt at 10:04, and was followed by another at 10:10, and was followed by another and by a fourth at 10:30….

 

“Swellon Brown, Chief Clerk of the State Department, was in Albaugh’s Opera House when the stampede occurred, and it is probably due to his presence of mind that no lives were lost. When the panic took possession of the galleries, Mr. Brown stood up in his box and shouted to the people to keep their seats.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Florida

 

Aug 31, Jacksonville: “Jacksonville, Fla., September 1. The earthquake shock last night [31^st] was quite severe here and was felt as far south as Bartow. It commenced at 9:27…and lasted about thirty seconds.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “The Effect Elsewhere.” 9-1-1886, p. 12.)

 

Georgia

 

Aug 28, Augusta GA: “Earthquake.– Augusta, Ga., August 28.–This town is in a hubbub over a shock of earthquake felt here early this morning about 4 o’clock. The police force report the occurrence, though the citizenry generally were not aware of the shock. Pictures were shaken from the walls, houses swayed perceptibly, trees trembled. Even bells tolled, and the ground slightly trembled. In one neighborhood, where it seems the jar was most plainly felt, sleepers rushed from their couches to the yards and streets, and knots of frightened neighbors were seen discussing the phenomenon at daybreak. The shock was insignificant in itself, but it is the sensation here today, and people find time to talk of nothing else. One young woman was so badly frightened that she fainted, and she is seriously ill today.” (Union & Recorder, Milledgeville, GA. “Earthquake.” 8-31-1886, p. 12, col. 4.)

 

Aug 31, Columbus: “Columbus, Ga., August 31.–People here were badly frightened and many ran from their houses into the streets. The shocks lasted about twenty seconds.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Macon: “Macon, Ga.,  August 31.–There were two shocks here, lasting in all about three minutes. They stampeded the town, people running out of their houses and gathering in frightened knots in the open air.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Sep 1, Savannah and Tybee Island, GA: “Savannah, Ga., September 1 — 4 A.M. Three distinct shocks have been felt here since midnight. The last occurred at 3:40 A.M. All the shocks were of short duration and not violent. The people are still greatly excited and are sitting out in the streets and squares or crowding around the telegraph and newspaper offices.

 

“No word can be obtained from Charleston. The general impression is that the city has suffered seriously. It is supposed that the cable under the Ashley River is broken.

 

“At Tybee Island, at the mouth of the Savannah River, the lenses in the lighthouse were destroyed. The people on the island telephone to this city that they are in a state of terror. There can be no communication with the mainland until daylight and all the inhabitants are assembled on high land. The island was swept by a tidal wave in August, 1881, and the people fear a similar disaster now….At Tybee the shock was more severely felt than in the city. The people on the island rushed from their houses to the beach. The oscillation lasted for several minutes….” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “More Shocks at Savannah.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 1.)

 

Illinois

 

Aug 31, Cairo: “Intensity VI in southern Illinois…Cairo, Ill.–Broken windows, ‘houses settled considerably’ (Dutton p. 430) in one section, ceiling cracked in post office.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 27 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Chicago: “Chicago, August 31.–The erratic actions on the part of the barometer in the Signal Office here this evening, caused the Sergeant to pause in the midst of an observation. His hands, he noticed, trembled violently, and for a moment he thought himself ill. The rocking of the large chair in the middle of the room, and the rattling of the bottles on the shelf quickly brought him to a realization that a quake of earth was in progress.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Murphysboro: “Intensity VI in southern Illinois…Murphysboro, Ill.–Brick walls shook, firebell rang for a minute, suspended objects swung.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 27 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Indiana

 

Aug 31, Indianapolis: “Indianapolis, August 31.–The earthquake shock was distinctly felt here about 8:50. A portion of the cornice of the Dennison Hotel was displaced, falling to the pavement, and the tower of the court-house was rocked to such an extent that the fire watchman on duty fled down stairs. The Journal’s special indicates that it was general throughout the State.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Rising Sun: “Intensity VI in southeastern Indiana [also central and western]…Rising Sun, Ind. — Plaster dislodged, ornaments thrown down, glass broken.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Terre Haute: “Terre Haute, Ind., August 31.–Two distinct shocks were felt. The shocks were about ten seconds apart and each was of about twenty seconds’ duration. Windows were rattled and in several cases the plastering was dislodged from the ceilings. A large audience was present at the Opera House, attending the minstrel show. The building shook until the people became panic-stricken, being under the impression that the structure was about to fall. Those in the galleries felt the shock most severely, and they rose and made a rush for the exits. The crowds in the other parts of the house followed. Women screamed and there was a struggle and rushing for the doors. Almost the entire audience fought their way to the street.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Iowa

 

Aug 31, Burlington: “Burlington, Ia., August 31.–A slight shock of earthquake was felt at 9 o’clock this evening. Some of the occupants of high buildings beat a hasty retreat to the streets. No damage was done.” (Weekly Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Wreck and Ruin.” 9-2-1886, p. 1, col. 1-2.)

 

Aug 31, Dubuque: “Dubuque, August 31.–An earthquake shock was felt here at 8:58. It shook tall buildings severely. Part of the audience in the Opera House ran out, and for a moment there was a scene of confusion. Printers in the top story of the Herald office ran from the building. Guests ran from the upper rooms in the hotels.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Smyrna: “Smyrna, Iowa, September 1.–Several well defined shocks of earthquake were felt here between 10 and 12 o’clock last night. No damage done.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Very Latest!” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 5.)

 

Kentucky

 

Aug 31, Ashland, KY: “At Catlettsburg, Ashland, Ky. …the shock was very severe.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Cincinnati Shaken Up.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Ashland. “VIII [intensity]. Town fearfully shaken, several houses thrown down, three or four persons injured.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Clinton: “Intensity VI in…Kentucky…Clinton, Ky.–Some bricks fell from chimneys.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 27 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Lexington: “Lexington, Ky., August 31.–A slight shock of earthquake was felt in this city at 8:15 p.m. The vibration lasted fifteen seconds.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Louisville: “Louisville, Ky., August 31. — At 9:13 o’clock, city time, a severe shock of earthquake was felt all over the city, lasting about thirty seconds. In the fifth story of the large Courier-Journal building the first motions were very decided oscillations north and south, which settled into vibrations. A general stampede occurred, and the people left their houses and ran into the streets all over the city. Several public meetings were broken up, and the audiences rushed wildly, frightened, into the streets.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Aug 31, Stanford: “Intensity VI in…northern Kentucky…Stanford, Ky.–Some plaster thrown down, hanging lamps swung 15 cm (6 in.).” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Louisiana

 

Bollinger: In Bollinger’s Figure 5. “Isoseismal map of the Eastern United States contoured to show the broad regional patters of reported intensities for the 1886 Charleston earthquake (Contoured intensity levels are shown in Roman numerals),” a small tip of the northeastern corner of Louisiana is shown within the II-III contour band. (Bollinger. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston…Earthquake.” Pp. 17-32 in Rankin (ed.), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977, p. 25.)

 

Maryland

 

Aug 31, Baltimore: “Baltimore, Md., September 1.–The shock [of 31^st] was most distinctly felt by people living in the eastern section of the city, which is on high ground. It was accompanied by a rumbling sound, and for a few moments the inhabitants were considerably alarmed, many rushing wildly into the streets.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 3.)

 

Michigan

 

Aug 31, Detroit: “Detroit, August 31.–At 9 o’clock to-night a shock of earthquake caused considerable excitement in this city. It was of short duration, but distinctly felt in different parts of the town. In the Free Press building, the editorial room made a stampede for the street, while in the composing room, the weekly men all stopped work, but those on piece work kept right on.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Minnesota

 

Bollinger. In Bollinger’s Figure 5. “Isoseismal map of the Eastern United States contoured to show the broad regional patters of reported intensities for the 1886 Charleston earthquake (Contoured intensity levels are shown in Roman numerals),” a small part of the southeastern tip of the state is shown within the II-III contour band. (Bollinger. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston [SC], Earthquake.” Pages 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977, p. 25.)

 

Mississippi

 

Bollinger: In Bollinger’s Figure 5. “Isoseismal map of the Eastern United States contoured to show the broad regional patters of reported intensities for the 1886 Charleston earthquake (Contoured intensity levels are shown in Roman numerals),” the west Mississippi, except for the southwest corner, is shown within the II-III contour band. Much of eastern Mississippi, except for southeast, is shown within contour IV. (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston [SC], Earthquake.” Pages 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977, p. 25.)

 

Missouri

 

Aug 31, St. Louis: “St. Louis, August, 31.–A very distinct earthquake shock was experienced in this city this evening at 9 o’clock, and lasted for about a quarter of a minute. The shock was not at all violent, and resembled the motion of a series of water waves. The guests occupying the upper rooms of the Southern and Landell hotels, rushed down stairs badly frightened, fearing that some catastrophe was about to occur. At the Masonic Hall, where a company of Knights Templar were drilling, pictures swung inward from the walls. The shock was also felt in the Missouri Republican building, and at other places throughout the city. No casualties have been yet reported.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, c. 1.)

 

New Jersey

 

Aug 31, Cape May: “Cape May, N.J., September 1. A shock of earthquake was sensibly felt here at about 10:40 o’clock last night. The shock was of three seconds duration.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “The Effect Elsewhere.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Plainfield: “Plainfield, N.J., August 31.–The vibrations were from north to south, beginning almost imperceptibly and augmenting until strong enough to swing chandeliers violently.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

New York

 

Aug 31, Brooklyn, NY: “Mayor Whitney [Brooklyn] received a shock last night [Aug 31]. It was the earthquake. He had just returned from Saratoga…and was at his home in Poplar street, when the earthquake rattled him….” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Mayor Whitney Encounters the Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 12.)

 

Aug 31, Hudson: “Hudson, N.Y., September 1.–Here buildings cracked and people who had retired to bed were awakened from their slumbers [Aug 31]. A second shock was felt at 10:13, lasting about ten seconds. The vibrations of both shocks were from east to west.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 3.)

 

Aug 31, Jamestown: “Jamestown, N.Y., August 31.–This town was severely shaken. The shocks lasted about twenty seconds. The people rushed into the streets. Chairs were caused to rock, chandeliers vibrated, and several persons experienced nausea on account of the movement of the earth.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, New York City: “New York, August 31.–At 9:57 this evening a very decided earthquake was felt here and, according to telegrams, at Baltimore, Washington and Richmond. In the upper stories of the tall Western Union building in this city the waves were plainly discernable, and persons walking about experienced the sensation of falling.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Aug 31, Schenectady: “Schenectady, N.Y., Sept. 1.–Earthquake shocks were felt here at 9:30 and 9:36 o’clock last evening and many persons were made sick from two to three hours.” (Weekly Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Wreck and Ruin.” 9-2-1886, p. 1, col. 1-2.)

 

North Carolina

 

Aug 31, Ashville, NC: “Ashville, N.C., September 1. A distinct shock of earthquake was felt last night [Aug 31] at 9:45 preceded by a loud rumbling noise. The motion was from southeast. The duration of the first shock was a minute and a half, houses were violently shaken and the inhabitants all left them and went into the streets. Another lighter shock was felt four minutes past ten. It was however of short duration. There were two slighter shock subsequently at intervals of fifteen minutes. Much alarm was caused but no damage was done in town or surrounding country.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Ashville, N.C.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 1.)

 

Aug 31-Sep 1, Cranberry: “Cranberry, N.C., September 1.–Twelve distinct shocks of earthquake were felt here between 10 o’clock last night and 4 o’clock this morning. The first was most severe, and lasted about one minute. Many persons were nauseated, while all were more or less frightened. Even the dogs howled and cattle lowed.” (Boston Daily Globe. “In and About Raleigh.” 9-2-1886, p. 2., col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Durham: “A dispatch from Durham says the earthquake was felt there, the shock lasting a few seconds. It caused much alarm, but no damage was done.” (Boston Daily Globe. “In and About Raleigh.” 9-2-1886, p. 2., col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Fayetteville: “….In Fayetteville, four distinct shocks were felt, beginning at 9:50. The first shock, which was very severe, rang bells, knocked down chimney tops and threw a child from the bed to the floor. The fright and the excitement were unparalled. People ran through the streets screaming and praying. Hardly any persons slept at all during the night. No serious damage was done.” (Boston Daily Globe. “In and About Raleigh.” 9-2-1886, p. 2., col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Newberne: “….The news from Newberne[33] is that a fearful shock was felt there at 10 o’clock last night. Buildings were violently shaken for a minute and clocks were stopped. No damage was done.” (Boston Daily Globe. “In and About Raleigh.” 9-2-1886, p. 2., col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Raleigh, NC: “Raleigh, N.C., August 31.–Shocks were felt at 9:55 and continuing nearly six minutes. Buildings rocked, walls cracked, floors broke loose at their supports, chimneys fell and…[unclear word] were overturned. The motion…was very decided. The streets rapidly filled with people, and the screams of frightened persons could be heard….

 

“The shock of earthquake here rang church bells. It also threw down plastering and rang door bells in houses. The second shock came at 10:06 and lasted about half a minute. The third shock did not come until 10:30, and was very light. It shook houses very sensibly, however. The movement of the earth was from the west and very perceptible. In the first shock houses soon acquired the swing, or oscillating movement, the steadiness of which was remarkable….” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Aug, 31, Wilmington and Smithville: “Wilmington, N.C., September 1.–There was a severe shock here at 9:50 last night and three more at 11 o’clock. The first shock lasted forty-five seconds. The others were light and of short duration. The direction of the vibrations was northwest to southeast. There was no damage here. At Smithville, at the mouth of Cape Fear river, five shocks in same direction of same duration were felt. One lady there was severely hurt by falling plastering.” (Boston Daily Globe. “In and About Raleigh.” 9-2-1886, p. 2., col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Winston Salem: “Winston, N.C., September 1.–A severe earthquake shock was felt throughout this county last night, beginning at 10 o’clock and continuing at intervals throughout the night. Another shock of considerable force was felt today at 9 o’clock.” (Boston Daily Globe. “In and About Raleigh.” 9-2-1886, p. 2., col. 2.)

 

Ohio

 

Aug 31, Cincinnati and elsewhere, OH: “Cincinnati, O., September 1. A singular effect of last night’s earthquake, was the very general feeling of dizziness that it caused. Nine people out of ten imagined they were sick and many did not know till this morning that the disturbance was in Mother Earth. An operator in the Western Union office receiving from Washington, felt sick and told the Washington to hold on, as he was sick. ‘We just had a shock of earthquake here,’….There was a decided difference in the severity of the shock in different buildings and in different parts of the city. Many people did not observe it at all. The largest building in the city, and one of the strongest–the Government building–rocked violently with three distinct vibrations. The large clock was stopped and mirrors were broken. In the large six and seven story  flats in the city the vibrations were severe. Dishes were thrown from cupboards and articles fell from mantels, while chandeliers were agitated as if by a strong wind….At the old armory building on Court street the plastering on the ceiling was broken. The most decided shock was felt in Cumminsville, in the northern part of the city. Here lights were put out and bottles broken in drug stores.

 

“Throughout the State dispatches indicate that the shock was general and that it occurred at almost the same instant. At Hamilton, boarders in hotels ran from their rooms in fright and walls were said to sway one and a half inches.

 

“At Canton, O., four shocks were observed, the motion being from north to south. Half the populace was in the streets talking of the strange experience for a long time after the event.

 

“Mount Vernon, O., thought the undulations were from east to west. At Newcomerstown glassware rattled distinctly. At Denison a meeting broke up in a panic. Coshocton felt two shocks. The same story comes from nearly every town in Ohio. People were frightened, but no actual damage was done…” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “Cincinnati Shaken Up.” 9-1-1886, p. 12.)

 

Aug 31, Cleveland: “Cleveland, August 31.–At 9 o’clock, standard time, this evening, three perceptible earthquake shocks were felt in this city. The vibrations were from east to west, and the shocks lasted about one minute. High buildings swayed, windows rattled, and the people ran excitedly into the streets. The morning newspaper offices were emptied of their editors and printers within half a minute after the shock occurred. Dispatches from surrounding towns report that the shock was felt in all sections of Northern Ohio.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Aug 31, Columbus: “Columbus, Ohio, August 31.–Reports are coming in from all over the city that the shock of an earthquake was distinctly felt about 8:55. It was more perceptible in the larger buildings. At the Central Asylum for the insane, the largest building for the insane in the world, the furniture was turned around and the patients became so alarmed that the attendants had trouble in getting them to return to their wards. At the Institute for the Blind the shock was so strong that the rocking chairs on the floor were made to start in motion and the chandeliers were swayed to and from with such force that they continued for some time afterwards in motion….” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Aug 31, Lancaster: “Intensity VII in central Ohio…Lancaster — Several chimneys toppled over, decorations shaken down, hundreds rushed to the streets.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Pennsylvania

 

Aug 31, Meadville: “Meadville, Pa., Sept. 1.–At 10 P.M., yesterday, a shock of earthquake was felt, followed immediately by a slighter shock, the whole lasting about twenty seconds. The streets were at once filled with people, guests rushed out of hotels in their night clothes, women and children were crying and screaming, and every one more or less alarmed. As far as learned, no damage has been done.” (Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “An American Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 4.)

 

Aug 31, Philadelphia: “….In Philadelphia, the earthquake lasted about thirty seconds. The vibrations were from west to east.” (Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “An American Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 4.)

 

South Carolina

 

Aug 28, Charleston: “Charleston, August 28.–Another shock of earthquake was felt here this morning at 5:48. It extended as far north as Summerville, twenty-five miles from here.” (Union & Recorder, Milledgeville, GA. “Earthquake.” 8-31-1886, p. 12, col. 4.)

 

Aug 31, Columbia and Summerville, SC: “Columbia, S.C., September 1. At 9:48 last night this city was visited by a terrible earthquake. The first two shocks were fearful. Buildings swayed from side to side and the earth arose and fell like the waves of the ocean. People rushed madly from houses into the streets, some sprang from windows and were injured. The experience of those in buildings at the time of the first shock was that of being rocked as if in a ship at sea. Many of the most substantial buildings were shaken to their foundations. The walls cracked and sprung. Five minutes after the first shock a second came. Ten minutes after a third. Other shocks followed until 1:05 A.M., when the eighth shock was felt, and this one lasted for a minute and a half. At 4 o’clock this morning the ninth shock and at 9:30 and 10:20 A.M. the city was again made to tremble. Very little sleep was had by any of the inhabitants of Columbia last night. The negroes thought the end of the world had come and they held prayer meetings on the street corners. All communication was cut off from Charleston, S.C., until 9 o’clock this morning, when the Southern Telegraph Company’s line was opened and the terrible news came that the city had been nearly demolished last night From Charleston reports came that nearly a hundred lives were lost.

 

“Summerville, twenty-two miles from Charleston, was nearly destroyed by the earthquake last night. The passenger train from Columbia to Charleston was thrown from the track near Summerville and the engineer and fireman killed. The passengers on the wrecked train and those on the morning train have not yet reached Charleston.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Summerville Shaken Down.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 1.)

 

Sep 1, Charleston: “Charleston, September 1.–Not to exceed one hundred houses in the city are occupied at this time. The people are all camped in open places. All stores are closed, and a scarcity of provisions is feared because no one can be got to go to the stores to sell them.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “Earthquake — Latest.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 5.)

 

Aug 31, Langley, SC: “Langley, S.C., September 1. The shock burst the mill dams here and some thousand feet of railroad track was destroyed. Telegraph wires were also destroyed. No trains are running. The Western Union Telegraph Company has started handcars from Summerville to restore communication. Great damage is reported at Summerville.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “The Effect Elsewhere.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Ravenel, SC: “Ravenels, S.C., September 1. The railroad is under water in some places between here and Charleston, twenty-five miles north of here, and the earth has caved in in several places.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “The Effect Elsewhere.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2.)

 

Sep 1, Charleston: “Richmond, VA., Sep. 1.–10:35 a.m.–A dispatch just received here says: ‘The streets of Charleston are blocked with fallen buildings, telegraph poles and tangled wires. Over sixty persons were killed or wounded. After the earthquake fires broke out in different parts of the city, but they are not spreading. The population spent the night in the streets and vacant lots. There is so much confusion that it is hard to get at the facts.” (Daily Gazette, Burlington, IA. “A City in Ruins.” 9-1-1886, p. 2.)

 

Sep 1, Summerville: “Augusta, Ga., September 1.–J. H. Averill, of the South Carolina Railroad, telegraphs from Summerville that many persons have been killed, and hundreds are homeless. The whole business portion of the city is totally wrecked.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Very Latest!” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 5.)

 

Tennessee

 

Aug 31, Chattanooga: “Chattanooga, Tenn., August 31.–A decided shock was felt here to-night, which lasted fully twenty seconds. The gas lights in the Times building, a stone structure, swayed to and fro, and the windows fairly shook. Considerable excitement was created in the city.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Memphis: “Memphis, Tenn., August 31.–A violent shock of earthquake was experienced here at 8:56 to-night. Its motion was from north to south, and lasted a full ten seconds. It had a rapid, oscillating movement. Great consternation was produced. Many who were within their offices and residences fled into the streets. Numbers who had retired, feeling the shock, rushed out of their dwellings, not waiting to dress themselves.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, Milan: “Intensity VI in…eastern Tennessee…Milan, Tenn.–Cracked plaster, people sitting in chairs knocked over.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 27 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Nashville: “Nashville, Tenn., August 31.–Two distinct shocks of earthquake were felt here to-night, the longer one at 8:54½, and the shorter one at 8:57½. It was very perceptible to all in the tall buildings, but was not felt by the majority of the people.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Vermont

 

Bollinger: In Bollinger’s Figure 5. “Isoseismal map of the Eastern United States contoured to show the broad regional patters of reported intensities for the 1886 Charleston earthquake (Contoured intensity levels are shown in Roman numerals),” the southwestern corner of the state is shown within the II-III contour band. (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston [SC], Earthquake.” Pages 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977, p. 25.)

 

Virginia

 

Aug 31, Charlottesville: “VII [Intensity] — Report that several chimneys were overthrown.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Danville: “VI [Intensity] — Bricks fell from chimneys, walls cracked, loose objects thrown down, a chandelier swung for 8 minutes after shocks.” (Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Page 26 in pp. 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.)

 

Aug 31, Lynchburg: “Lynchburg, Va., September 1.–A very pronounced shock was felt here. Houses swayed, bricks were shaken from chimneys, and a great many people ran from their beds into the streets.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 3.)

 

Aug 31, Richmond: “Richmond, Va., September 1.–At 10:05 last night [Aug 31] a severe shock of earthquake was felt in this city, creating the greatest excitement known here in many years. The shock lasted about three minutes, and men, women and children who had retired, jumped from their beds and rushed out of doors. Ex-State Senator Atkinson says glasses and other articles on his mantel were dashed to the floor. Persons in bar-rooms said they thought they were drunk, as their feet became unsteady. Decanters and glasses clinked and consternation prevailed for a while. Broad and Main streets are yet lined with excited people. The guards at the Virginia prison, in their fright, opened the cells of prisoners, and it is now said the prisoners are frightened and unruly. The militia of the city has been called out and there is the wildest state of excitement throughout the place.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 2.)

 

Aug 31, southwestern VA: “Lynchburg, Va., September 1. Specials to the Advance from throughout Southwestern Virginia and Eastern Tennessee report severe shocks of earthquake, lasting from three to five minutes, about 10 P.M. last night.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “The Effect Elsewhere.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2.)

 

West Virginia

 

Aug 31, Charleston: “Charleston, W.Va., August 31.–At 9:55 an earthquake shock was felt here. It was very severe, lasting fully three minutes. Many people who had retired for the night were so frightened that they arose and ran from their houses.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Sep 1, Huntington, WV: “”At…Huntington, W. Va., the shock was very severe.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Cincinnati Shaken Up.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2.)

 

Wisconsin

 

Aug 31, Milwaukee: “Milwaukee, Wis., August 31.–Large buildings were shaken to their foundations about 9 o’clock to-night, by an earthquake shock that lasted nearly a minute. People fled in affright to the street. Windows were broken in numerous buildings, and pictures fell from the walls. No particular damage was done. The shock was felt only in large buildings and only in the central part of the city. It was most severe in the Fourth ward, the fashionable residence district.” (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Bollinger, G. A. “Reinterpretation of the Intensity Data for the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, Earthquake.” Pages 17-32 in Rankin (editor), Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report. 1977.

 

Boston Daily Globe. “In and About Raleigh.” 9-2-1886, p. 2., col. 2. Accessed 9-13-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-daily-globe-sep-02-1886-p-2/

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Ashville, N.C.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 1. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-sep-01-1886-p-12/

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Cincinnati Shaken Up.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-sep-01-1886-p-12/

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Mayor Whitney [Brooklyn] Encounters the Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 12. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-sep-01-1886-p-12/

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “More Shocks at Savannah.” 9-1-1886, p. 12. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-sep-01-1886-p-12/

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Summerville Shaken Down.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 1. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-sep-01-1886-p-12/

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “The Effect Elsewhere.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 2. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-sep-01-1886-p-12/

 

City of Charleston, SC. Year Book — 1886. Charleston, SC: Walker, Evans & Cogswell Company, 1887. Accessed 9-11-2019 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433084439151&view=1up&seq=9

 

Côte, Richard N. City of Heroes: The Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. Mt. Pleasant, SC: Corinthian Books, 2006.

 

Daily Gazette, Burlington, IA. “A City in Ruins.” 9-1-1886, p. 2. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-gazette-sep-01-1886-p-2/

 

Dutton, Clarence Edward. The Charleston Earthquake of August 31, 1886. U. S. Geological Survey (U.S. Government Printing Office), 1890, 326 pages. Excerpts accessed 9-13-2019 in Bollinger 1-13-2019 at: https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1028/report.pdf

 

Gunn, Angus M. Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies (Volume 1). Westport CT and London: Greenwood Press, 2007.

 

History.com. “This Day in History, Disaster, August 31, 1886. Earthquake Shakes Charleston, South Carolina.” Accessed 12-9-2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=08/31&categoryId=disaster

 

Johnson, Leland R. Situation Desperate: U.S. Army Engineer Disaster Relief Operations, Origins to 1950. Alexandria, VA: Office of History, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2011, 290 pages. Accessed 12-11-2016 at: http://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/Publications/EngineerPamphlets/EP_870-1-70.pdf

 

Philadelphia Record Almanac 1885. “General and Local Events.” The Philadelphia Record, 1886.  Digitized by Google at: http://books.google.com/books?id=wCoXAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=true

 

Pinckney, Paul. “Lesson Learned From the Charleston Quake; How the Southern City was Rebuilt Finer Than ever Within Four Years.” San Francisco Chronicle, 5-6-1906.  Accessed 2-9-2010 at: http://www.sfmuseum.org/1906.2/charleston.html

 

Rankin, Douglas W. (editor). Studies Related to the Charleston, South Carolina Earthquake of 1886 — A Preliminary Report (Geological Survey Professional Paper 1028). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977, 276 pages. Accessed 9-13-2019 at: https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1028/report.pdf

 

Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “Earthquake — Latest.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 4-5. Accessed 9-13-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salt-lake-democrat-sep-01-1886-p-1/

 

Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Great Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salt-lake-democrat-sep-01-1886-p-1/

 

Salt Lake Evening Democrat, UT. “The Very Latest!” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 5. Accessed 9-13-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salt-lake-democrat-sep-01-1886-p-1/

 

Stover, Carl W. and Jerry L. Coffman. Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised). U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1993. Google preview accessed 9-1-2019 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=bY0KAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Union & Recorder, Milledgeville, GA. “Earthquake.” 8-31-1886, p. 12, col. 4. Accessed 9-12-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/milledgeville-union-recorder-aug-31-1886-p-12/

 

United States Geological Survey. Deaths in the United States from Earthquakes (website). July 16, 2008 update. Accessed at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/us_deaths.php

 

United States Geological Survey. Historic Earthquakes: Charleston, South Carolina, 1886 September 01.  USGS, 7-16-2008 page modification. Accessed at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1886_09_01.php

 

University of Delaware. “Quake, rattle and roll: Quake largest felt in Delaware since 1886, researchers report.” UDaily, 8-23-2011. Accessed 9-13-2019 at: http://www1.udel.edu/udaily/2012/aug/large-earthquake-082311.html

 

University of South Carolina, Geological Sciences Dept. “The Charleston Earthquake of 1886.” Accessed 9-1-2019 at: http://www.seis.sc.edu/projects/SCSN/history/html/eqchas.html

 

Weekly Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln. “Wreck and Ruin.” 9-2-1886, p. 1, col. 1-2. Accessed 9-13-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lincoln-weekly-nebraska-state-journal-sep-02-1886-p-1/

 

Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “An American Earthquake.” 9-1-1886, p. 1, col. 4. Accessed 9-13-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-wisconsin-state-journal-sep-01-1886-p-1/

 

Additional Reading

 

Côte has a long list of sources and a Bibliography.

 

Peters, Kenneth E. and Robert B. Hermann, eds. First-hand Observations of the Charleston Earthquake of August 31, 1886, and Other Earthquake Materials. Columbia, SC: South Carolina Geological Survey Bulletin 41, 1986.

 

Sprunt, James. “The Earthquake of 1886.” Chronicles of Cape Fear River, 1660-1916. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Publishing, 1916.

 

Summerville Committee. Report of the Committee for the Relief of the Sufferers by the Earthquakes in Summerville and Vicinity. Charleston, SC: News and Courier Book Presses, 1886.

 

 

[1] Compiled by W. Wayne Blanchard in December 2008 and modified in February 2010, December 2016, and  September 2019 for inclusion in: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com

[2][2] We have not included either the low estimate of forty or the high estimate of 146. The number of sixty deaths noted by several sources appears to refer only to direct earthquake-related deaths — generally blunt-force trauma from falling buildings, chimneys, bricks, etc. Since the City of Charleston notes only 40 injury deaths, and none of the sources noting 60 deaths provides a breakdown of the causes of death and location, we do not know what to make of this number. The high end of the range (124) includes indirect weather exposure deaths noted by Charleston authorities as well as a small number of deaths outside of Charleston. See Côte, below, especially pp. 297-301, and the “In Memoriam” chapter, pp. 456-459. We use the official Charleston number of eighty-three deaths there.

[3] Not used as high-end of estimated death toll in that it is significantly higher than any other source cited.

[4] After noting that the official death toll of named victims in Charleston was 83, he writes: “Based on new research presented here, the casualty count is now know to be at least one hundred twenty-four dead and one hundred thirty-nine severely injured. Countless others died or were hurt and went uncounted.” [See Côte, pp. 297-301 in “Narrative Information” below.]

[5] This number represents deaths from injury and from cold and exposure for August through October within Charleston city limits. Côte writes that there were cold and exposure deaths in November as well amongst those still living in post-earthquake temporary sheltering. (See page 511, for example.)

[6] Writes that this was the official earthquake death toll and that it was for the city of Charleston only.

[7] Côte writes: The city’s official death record [Charleston] named eighty-three victims.” (Preface)

[8] Provides no breakout of the types of death included in the number sixty.

[9] The context of the “write-up” indicates that all sixty deaths were within Charleston.

[10] Notes deaths were in the “old city of Charleston.”

[11] “…resulted in about sixty deaths and extensive damage to the city of Charleston.”

[12] Not used as low-end of estimated death toll in that we view USGS and Univ. SC Geological Sciences Dept. figures more credible, given the range of even higher death toll figures noted herein.

[13] We accept the official Charleston number of eighty-three deaths, and add deaths from other SC localities.

[14] Cites Atlanta Constitution, 9-4-1886.

[15] Cites Atlanta Constitution, 9-2-1886.

[16] Côte 2006, p. 466; cites News and Courier, Charleston, 9-3-1886. Victims were Jack Simmons and Henry Ivy.

[17] Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Summerville Shaken Down.” 9-1-1886, p. 12, col. 1.

[18] Cites News and Courier, Charleston, 9-3-1886.

[19] Côte 2006, pp. 469-470; cites Atlanta Constitution, 9-4-1886.

[20] Cites Atlanta Constitution, 9-3-1886.

[21] Cites Atlanta Constitution, 9-3-1886.

[22] Cites Dutton, 326-327, who cited New York Tribune report from a Savannah newspaper.

[23] White.

[24] Colored.

[25] Notes on page 200 that Charleston had a population of 60,000.

[26] Earthquake Relief Committee.

[27] Had been on a vacation.

[28] Severe undernourishment causing an infant’s or child’s weight to be significantly low for their age.

[29] Cites: (1) Sir Vivian Fuchs. Forces of Nature. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977; (2) Eldridge Moores (Editor). Shaping the Earth: Tectonics of Continents and Oceans: Readings from Scientific American Magazine. W. H. Freeman & Co. 1990; (3) H. Robert Morrison and Christine Eckstrom Lee. America’s Atlantic Isles. National Geographic Society, 1981; and (4) Orrin H. Pilkey, et al. The North Carolina Shore and Its Barrier Islands: Restless Ribbons of Sand. Durham and London, Duke University Press, 1998.

[30] Cites: Public Opinion, “The Great Earthquake,” Vol. 1, 9-11-1886, pp. 431-434.

[31] Cites: William Bixby to Chief of Engineers. Report on Examination of Buildings in Charleston, SC, Injured by the Recent Earthquake of August 1886. NARA, RG 77, Engineer Department, “Letters Received, 1886.”

[32] A kilometer is about .62 miles.

[33] Craven County, on NC coast.