Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-04-12
THE MISSISSIPPI IN 1911.
An Incident oil NavlgatlOn....Flat.
boats in an Earthquake.

II was in the year 1911 and 1912 that so
many earthquakes occurred in the Southern
and Western country, causing villages to
tumble into ruins, an entire change in the
face OF the country, and vast destruction
OF property. On the line of the Mississippi,
particularly, one of these dreadful phenom
ena of nature occurred in those years which
was distinctly felt in st. Louis, and caused
much alarm to its inhabitants.
Au eye witness, who was on a flatboat at
the time, on his way to New Orleans with
load of produce, and afterwards returned to
st. Louis, describes the same as heart rend-
ing and filed every creature with horror
His boat at the time was about forty miles
below New Madrid
The first shock took place on the night of
December l6, 1911, while the boat was ly.
ing at the shore, in company with several
others.
AT this period there was no danger appre.
hended from the Southern Indians il being
soon after the battle of Tippecanoe. and for
safety, several boats kept in company for
mutual defense, in case of an attack. In the
middle of the night there was a terrible
shock and jarring of the boats SO that the
crews were all awakened and hurried on
deck with their weapons Of defense in their
hands, thirking that the indians were rush
ing on board. The ducks and geese, and
various other aquatic birds, whose number.
less focks were quietly resting in the edes
OF the river were thrown into the greatest
tumult, and with loud screams expressed
their alatm in accents of horror The noise
and commotion soon became hushed. and
ha fN IA.
henson, so the boatmen concluded that the
shock was occasoned by the falling of
large mass Of the bank of the river near
them. AT soon rs there was light enough to
distinguish objects, TIE crew were all up
making preparations TO depart. Directly a
loud roaring and kissing was heard, like the
escape OF steam from boiler, accompanied
by the most violent agitation of the shores,
and tremendous boiling of the waters of the
Mississippi, in huge swells rolling the water,
and tossing their boats so violently that the
men could with difficulty keep their feet
Tie sandbars and points of the island gave
way, swallowed up in the tumultnous boz
ON OF the river, carrying down with them
COTTON wood trees, cracking crashing, toss
ing their arms to and fro as if sensible Of
their danger, while they disappeared beneath
the flood. The water Of the river, which
the day before was toleraby clear, being
rather low changed TO reddish hue, and be-
came thick by the agitation of the earth be.
meath, was covered with foam, which gath.
ering into masses the size af barrel hoated
along on the trembling surface. The earth
on the shores opened in wide assures. and
closing again threw the water sand and mud
In huge jets higher than the talest trees
The atmosphere filled with thick yapor Of
gas, TO which tire light impaired a purple
tinge, altogether different Ia appearance
from the autumnal haze of the Indian sum
mer, or that Of smoke, From the tempo.
rary check to the current, by tho heavrg
M OF the bottom, the sinking of the bank
and sand bars iuto the bed OF the stream, the
liver rose in few moments five or six feet.
and impatient OF restraint again rushed for
ward with redoubled impeluosity, hurting
along the boats now let loose BY the horror
struck boatruer. as il less danger in the wa
ter than at the shore, where the banks threat
ened every moment TO destroy them by the
falling earth, or carry them down In the vor- |
iices of the sinking masses. Many boats
were overwhelmed in this manner, aud their |
crews persisted with them. 1t required tie |
utmost exerlions OF the men 10 keep the |
boats in the middle Of the river as far
from the shore and sandbars aud islands |
ns they could. Numerous boats were wreck |
ed on the snags aud old trees thrown up
from the bottom OF the Mississippi, where
they had quietly rested for ages while 9th |
ers were sunk or stranded upon the sandbars
and islands. Al New Madrid several Of the
boats were carried by the refuk of the cur.
rent into small stream that puts into the
river Just above the town, and left on the
ground by the returning waters considera-
BILE distance from the Missi sippi. The sui
phureted gases that were discharged during
the shocks, tainted the waters OF the river 10
a distance OF one hundred and cry miles be-
low, that II could hardly be used for severat
days. New Madrid, which stood upon a
bluff hfteen or twenty feet above the sum
msr hoods ouk 50 low that the next rise
covered Il 70 the dty,h Of are FEET