Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-24
THE EARTHQUAKE OF 1911.
"raPhic Description by the Late Sena-
tor Linn. of Mi.snuri.


Graphic Description by the Late Sena-
tor Linn, Of Missouri.
A recently revived letter. written by
senator Louis F. Linn. Of Missouri, Feb
Tuary l, 1886, to the then Chairman of the
committee on Commerce relative to a me-
moral from the Legislature of the Terri
TORY oil Arkansas asking an appropriation
10 remove Instructions to the navigation
OF the White, Big Black and st. Francois
rivers, which had been referred to him for
examination, contains the following:
line alluvial country through which
the II. Francois finds its way to the Mis-
slsslppl Is Of so extraordinary a character
as 10 merit, In connection with this sub
JecI,la lew observations, which, it is hoped,
VIII not appear irrelevant or uninterest-
ing, although many Of them appeared in
another place. Two or three miles below
the town of Cape Girardeau the great
swamp begins, which at this point sepa-
rates the highlands in Cape Girardeau
county from those in Scott county. The
swamp here appears once to have been the
pea OF a river whose course has been
changed; the rocks on each side are
strongly marked by long continued fric-
ton, as if they had formed walls to a great
Dody OF water. Whether this was the St.
FRANCOIS, which, augmented in size by
receiving the Castor, White Water and
many smaller streams, discharged itself
into the Mississippi near Cape Girardeau.
or an ancient bed of the Mississippi itself,
which might have taken a sweep to the
west along the base Of the hills i'm Missouri
receiving the st. Francois and innumerable
tributaries IN its course to the high
grounds visible at Helena. near the pres
ent embOuchure Of the san Francois, is
matter Ter the indulgence of speculation.
From the town of Cape Girardeau to He
lena, below the mouth of the St. Francois
is distance of several hundred miles,
and from the banks of the Mississippi to
the high grounds in Missouri and Arkan-
sas will average 60 or 20 miles. The great
er part OF this area, with the exception of
narrow belt stretching along the border
OF the Mississippi, is covered by an i'm
mense mOrass, inundated by the overflow
ing Of the Father OF Waters or sub
merged by the rushing torrents from the
nelghDOrlng hills, the principal of which
Is the st. Francois. These streams hav-
ing their origin in elevated regions. when
flushed by heavy rains or dissolv-
ing SHOWS, fall into their great basin
with tremendous force, and either from
Instructions which actually exist
like the RATS on Red River. or from
not having sufficient descent to carry off
the rapidly accommodating waters. spread
over the country, giving it the appearance
of a vast lake over which magnificent for
ests of cypress and other gigantic trees
wave their branches in gloomy solitude. In
the midst Of this wilderness islands Of
rock and elevated portions of land aDpear
of various dimensions, like GASES in a
desert, and denOminated by the French
cote sans deSSein, or hills without design.
How came those lost hills in this position ?
The most reasonable answer that suggests
itself to that question, in my opinion, is
that the far greater portion of this gloomy
region, annually covered by water and at
all seasons by a heavy growth Of timber
and thick canebrakes, closely interviewer
by many plants of the cOnvolYulOus order.
was once high ground, but during some
CONFUSION of nature sank to its present
general level, leaving spots unaffected to
tower in grandeur over the surrounding
scene Of desOlatiOn. At the same time the
st. Francois, forced from its bed or ancient
channel was compelled to seek its devious
way to the Mississippi through lakes. la
gOOns and Shiny quagmires. Nor is this
opinion altogether unsupported by facts
or based on mere conjecture. The memo
rable earthquake of December. 1881. after
shaking the valley of the Mississippi to its
centre, vibrated along the courses of the
rivers and valleys, and passing the primi-
tive mountain barriers, died away along
region now under consideration, during
the continuance of so appalling a phenOm-
enOn, which commenced by distant rum
bling sounds, succeeded by discharges as
if thousand artillery were suddenly eX-
plOded, the earth rocked to and fro, vast
chasms opened from whence issued col
umns of water, sand, and coal accOmpa-
MED by Kissing sounds, caused. perhaps.
by the escape Of pent up steam, while
ava nd gIAe, 81 -.
cleaned through the troubled clouds Of
night, rendering the darkness doubly hOr-
rible, The current of the Mississippi,
pending this elemental strife, was driven
back upon its source with the greatest We
lOcity for several hours in consequence of
an elevation Of its bed. But this noble
river was not thus to be stayed in its
course. Its accumulated waters came
booming on, and overlapping the barrier
thus suddenly raised carried everything
before them with resistless power. Boats
then floating on its surface shot down the
decllVlty like an arrow from a bow, amid
roaring pillows and the widest cOmmo-
ton. A few days action of its powerful
current sutticed to wear away every
Vestige of the barrier thus strangely in
terpOsed, and its waters moved on in
their wOnted channel to the ocean.
The day that succeeded this night
of terror brought no solace in its dawn.
Shock followed shock; a dense black cloud
of vapOr OvershadOwe the land, through
which no struggling sunbeam found its
way to cheer the despairing heart of man.
who, in silent communion with himself,
was compelled to acknowledge his weak
ness and dependence on the everlasting
God, The appearances that presented
themselves at the subsistence of the prin-
cipal cOmmOti0n were such as strongly
support an opinion heretofore advanced
Hills have disappeared and lakes were
formed in their stead, and numerous lakes
became elevated ground, over the surface
OF which vast heaps of sand were scattered
iii every direction, while in many places
the earth for miles was sunk below the
general level of the surrounding country
without being covered with water, leaving
an impression in miniature of a catastrO-
phe much more important in its effects
which had perhaps preceded it ages before.
One Of the lakes formed on this occasion
is go or 20 miles iii length and from to 20
in breadth. 1t is in some places very
shallow, in others from 80 to 100 feet deem.
which is much more than the depth of the
Mississippi river in that quarter. In sail
ing over its surface in the light canoe the
voyager is struck with astOnishment at
behOlding the giant trees of the forest
standing partially exposed amid a waste
of waters, branchless and leafiess. But
the wonder is still further increased on
casting the eye ON the dark blue profound
to observe canebrakes covering its bottom,
over which mammoth species of testudo
is occasionally seen dragging his slow
length along, while countless myriads of
fish are sporting through the aquatic
thickets. But if God in His wrath has
passed over this deserted land:
if He touched the mountains
and they disappeared in the
abyss, his benefcent influence is
still left in its soft climate, the unexam-
pied fertility of its soil, the deep verdure
of its forests, and the choicest offerings Of
Flora. The lost hills or islands before
mentioned are Of various dimensions, some
twenty or thirty miles in circumference,
others not so large, and some are even
diminutive in size, but of great altitude,
occasionally furnished with fountains of
living water, and all well timbered The
low grounds are in form of basins. con-
nected by sinuses, which are not as deep
as the bottom of their reservoirs, so that
when an inundatiOn takes place either
from the Mississippi river or streams issu-
ing from the surrounding highlands, they
are filed to overlooking, and when the
WatprS rp1ndn bnIOyV a I0vpI with +baco