The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-04-03
am very respectfully,
Your humble servant,
f-- .at, 80 THO SpEEn
March Sd. ys,ol1

IN descending the Mississippi on the night of tbs
9th February We tied our boat to s,low-bar on t.l,
west bank OF the river, opposite the head OF the OR
Island, tcoun,ing from the inou;l, of the Oio0 we
we're lashed TO another bost-About three O'clock
on the morning of tlle 7t, we we're walked by The
violent agitation OF the boat, attended with nose
more tremendous and terrific than car describe. q,
any one can conceive, who not present al such
scene.---- he constant discharge of ncayy can
non might give some idea of the noise for iou,lness
but this Was infinitely more terrible, on account Of
its appearing to be subterianeous.
As soon walked we discovered that the bo,
10 which We were tied was sinking we cur loose s.
rowcd our boats for the middle o. the r.ixer-A,,.
getting out SO far to be out of danger from the
trees, which were falling in from the banks-,Ia
swes IN the river were so great TO threaten thu
sinking OF the boat every Inomenl We sto,pesi the
oarhoies witt blankets TO keep out the watei-Af
ter remaining IN this situation for some time we pe
ceyed light on the shore which We had i,.ft--u,.
having aiishtened candle in laGtern on our boat
were hailed aud advised to land, which we attemncd
DO, Dur ceuid not effect it, finding the banks and
trees still falling in.
At day ilsiit VIC perceiyad the head OF the ten,b
isand During al this tirne had made only about
tour miles down the rver--froin which circnm
stance, and from that OF immense uuanti,y ,f ,x
ter rushing into the river from the woods-.it 10
dent that the earth this place or below ba,, Le.
raised SO high AS 70 stop The progress ofte river s.
caused 1t to overflow its banks-Ne took tbe r,sbt
hand channel of the river at this Island and ba,S
reached within about half mile of the lower. end nf
...,f
dreadful rapid falls in the river ,,.st bclov nc
we We're SO far in the suck that it was n,ossble now
to land-all hope Of surviving was now ost and 70 =.
tain destruction appeared to await us We hay;n,,
passcdsthe Rapids without injury keeDing onr InSs
foremost, both boats being still dashed together
As we passed the point on the left hand bcIow
the Island, the bank and trees were rundIr Ga
in. From the state of alarm was in at this time
cannot pretend to be correct AS to the lepp,, or
height of the falis-but my impression ;e tha3 81, W
were about equal to the Rapids of the Ohio-As ~.
passed the lower point Of the Island Iooking bai.
upNthc left channel, we thought the falls extended
higher UP the river On that side than on the right.
The water of the river after il yos fa;.iv uL,
appeared TO be almost black with sometb;n, In 3D.
dust of stone coal-We landed at New Nadr;d
bout breakiast'um without having experienced any
iDjury---The appearance of the town and the 81
nation of the inhabitants, were such as m ,f,ord ~
little relief 10 our minds. The former elevation y,
the bank on which the town stood was ed
by the inhabitants at about 25 feet above common
water----wiien we reached it the elevation was ON
" about q or Is feet-There was scarcely q Lonso
left entire-some wholly prostrate.l o.h,'rs ,n,oor
ed and not chimney ing--people ALI b,y;n,
deserted their habitations, were in CAMPS and fnt
back Of the town and their little water crafts such
as sks, boats ana canoes, hauled out of the water
country should sink
Iremamed at New Madrid from the III, ,;u fir
18th during which time think shocks Of m
were experienced every 5 pr 90 Iuinutes--those
re
sembing distant thunder from the south 1cs, ~
Ing, in report according to the force of the shcei
Wbch left the place, the surlaccof ,he ,,,,i s
very little If any above the tops of the boats in the
river 7af
There was one boat coming down on the same
morning landed; when they came in sight of the
falls, the crew frightened at the urospect
that they abandoned their boat and made for The L.
s'aiiliD teircanoe--9 were left on the Island and
two MADE tor the west bank in the canoe-about
the time Of their landine they say that tl,e isJ,nd
wasviolcnty corfyusedone oil the men on the Is,n,
threw himself into the river TO save himself bv
swlmmInS---one OF tic men from shore met hin,
With the canoe and saved him. This man gave such
an account OF the Commissions iutie Island that nei-
der Of the three dared 10 venture back for the re-
naming man. The three inen reached New Mai
nd by Land The one rnan remained on the Island
IRON FRIDAY morning till Sunday evening", when lac
was taken ofby canoe sent from boat coming
down, was several Digs in company with Ills man
Inc stated that during Lis stay on tile IaIaud there
we're frequent crupuons, ia which s,u,a and stone
coal, aud water were thrown up---Thc violent All
tiuu OF the ground such al eae time as Induced
m to hold IN tree 70 support himself; the eartj,
gave way At the place aud hc with the tree sunk
down and hc got wounded in the fall. Tho Gss,,re
was so deep as 20 put il of his power to get ont
at that paoche nadel way along tie assure t,n
~ soping side offered him AN oppnrtunity of crov
Ing out. lie states that frequent lights appeared
thatin one instance after OF the explosions near.
where he STOOD lac approached the hole from wLicI,
the coal sud sand had been thrown up, which was
now hlled with water, and on putting his hand int,
it found II was warm.
During ray stay at New Madrid there were nm.
wards of twenty boats landed, all Of whom spoke OF
the rapids shove and conceived of il as Lad dooc
Several persons Who came ,ip the River in sr an
barge represented at there were other falls in The
ssappi about miles 10 les y. va lrd, princally
on the eastern sifc more dangerous than those
e--aad lhst some boats had certainly been