River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-10-21
IEIatoric Eartnnnnkes.

Although generally free from such
visitations, the United States at differ
ent times since the advent of the white
man has experienced some severe
shakings. The first was the tremen-
dOus commissions that overwhelmed
Jamaica in 1892, and buried the beau
tiful town Of Port Royal fathoms uu-
der the sea, with its unlucky inhabi-
tants. For years mariners sailing
over the spot could see down in the
clear depths this wonderful city of the
dead. This shock was fclt all along
the Gulf coast within the United States
proper. There are only three regions
that have ever been visited by shocks
of great violence. One OF these is in
New England, another in the Mssss-
ippi valley Just below the mouth of the
Ohio, and the other is en- the coast Of
California.
lu New England there have been
three pretty strong earthquakes, the
first in 1888, the second in l727 and the
third in l755. OF those the two last
were the most violent. That of 1927
lasted for several years, aud principal
ly affected the region near Newburv-
port, Mass. A quaint account of this
strange phenomena is found in the
library of the Royal Philosophical So
sciety in London. 1t is the account
written by Rev. Matthias Plant, the pas
tor of Newburyport, at the time. 1t
was a very curious disturbance. for
while the shocks. of which some hun
dred were felt, in the course of years.
were at first violent, they soon became
slight. The strange feature was that
with each there came from the earth a
wonderful laundering or believing
noise, loud enough to startle people
from sleep, even when they had been
long used To it. Many believed that it
was the evil one himself raying in his
empire beneath the earth, and threat
eniDg to burst it asunder in his rage.
Ia November. 100. happened the
great earthquake, as it is called, and is
supposed 10 have been part of the great
shock that destroyed Lisbon. The
shocks felt in New England, however,
came from the direction of Canada, so
some doubt is entertained if the New
England tremors were in any conuec-
ted with those felt in Lisbon. In Bos-
ton it came as one violent shock, and
for moment was so strong people
could not keep on their feet. Many
chimneys were OverthrOwn in this city.
New England had then mostly wooden
buildings, so that its destruction Of
property was small. but such shock
at this day would have caused terri
bic loss of life and property.
The Mississippi valley had but one
great earthquake, succession of
shocks that begun November 1911. and
lasted until 1873. The first of these
qua&es was so strong that it probably
made more than half the continent
tremble. The shock was feltin Florida,
New York, Michigan and West Indies.
The worst effect of the movements
were felt in the region for 100 miles
south of the mouth of the Ohio rive&
In the first shock large parts of this re-
gion sank down several feet below the
level. Into these sunken lands. con
tain ng many thousands of acres, tae
Mississippi river poured such a flood
that for hours it ceased TO flow to the
Gulf of Mexico, but ran backwards.
The ground opened in many places,
spouting up Jets of sand and water
above the tree tops. The low strong
cabins were shaken to pieces, and to
save themselves from being swallowed
up by the crevices continually opening
in the ground the people cut down
trees so that they fell across the path
of the rents and on these they built
shelters in which they lived for months
before the ground became stsalfast
enough to be trusted again. To this
day the lakes of Reel Fort and 0bion
remain monuments of this great shak-
ing. They were formed Mt this time.
The earthquakes of California have
been violent and very numerous, but
the only one that caused great destruc-
ton of life occurred at Santa Barbara
in 1911, about the time of the Mis.is-
sippi shocks.
The most violent volcanic eruption
known in history was the great out
burst three years ago, on the island on
Kraktoa, Java. The tremendous eX-
plosions of gas created atmospheric
waves that went around the earth three
times, as shown by the barometer. but
the shocks of earthquake were hardly
more than local.