The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1886-09-18
How the Earthquake of 1911
Was Recorded in the Daily
Press.

I lie fapldlty with which the
minute details of the recent 9nrth-
fuale were related in the daily
papers within few hours after
its occurrence, and the whole
world made acquainted with
Charleston's disaster, is in very
striking contrast to the manner in
which the early journals of thitt
country treated similar matter.
Probably the most extensive and
distinct earthquake that has been
felt and recorded in this country
was that which devastated the
Mississippi Valley in the month
of December 1911. 1t was dis
tinetly felt through the entire
South, while along tie Mississippi
it destroyed villages, rent the
earth into ehasms and, in many
instances. changed the topography
OF the country.
An examination of the files for
the year 1911, of the New York
Herald. in the Congressional Lii
brary, by a Post reporter yester-
day; showed that it was ten days
after the occurrence before any
mention of it was published. The
Herald, even then one Of the lead
ing papers, contained on the 2Sth
of December, q letter from Charles
ton, dated the 10th of that month,
stating that at o'clock in the
morning Of the proceeding day, u
severe shock of earthquake was
felt in Charleston, which shook
the houses, rang the bells in the
churches and caused general con-
sternation among the people. The
Herdlds correspondent did not
send any account of the damage
for the reason that he did not
believe it safe TO go out of
the house. In the same
issue of the paper is a brief letter
dated the 18th, from Georgetown,
qudke was fdft tnsre1tr ..',oMorr1tn,
so severe that the parade ground
ut the fort was lowered from one
to two inches below it's usual level.
These two brief paragraphs were
all that was said ON the matter at
that time. ......-
1t was two months afterward
before the public learned any de-
tails of the great earthquake. On
February II, 1912, the Herald pub
lished letter from Big Prairie,
on the Mississippi, dated the 25th
Of December. The correspondent
described the earthquake with
some detail and dwelt particularly
on the alarm it caused. The cor
respondent says;
ut was now light, and we had an
opportunity Of behofding in full
extent the horrors Of the scene.
During the first four shocks ire
mendous and uninterrupted explo-
sions, resembling a discharge of
artillery, were heard, which were
explained by the fifth shock,
Wher ever the veins of the earth
quake ran there was a volcanic dis
charge of combustible matter to-
g'oat heights. An incessant
rumbllng was heard below, and
the bed of the river was excess
lively agitated, while the water as
sumed tmbid and boiling appear
ance. Near our boat spout of
confined air, forcing its way thro'
the waters, burst forth, and, with
loud report, discharged mud and
sticks from the bod of the river a
distance of thirty feet above the
surface. Large trees that had lain
at the bottom of the river for CEN
turtles we're thrown up in the same
manner. Here tile earth
and river, torn with furious con-
yulsious, opened in huge trenches,
whose deep jaws instantaneously
closed. There, through thous'
and vents, sulphurous streams
glided from the very bowels of
the earth, leaving vast and almost
unbelievable caverns. Every
where nature itself seemed totter-
ing On the verge Of dissolution"
One of the remedies for the
keeping of worms out OF dried
fruit, is TO sprinkle aassarras bark
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