THE CHARLOTTE
NEWS
ON AUG. 30, 1886
Eyewitness Tells Of Judgment Day On South Carolina ’s Coastal Plain
By BILL WILLIAMS
GASTONIA — Lo, they thought the hour of judgment was upon them.
It was on the night of August 30, 1886, when an earthquake ripped throughCharleston , S. C., tearing
trenches in the streets and rocking houses back and forth like small ships at
sea. The wind sounded like a roaring herd of jet fighters.
As the earth shook and trees trembled, it had company in the many frightened Negroes and white folk.
“I remember that night just as well as if it were last night,” said “Col.” A. T. Bethune, a resident of theBerryhill
School section in Mecklenburg County
“I was down at the barn, helping some of the men with their chores when the first blast of wind warned us of a storm.”
Colonel Bethune, the son of a man who owned three plantations was only 10 years old at the time of the earthquake, but his vivid recollection of the catastrophe brings gasps of awe from listeners as he relates the happenings of that night.
GASTONIA — Lo, they thought the hour of judgment was upon them.
It was on the night of August 30, 1886, when an earthquake ripped through
As the earth shook and trees trembled, it had company in the many frightened Negroes and white folk.
“I remember that night just as well as if it were last night,” said “Col.” A. T. Bethune, a resident of the
“I was down at the barn, helping some of the men with their chores when the first blast of wind warned us of a storm.”
Colonel Bethune, the son of a man who owned three plantations was only 10 years old at the time of the earthquake, but his vivid recollection of the catastrophe brings gasps of awe from listeners as he relates the happenings of that night.
WIND CAME FIRST
“We were living about 50 or 60 miles from Charleston ," he continued, “and the wind was
blowing from that direction. Some of the colored folks were uneasy about it,
but dad just told them there was nothing to worry about. That wasn’t enough
assurance for them, though, especially after the first tremor set the houses rocking
and the trees waving.”
According to the colonel (he picked up the nickname somewhere),
workers fell to their knees and began to pray. Horses began to neigh and mules
began to bray. Dogs barked and chickens, in frightened excitement, ran from one
part of the yard to the other.
“All the workers thought that judgment day was upon them”, he went on.
“There were quite a few fellows across the creek who wanted to be with everyone else on the farm. They picked up some pine torches, lit them and started toward the farm. I remember one old fellow— his name was Shadrach— told all his children and the other folks around him to kneel down. He was going to pray.
Well, just about the time he started to kneel down himself, the wind blew hard and the window came open that gave a plain view of the Negroes coming across the creek. Carrying torches they looked exactly like somebody walking across the River Jordan.
“Well, anyhow, when Shadrach looked up and saw the torches, he shook all over and said:
“All the workers thought that judgment day was upon them”, he went on.
“There were quite a few fellows across the creek who wanted to be with everyone else on the farm. They picked up some pine torches, lit them and started toward the farm. I remember one old fellow— his name was Shadrach— told all his children and the other folks around him to kneel down. He was going to pray.
Well, just about the time he started to kneel down himself, the wind blew hard and the window came open that gave a plain view of the Negroes coming across the creek. Carrying torches they looked exactly like somebody walking across the River Jordan.
“Well, anyhow, when Shadrach looked up and saw the torches, he shook all over and said:
“Ain’t no use to pray now. Here comes the fire.! You’ve never seen a
man look so relieved in all your life when he found out that the lights were
torches carried by workers.”
One man, said Colonel Bethune, had the idea that judgment day would come in the morning.
"When the earth shook once,” Bethune continued, “he shouted out, ‘Lordy, I didn’t know that judgment day was coming at night. I thought it’d be morning.’”
By next day, the tremors had ceased and the wind had quit blowing. All over the farm, however, branches and leaves from trees, shredded by the violent force of the wind, had piled up in huge mounds.
“My dad wanted to clean up the mess as soon as possible,” the colonel went on. “He sent a man by the name of Daniel Jackson over to one of the rice fields to get some hoes and rakes. Well, you know how some of these roots and gum, and stuff catches on fire and smokes — sometimes months at a time.
When Jackson got over there and saw the fields smoking like they were on fire, he high-tailed it back to the house, leaving the hoes and rakes behind. He came running up to my dad and said: “Boss, we don’t need any hoes. It’s judgment day already.’
Colonel Bethune, now an employee of the Carter Traveler Company inGastonia , said his father
once owned three plantations.
“He never wanted to make money, though,” the watchman at Carter’s went on.
"When he made money, he invested it in other things. When he sold something, he practically gave it away. For instance, he once sold 1,400 acres of land of $1,100. I bought 600 acres from him once for $600”
One man, said Colonel Bethune, had the idea that judgment day would come in the morning.
"When the earth shook once,” Bethune continued, “he shouted out, ‘Lordy, I didn’t know that judgment day was coming at night. I thought it’d be morning.’”
By next day, the tremors had ceased and the wind had quit blowing. All over the farm, however, branches and leaves from trees, shredded by the violent force of the wind, had piled up in huge mounds.
“My dad wanted to clean up the mess as soon as possible,” the colonel went on. “He sent a man by the name of Daniel Jackson over to one of the rice fields to get some hoes and rakes. Well, you know how some of these roots and gum, and stuff catches on fire and smokes — sometimes months at a time.
When Jackson got over there and saw the fields smoking like they were on fire, he high-tailed it back to the house, leaving the hoes and rakes behind. He came running up to my dad and said: “Boss, we don’t need any hoes. It’s judgment day already.’
Colonel Bethune, now an employee of the Carter Traveler Company in
“He never wanted to make money, though,” the watchman at Carter’s went on.
"When he made money, he invested it in other things. When he sold something, he practically gave it away. For instance, he once sold 1,400 acres of land of $1,100. I bought 600 acres from him once for $600”
PEOPLE LIKED NAME
It was because of the elder Mr. Bethune’s generosity that the name of Lynchwood, S. C., was changed to Bethune. His philanthropy made the people of that little town see fit to change its name to honor Mr. Bethune.
Colonel Bethune is married to the former Eva Ross ofBlacksburg , S. C. He is 76 years old.
It was because of the elder Mr. Bethune’s generosity that the name of Lynchwood, S. C., was changed to Bethune. His philanthropy made the people of that little town see fit to change its name to honor Mr. Bethune.
Colonel Bethune is married to the former Eva Ross of
Note: Allen Thomas "Colonel" Bethune's father was Daniel Murdock Bethune.
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