The Charleston Earthquake
On August 31, 1886
, occurred one of the most remarkable natural phenomena ever
experienced in the southeastern United States, the “Charleston Earthquake,” with an
estimated intensity of 6.6 to 7.6 on the Richter scale. Most of the damage was suffered in
Charleston, South Carolina, hence the name. Sixty people died and property damage in
the old part of that city exceeded five million dollars.
The tremor was felt as far away as Alabama and Ohio. One interested witness was Major
James W. Reilly, commandant at Augusta Arsenal, where buildings were damaged and
the residents badly frightened. Reporting to the army chief of ordnance two days after the
event, Reilly put on paper some of his experiences and the results. “I consider our escape
as miraculous, a little more trembling of the earth would have buried us all in the ruins of
our houses,” he wrote.
Dr. Chris Murphy, archeology professor at Augusta State, has conducted excavations at
some of the buildings at ASU that substantiate much of Reilly’s report. Chris transcribed
Major Reilly’s letter for our magazine in the Spring 2001 issue (Vol. 32, No. 1), where
you can read the full text. Other accounts of the local effects appeared in the
Augusta
Chronicle
in the days after the quake.
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