The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-05-29
GREAT EARTHQUAKES.
Rocking and Heaving of the VAL
ley of the Mississippi.
A Series of Remarkable Shaking That
Continued for Period of Three
Observation-Disclosures of the Quake.
From tho pltishnrc Dispatch.

tinued for a period of three months. Few in
stances are on record of such protHcted ana
violent agitation in region remote from
volcanic contiguity. The region Of country
most involved was over three hundred miles
in length and perhaps from hiiy TO eighty
miles wide, the town OF New MadTld Deing
near the center of the district, with the great
father OF waters flowing right through it.
Within these boundaries some most singular
natural phenomena were made manifest, At
this time the river was low and the water
rather clear, but this changed to a reddish hue
as the bottom of the river was churned by the
undulations, while the surface was dashed into
buncht Of foam that quivered to the inccssant
trembling.
The atmosphere was peculiar. A thick and
apparently gaseous vapor shone in the dim
hight with a purplish tinge, and seemed TO be
distinct from smoke or the haze OF Indian
summer. There was what has been frequently
noticed, peculiar earthquake sky and
"earthquake air." The great force seemed to
pass along in the form of great undulating
waves, the effect being the alternate opening
and closing OF immense assures AS the earth
thus opened along the shores OF the great
river, when the rents closed again, water, sand
and mud were thrown in many instances, over
the tops OF the trees. The heaving OF the bot
tom Of the river would temporarily check the
cnTrent, but in its subsistence would send the
flow on again with increased inpetuosiiy In
many places where the banks were prccipitous
they fell into the troubled river with almost
cataclysmic violence. lnnumerable trees thus
fell in and lodged on the sandbars, while the
accumulated water-oggcd wreckage OF ages
was lifted and changed situations Boats were
lost and their crews with them.
ASTuNISHED NATURE.
Although in the latter half of December,
the weather was suliry and oppressYey hot
The air was misty, but calm and dull. The
sun was visible, but seen through the haze his
light was duh red, like n ball Of glowing
copper aud only shed gloomy twilight on tho
surface OF the water.
While there was not breath of air, tho
trees waved and rocked as If III n gale, their
tops where they grew dense, in many instances
interlocking, In which positions they remained
for years afterward. This was caused by the
wave-like motion OF the surface of the ground
on which the trees stood, fitting them at
various angles and intermingling their tops in
such q way ~ to hold them before they recov-
cred their perpendicular
Owing to looScning OF the roots the forest
trees generally over this region thereafter pre-
scented the appearance Of ''deadenings." Grid
ling with an ax could not have killed them
more efectHaly. In the river new islands
rose and some old ones disappeared Most
singular, too, was this remarkable action on
the land. Hills sunk from sight, and lakes
were there instead Where some lakes had
been the land was dry and elevated, and vast
heaps OF sand lay scattered in every direction.
AT times, when this condition was at ITS
CHEST, shock followed shock, while the vapor
as SO thick that not n sunbeam could pene-
trate through it, Considerable areas sunk
somewhat below their former levels, and into
some OF these basins the Mississippi commenced
dischargng its waters, and for time the river
presented the singular spectacle of running
toward its source. Where these 'sinks" fell
below the water level lakes were formed one
of which is probably seventy miles in length
and from three TO twenty wide, in places shall
low. in others fifty to 100 feet Deep being CON
sidcrably deeper than the bottom of the river.
Other sinks are dry, some Of large extent,
thousands are small. kettle-like basins, some
times with clear water. For many years
among the wonders of this region was to row.
or sail over some If these lakes, and, gazing
down into the depths, see canehrakes covering
the bottom, among which fishes and other
aquatic creatures disported themselves. At
other places tho dry land forest trees emerged
dcnd and gaunt from the water, the water line
some littlo distance up their trunks; then the
trees were sunk deeper and deeper. till
IN places only their tops were visible
Below low water mark the stubs arc still
standing.
STRANGE urHEAvALs.
In the vicinity of New MadIid the earth was
rent with inuumCrahe fissures: the church
yard ON the bank of the river was thus de-
tached and engulied IN the waters skeletons
oi long extinct monsters were in some i'll
stances thrown to the surface in the thrOes OF
this remarkable upheaval. The region was
visited seven years after by Flint the geogra-
phor, who took numerous notes OF tho strange
features that still remained.
Many doep chasms Stll were visible, through
which great volumes of water, coally matter
aud sand had been discharged to n great height
The assures had a prevailing direction, with
some variation, generally north and north
west.
The country people, perceiving this general
trend, felled trees as 10 fall across these pre-
Vailing lines, and ON occasions when shakes
and breaks wore unusually threatening they
would fly TO these and get on them aS u meas
are OF safety.
1t was time Of general terror. The emf
nent engineer, Brngior, related TO Professor
1yell the widely known geologiSt, that he
saw, as the wave motion advanced, trees bond
down and meeting others they would mterlock
before they could again right themselves.
Mr Lyell visited this region in 1916,
In the interest of science, and saw
numerous sand blows rs they were
caled-circular cavities Of varying dinmeters
and depths. One peculiar sink hole was no.
hceable, as il had dropped right down. inter
ruptmg an tvel plain, the sides being then
still very steep, and the distance down to the
waters edge twenty-five feet. region COW
ering hundreds of square miles, is known rs
the 'Sunken country and presents an in
tensely interesting field of curiosity TO the
students of nature.
As this earthquake visitation stands alone
In some very peculiar Charaoterist cS, il is nee
essary, in explaining it, 70 consider some of tho
exceptional conditions mdur which the force
OF nature had to act
II was stated near the opening Of this arti-
wv t'l1A AlN Sttllt Nl action was remote from
volcanic contiGuity While this is and has
been true for ages, il was not always So. Along
Tie Rocky Mountain ranges are evidences OF
formerly volcanic orators, but which, during
long ages, have been inactive, and consequent
ly have filled up. There is no doubt whatever
that these once did service rs vents
through which the over pressure Of this region
Of the earthS interior could and
did discharge itself Had these vents still
been serviceahe there might have been some
days OF rambling, discharges of smoke, gas
and lava, more or less, as determined by The
eNtcnt of area involved Or extent OF pressure
quite likely no great accumulation OF force
would have resulted. rs this would have ex-
hausted IN series Of lesser manifestations
SlRuGGLE 70 RsCAPE,
But all the vents within thousands Of miles
were closed Tremendous pressure was nj
length generated, bearing upward against the
earla crust and h0mmering against il for
exit. The center Of the pressure seems 10
have been under this New Madrid district. or
II tins Was not the center, the pressure az ali
events here made itself more manifest, meet
my with less resistance in the rocky structure
overhead
IL is at once apparent that the cleaning OF
the great valley Of Use Mississippi must have
cut largely into The rock qualification aud