The Never-Ending Document!

One of the volunteer projects we've been working on around the archive is rehousing the Charleston Equity Court Bills, and we found a very interesting one last week. The clerks actually pasted pages together to create a longer document, which we've seen before. However this particular one was 88' long! Yes, feet. We unrolled it in the lab to measure and we had never seen anything quite like it before. Ergo, it merited photos to share. (This is in the conservation lab, one of our very long rooms, containing fancy humidification chambers, book presses, document spas, and lots of other fabulous things for making your treasures last a long time. Shameless plug.)

And in case you're thinking of doing this yourself, know that eventually that glue will break down and the pages will separate, and no, they are not numbered. Which is why you should bring it in for us to fix up for you. =)







Thanks to our wonderful volunteers - we need you more than ever now!

This Day in SC History: September to Remember

May you find what you are looking for. Chinese proverb (curse)

Charleston, September 15, 1752-South Carolina is suffering through the hottest (and driest) summer in memory, with temperatures consistently over ninety and often over one hundred degrees. Conditions are so severe that Governor James Glen declares July 24, 1752, a day of “fasting humiliation and prayer” with the hope that God “may be graciously pleased to send rain for the preservation of the Earth” (see the Wednesday, September 2, 2009 blog for the complete prayer).

On September 14 Charlestonians witness high clouds forming overhead and increasing winds, both signs that the drought will end soon. On September 15 the city is battered by the most devastating hurricane of the colonial period, with the worst of the storm taking place between eight and eleven in the morning. The storm surge is nine feet above record high tides, and Charlestonians flee to the upper floors of their homes, which were quickly engulfed in water. Fortunately for the city’s residents, the winds shift three hours before high tide, thus saving Charleston, and its frightened inhabitants, from even further destruction.

Charleston, and the coastal regions of the colony, are devastated (think Hugo, but without the 24-hour news coverage). The colony is in political and financial turmoil for months afterwards. Governor Glen, no doubt remembering the wildly successful day of “fasting, humiliation and prayer,” declares “a day of general and Public Thanksgiving,” this time thanking God for not destroying the city with the rain for which the colony has so diligently prayed.

By his Excellency James Glen Esq.r Govern.r in Chief and Captain General in and over his Majestys said Prov.e

A Proclamation

Whereas it pleased Almighty God at whose Command the winds blow and lift up the Waves of the Sea for the Punishment of our Manifold Transgressions lately to visit this Province with a terrible tempest and inundation yet of his infinite Goodness in the midst of deserved wrath to turn from the fierceness of his Anger And to remember mercy by Rebuking the Winds and the Seas and Stilling the rage thereof and thereby saving us from imminent and otherwise unavoidable distruction And whereas it hath pleased him to continue to be gracious to us by send.g favorable Weather since for ripening and gathering in the remaining fruits of the Earth and also by Blessing the Inhabitants with a greater share of Health than they usually enjoy at this Season of the Year and as all Persons in General must have been sinsible of the visible interposition of Providence in our Deliverance and of Gods Great mercies towards us it is the Duty of all to make their general and grateful acknowledgements for the same by paying the Tribute of their joint and just Praises and by offering up the Sacrifices of a General and Public thanksgiving to Almighty God for his Goodness I have therefore thought fit by the advice of His Majestys Council to Issue this my Proclamation for appointing a day of general and Public Thanksgiving to Almighty God throughout this Province And I do hereby appoint Thursday the 23.d Instant for that purpose Willing and Strictly requiring that all manner of Persons to observe the same in the most Solemn and religious manner as they tender the Divine favour and Protection and as they would avoid such Punishment as may be Lawfully inflicted upon all who refuse or neglect to do so.
Given under my Hand and the Great seal of His Majestys said Province at the Council Chamber in Charles Town this 15 day of Nov.r in the 26.th Year of His Majestys Reign.

By His Excellencys Command
W.m Pinckney Dep Sec.y James (L S) Glen

For Whom the Bells Toll

Today in SC History - August 31, 1886, 9:51pm.

The largest recorded earthquake in the history of the southeastern United States strikes Charleston, and is felt as far away as Boston, Chicago, and Cuba. The quake kills more than 100 and leaves hundreds of buildings destroyed.

An eyewitness account and photos from the Charleston Year Book of 1886:

“When the bells of St. Michael’s Church, in Charleston, chimed the third quarter after nine o’clock on the evening of Tuesday, August 31st, 1886, their familiar tones spoke peace and peace alone…There was no whispered warning in the well known sounds, or in any subdued voice of the night, to hint of the fearful calamity so near at hand... Within seven minutes after the last stroke of the chime…Charleston was in ruins.

“The rapid rolling of a heavy body…the rattle of window sashes, gas fixtures and other movable objects… floors were heaving underfoot, the surrounding walls and partitions visibly swayed to and fro, the crash of falling masses of stone and brick and mortar was overheard and without, the terrible roar filled the ears, and seemed to fill the mind and heart…it was only a question of death within the building or without, of being buried beneath the sinking roof or crushed by the falling walls.

“From every quarter arose the shrieks, the cries of pain and fear, the prayers and wailings of terrified women and children...The air was everywhere filled, to the height of the houses, with a whitish cloud of dry, stifling dust arising from the lime and mortar of shattered masonry...a woman lies prone and motionless on the pavement…a man in his shirtsleeves, with blood streaming over his clothing from a wound on his head, moves about…no one knows which way to turn…The reality seems strangely unreal…


“Four severe shocks occurred before midnight. Three others followed…"