Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-02-25
.To.rHE, EDITOR OF THE NEw-yoRK EVENING
POST.
BIG PRA1RIE, Con the Mississippi
76l miles from New-orleans, )Dec'
gs4AsS&SeS 25th 1911.
(coScLBDEp.J

ms ,eatest injuries have happened, from nu-
Lao Es inquiries however, which have made
&C rar.,ns above and below US at the time OF
.be 6,st shock, / am induced to believe, that
we were nearly in the height OF 1t, the rum
immediately in the vicinity OF the nver' IS
.,,ost extensive on the right side in descend
loo. For the first two days the veins appear
ed RI ran due course from w. to Z. alter
wards they became more variable, and gene
rally took N. w. direction.
At New Madrid, 70 miles from the contiu-
-nce of the Ohio and ON the right hand, the
utmost conservation prevailed amongst the
s inhabitants, confusion, terror and uproar pre-
sided, those in the town were seen running
{or refuge to the country, whilst those In the
country sHed with like purpose towards tue
town, am happy however to observe that no
& material injury has been sustained.
g AT the Little Prairie, lo3 miles from the
same point, the shocks appear to have been
more violent, and were attended with severe
.nnrebensions. the towns were deserted by the
inhabitants and not single person was lett
but an old negro man, probably too inhrm TO
ay. everv one appeared to consider the woods
and hills most safe, and in these confidence
was reposed, Distressing however as are the
outlines of such picture, the latest accounts
are not calculated to encrease apprehenslons'
several cbimneys were destroyed and mueh
land sunk, no lives however, have been iost.
A little below Bayou River, 10 miles ifoul
the same point and 5 miles from tae SPo,
where we lay, the ruin begins extensive anu
general.
At Long Reach, l46 miles, ther<f IS one
fopoe, &c rrots treec ,uI,ft n nave
been elected from the bed ofthe river.
AT and near Flour Island, IA miles, the
destruction has been very great and the iHpe.
diments in the river much INCREASED.
Attic Devils Race Ground 1913 miles, an
immense number of very large trees have been
thrown up, and the river is nearly impossible
The Devils Elbow, 2l4 miles, is in the same
predicament, belowthis the ruin is much less,
and indeed no lnater traces of the earthquake
are discoverable.
The western country must sualr much from
this dreadful scourge, its effects wiz fear be
more lasting than the fond hopes of tae inha-
bitants in this section of the union may ut pre-
sent conceive What have already been, the
interior injuries cannot say. My opinion IS
that they are inferior in extent and effect
The continuance of this earthquake muSt
render 1t conspicuous in the pages of the His
torlaH, as one ofthe longest that has ever oc
CURED. from the time that the first shock was !
tel! at O'Clock In the morning of the 10th, |
until the last shock at the same time in the |
morning OF the Esd, was 6S hours. Nothing |
could have exceeded the alarm ofthe aquatic |
fowl, they were extremely noisy and cor.ius-
eel, flying In every direction, without pulrsu-
ing any determinate course. The few In dians
who were on the banks of the river have been
excessively alarmed and terrified. Ali nature
indeed seemed to sympathize in the ct )mmo-
ton which agitatcd the earth The su n rare
iy shot ray through the heavens, ne skv
was clouded and drea,y darkness rooded
over the whole face of creation, the sta rs were
enclrcled with pale light, and the COZ net ap-
Pcared hazy and dim, the weather wa inces-
sanity varying from oppressive heat tc severe
cold, and during many of the shock some
rain fell
subjoin the ensuing table ofthe shocks.
''i'n inc exact o'oer OF the time IN VIII ich they
occurred, a. extracted from nv mimi ties.
Loth Dscenloef-tne hrst shock followed
y o'hslS CLOCK IN the NOR ling. 2
- W. hapPeheo avery severe shock %, nine
shocks in quick succession-o, tbr ee more
H !. as--'0 inllutes after IL, one sh ock-25
i'ef = ahother-5 after IL, viole 1t shock
20 aver r vi. another--Sl after /, long
az violent shock-42 after /, a shoe k-lo af-
or 5, very severe shock-42 after. "a shock
10 osiorc do-l5 of dos al ter do
Id Cd do--5 after dos ofe do e5 OF 9
90 OF !9,do--l5 of 10 do-loo flo do
5 10 20 OF II, three do-l2 of ll,sr eat shock
rs after II, severe shock-l7th y .cepoher
> minutes after-5, shock-5 in t ma morn
u.s. great ana awful shock folio' we'd, with
rec elac's--5 after - meridian,' !. long and
'ts'.''' s'''',S' appearances extrem >ly threat.
alap-i5-si,er IA p. n! severe 81 ,ocke-eA
to, - 0cS--2o alter do. -35 after
. " rker uo-lSth Osc ember, II