The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-10-24
The Earthquake OF 1911.


Since the year Of 1911, no such powerful
shock has been experienced in our city. II
may not here be out of place to revive short
account ofhe earthquake Of that day. The
first shock was felt on the 9th Of December,
1911, after which time it was repeated a,
intervals, with decreasing violence. New
Madrid was the immediate scene Of suffering
although it extended to St. Souls. An eye
/ witness ." who was a little distance below
the town first named, says that the agta-
ton which convulsed the earth and the wa
ters of the Mississippi, filed everything liv-
! ing with horror At the time there was
/ danger apprehended from the Southern In
/ dians, it being soon after the battle OF Tip
pecanoe, and boats kept in company for nu-
tual defence These boats were shocked and
Jared so that the crews were all awakened.
Birds, till then resting in the eddes Of the
river, by loud screams expressed their alarm.
Soon after loud roaring and kissing was
heard, accompanied by violent agitation of
the shores, and by the boiling up Of the wa
ter. Sand bars gave way, and islands were
swallowed up in the tuInutuous bosom Of
the river. The water Of the stream, the day
before clear, now put on reddish hue and
became thick with mud up from It's bottom
The earth on the shore opened in wide tis-
sures. ana then closing again, threw the wa
ter, sand and mud in huge jets high above
the tree tops. The atmosphere was h.,ed
with thick vapOr, or gas, to which the Iight
impaired a purple hue. \ few moments
sufiice1 TO rase the river, which was here
tofore at low stage, five OF SIX feet, when
it rushed forward with rciouD!ed mpetnOS.
ity, hurrying along the boats which had
been cut loose from the shore, that the banks
which threatened. might not fall upon them.
At.Ncw Madrid several boats were carried
by the ryiiux Of the current into a small
stream that puts into the river Just above
the town and left the ground by the re-
turning water, at a considerable distance
from the river.
The scenes which occurred for se~er
days. during the repeated shocks, wgre hgr-
riol- The most destructive took place in
the beg ming. although they were repeated
for many weeks. becoming lighter and ligh-
ter until they died away ia 81 sht vibrations,
Ike tbs isrrin. OF steam in AL immense
boiler. The s4IphUreted ga-ses that were
discharged during the shocks, tainted the
air with their nox onS ediuvil. AMI - strong
IN imprcgualed tue water Of the river, one
hundred and fly miles below, that j. could
hardly be used for any furiase t.r mum
Der Of DAYS New Mldrit. which stood On
4 bluff bank, fifteen or twenty feet above
the summer i4CGS, sunk - .JH that the mex!
r.e covered It to the depth Of i've feet. The
bottoms Il several fine lakcS in the vicinity
were eIeyat 4 $, aS 70 become dry land, and
have since been planted with corn!
In the town OF Guardian, were several
ed..ices Of stone and tIilk. The was OF
these buildings were cracked, lu some m
stances. frou the ground to the top, and
wide assures were If.
The crea, shake. aS the people called
l., was 80 severe in the county of -. LoaS,
tua, the Gnw.S f,l from III. t..e- 81 il q. al
cookery l-,! from the shelves az! "'l> bro
ken and many families iei, Their cabins,
from fear of b-iag crushed ben atl their ru-
iuS
Nj Bradbury. au English scientific expo
rer, was on a keel boat passing down .her
yer al the time. On the night Of the l+th
they called At New Madrid FOR some neceS-
sary supplies. The writer says: On the
night OF the 10Th. the hecl-boat was moofrd
TO small island, not far from Little PTarle,
where the crew al FTcUchmen, were fright
enei almost to he.p,essness, hy the terrible
commissions.
Immediately after the shoes, we noticed
the time. ana found It near Two o'clock. IL
ha'fan hour another Sh1e5, c,u.e on, terribly
indeed. hut not cqu-l TO the first. Ia.r
shock made chaSlu IN the island, four feet
wide and eighty yards in length.
After noticing successive shocks, the wri-
ter states: had already noticed that the
sound which was heard at the t5m" Of every
shock. always preceded it at Ieas' second,
and that It always proceeded from the SANE
point and Of in an opposite direction.
NOW found that the shock came iggm little