The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-10-23
\ sntKl 20. Sly
How y Coariy in iissoari Has Gren
Torn lip by Earthquakes.

The recent light shake in the vicinity
of New Madrid, Mo-, has stirred up
vivid memories of the commissions there
of 1911 and 1912. The oldest inhabitant
who recollects the sickening sensation
of the heaving earth and the subsequent
desolation perfectly well, is giving IN
his experience to the local paper and re-
yiyipg old history, which is always
news when it is repeated upon II
sufficient ~provocation. According TO
this authority, the first great shock oil
the historic earthquakes of New Madrid
was felt at 2 O'Clock on the morning oil
the 10th of December,llsll. After this
there came n succession of lesser
shakes, until the second great shock
came on the 18th day of january, lsl2'
Thenthere weas s~ubterranean following
and connections at intervals, until the
last great shock came on h iith d'y
of january, 1912. For several months
after this the country seemed to have
chills and fever, which gradually passed
over, and there has been no recurrence
of the earthquaky condition until re-
Gently. But the development n
destiny of the region were materially
changed by these phenomena, which
TRANSPORTED the face of the country.
Many of the people suffered the loss of
their houses and lands, and moved away
from the desolated locality. The lands
fell into the hands of spectators, which
was almost as destructive rs the earth
quake had been. Only lately, after tile
foundations had been tested by sixty
five years quiet, was full confidence re-
stored, and the wrecked region seemed
about to advance in Il general move
ment to catch up with the surround
ings. We are told that the New Madrid
country, which was swamped by the
commissions of nature and came to a
deadlock in earthquake shocks, is
ing now. The assures are filled, the
swamps have dried up and a new pro-
ductive soil has crusted yer the wet
lands. The whole trouble with the
country appears to be the lack OF n
volcano to carry off the superilous
steam generated in the under world, or,
probably, hot springs like those in Ar
kansas would have answered the pur-
pose of safety valves. The New Mad
rid chronicler of events of lS1l-l2 states
in relation to the first succession of
shocks, after describing the terrors of
the night and the conditions at I O'Clock
in the morning; ''Seven O'Clock came,
and with it a distant rumbling noise
was heard approaching from the south
west, not unlike the sound of distant
thunder or the firing of heavy artillery
a long way off. The earth began to
tremble, then to heave and rock so vio-
lently that neither man nor beast could
stand or walk. Presently it began to
roll in waves, the undulation being
plainly visible-the depressions between
clearly defined. Soon these swells began
to burst, discharging vast quantities
of water, sand and n species of coal in
crusted with sulphur" The assures
opened by these swells were of various
lengths and depths. Some of the most
extensive were five miles in length, re-
manning after the commissions We're
over from four to six feet i'll depth and
an average of ten feet in width. In
places where no long rents in the earth
occurred there large openings like wells,
from which issued water. sand and
burning cinders, which, 10y the force of
escaping gases, were thrown high in the
air. So great was the volume of water
thrown up that all the lower portions
of the country were completely mum
dated. The inhabitants had to take
flight to the higher ground or climb
trees until the water had subsidized.
Several personal incidents of the danger
and terror of the scene were recalled.
Evidently the New Madrid country
needs vaccination with Il volcano or
boiling springs as Il safeguard against
such corruptions on its physical
features. [St. Louis Republican.