The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1877-05-12
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1911.

THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1911
sissippi-The Formation Of New Lakes
and Disappearance Of Old landmarks.
| Correspondence of the st. Louis. Times.
BOWLING GREEN, KY, March 21.-
Kentucky, besides being known fol
| her Indian fights, great men and FINE
whisky, was once the scene of the great
est earthquake that ever occurred eas1
of the Rocky Mountains, that celebrated
| upheaying of the earth surface having
spent its greatest force in Fulton Coun
ty. 1t occurred in December, in the
year 1911, and shook the whole of the
Mississippi Valley. Its vibrations ex.
tended. far and wide, and died away
among the distant hills of the Atlantic
coast. The fearful phenomenon first
attracted the attention of the startled in.
habitants by distant, dull, rumbline
sounds, which were soon succeeded by
| sharp, quick, discharges, resembling the
sudden firing of half-dozen masked
batteries. The earth heaved to. and
fro, and chasms were opened, from
which issued vast columns of water, coal
| and sand. The thunder of the seeming
artillery was accompanied by kissing
sounds, akin to the noise made by the
escape of pent-up steam, and lurid
flashes of electricity cleaned through
the air, giving to the surrounding seen
cry an aspect that was at once ghost
like and weird. The grand old Mis-,
sissippi, which from time immemorial
had flowed uninterrupted on its
way to the sea, was forced back
on its own current, and fol
several hours the turbid waters flowed
with great velocity towards its source.
1t was caused by an elevation of the bed
of the river, but the accumulated waters
gathered new strength, and, forcing their
way over the barrier the earthquake
had so suddenly raised, they were soon
flowing TRANQUILITY on in their usual
course. Boats that were on the waters
surface at the time shot along with the
unnatural current, and while some were
mOOred in safety, others were dashed to
pieces upon the merciless rocks. The
night of this appalling catastrophe was
supplemented by a terrible morning, for
shock followed upon shock, and a blue
black cloud that was awful in its density
hung over the stricken people like pail
of gloom, and not wandering ray from
the sun could penetrate it to cheer the
hearts of the tremulOus multitude. Man,
feeling and seeing his weakness in the
presence of the wonderful works of
God, stood in utter helplcssness and ex-
pected every moment to see his own
tomb cape open to receive him. Hills
that had stood for countless ages disap-
peared as if by magic and lakes appear
ed in their stead, while numerous others
were transformed into elevated ground,
the sand and mud from their bottoms
being scattered in every direction. The
earth in many places was sunk below
the ordinary level of the surrounding
country, without being covered with
water, leaving an impression upon the
mind of n greater catastrophe that pre-
coded many ages before.
ONE OF THE LAKES
that was formed by this mighty erup-
ton is some seventy-five miles wide and
fifteen or twenty in breadth, one Eun-
dred and fifty feet deep in some places,
while at others it is very shallow. He
who sails over this lake in canoe will
not fail to notice the many branchless
trees standing isolated and partially I'M
der the water. On the night of the first
appearance of these wonderful convul-
siOns of nature party of Frenchmen
were mOOred to small island in the
Mississippi River, some eighteen miles
below the boundary line of Kentucky
and Tennessee. They were frightened
so greatly as to become utterly helpless,
and for hours they remained without
moving, contemplating the awful spec
tacle with ghastly faces. One of the
shocks made a yawning chasm in the
island in question four feet wide and
four hundred feet long, and one of the
party, more composed than the others,
managed to count twenty-seven heavy
shocks between two O'Clock in the morn
ing and daylight. They continued sv-
cry day until December q, and were re-
peated at intervals up to the 18th of
February. 1t was ascertained that the
most violent shocks occurred near Island
No. IA, some twenty miles below New
Madrid, Missouri, which is opposite Full
ton County, Kentucky.
AN EYEWITNESS,
who was proceeding to New Orleans
with flat-boat loaded with produce and
was near New Madrid when the earth
quake occurred, took some observations
which history has in some measure pre-
served. The agitation that so greatly
cOnvulsed the earth and the water not
only filled intelligent men with awe and
wonder, but every living thing was for
space of time struck down with terror.
In the dead of night the boats expert
enced a terrible conclusion, and the
crews rushed upon deck, believing the
Indians were already upon them. Geese,
ducks, and fowls of every description
ran to and fro, and screamed in an I'M
earthly manner. Nothing could be
found to indicate the presence of the red
men, for every thing had suddenly be-
come hnshed and still, and it was pre-
sumed that the noise was occasioned by
the falling in of the banks of the river.
Presently a loud kissing noise broke up
on the stiffness of the night, seeming to
be steam escaping from a boiler, land the
most violent agitation of the earth and
water was experienced. The waters of
the Mississippi boiled and foamed, and
the current suddenly changed; the water
which had descended few moments
before was now rapidly flowing up
stream, tossing the boats about in such
a violent manner as to threaten their
instant destruction. Sand-bars gave
away, and islands quietly sunk and the
void was filled by the waters of the
river. Magnificent great trees of the
forest wavercd unsteadily, were tossed
for moment back and forth and then
noiselessly sinking they disappeared
from view like drowning man. The col
or of the water was changed Immediate