Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-08-20
NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKE.
The Great shnke as Described by an
Eye.witness.

Eye-witness.
The earthquakes that shook southeast
Missouri in l8ll-l2, scanning the face OF
the country with yawning CULTS, and sub.
merging it with new lakes, still indicated
by vast tracts of swamp, are like thrice
told tale Of an old crone, muttered by a
winters freside, to the elders of St
Louis, but beyond these comparatively
few arc in any way familiar with the
facts. To the rising generation and those
who have brought to us their industry
from foreign lands, absolutely nothing is
known OF that event to ninety persons
out Of every hundred. The destruction
was so thorough and widespread, and
the effects OF the general devastation
upon the settlers Of New Madrid of that
early day was so fatally and ruinously
felt, that the visitation became as II
were interwoven inseparably with the
history of St. Louis. Believing that a
brief account of these occurrences will
prove of interest to our readers, we have
complied the following statement from
an account of the events as they occur
red written by Mr. Godfrey Lesieur, an
eye witness of and participator in these
terrible scenes of more than sixty years
ago.
During the night of December 10th
1911, the first shock of the earthquake
was experienced 1t came upon the
senses ola terrified people in mutterings
and trembllngs of the earth at two o clock
in the morning, and was repeated at in
tervals of half an hour the shocks being
comparatively slight and doing no fur.
ther damage than the shaking down OF
some log houses and cabins. AT a. M
the muttering grew into thunder in the
west, and we're Immediately followed by
rocking and vibration of the earth, SO
that in places we're the shock was most
violent few were able to walk or even
stand erect. This horror did not last
long. Perhaps a minute. But while it
continued, an age of terror must have
been crowded into the briefness. The
earth rolled like waves of the sea, with
crests and troughs between; the waves
burst suddenly open, and from their
mouths great volumes of water leaped
high into the air, mixed with blocks OF
charcoal, all coated with a substance
smelling like sulphur. When the wave
of earth had subsidized and the volcanic
eruption had ceased, the destruction lay
before the people in its awfulness.
Cuffs or assures from four to ten feet
deep, and running north and south, were
opened parallel for miles, in some in
stances for five of them. The terror
that sprang up in the minds of those
peaceful people can scarcely be con-
ceived, but they hoped for the best and
set about repairing the injury which had
been done to their settlements and the
ruin which had fallen upon their primi-
tive homestead.
On the night of January I, following,
the ruin was more widely spread and
more devastating in its results. Again
the earth rolled in huge waves and the
waves burst into foods of water, and the
sulphuretted charcoal falling in showers,
seemed to fuse into an inextricable chaos.
From this until the 18th Of February,
slight shocks were felt from time to time,
and then q conyulsion OF nature again
occurred which exceeded in its fury those
OF previoas occasions. Cults and assures
broader and deeper we're opened, until
DlBu lhuu was SUM Ahto uOllOWst uollOUo
made high lands. lakes emptied them
selves into the miles OF assures, and
where ground previously had been un-
touched by water there were to be seen
broad sheeted lakes. The face Of nature
was changed.
The extent Of country covered by this
fearful conflict Of the hidden forces OF
nature did not embrace a larger eircum-
ference than a hundred and fifty miles,
taking the Indian town of Little Prairie,
near Carruthersville, as the center. To
quote Mr.. Lesieur: "A very large extent
of country on either side OF the White
Water. called Little river, also on both
sides Of the St Francis. in this State and
Arkansas, was snnk below its former
elevation about ten feet.
Remarkable to note, there we're few
losses of life during this convulsion. A
Mrs. Laiont died from fear, aud Mrs.
Jarvis was crushed from the falling Of q
cabin log. The loss Of life on the river
must have been greater than on land.
Il was the age Of hatboats, which sup