Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-25
THE COUNTRY CHANGED.
WONDERFUL WORK Of RECENT
EARTHQUAKES
On the Colorado River-The Cocopahs
Leaving tho Country, BELIEVING Greater
Earthquakes Are to Follow.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
YUMA, A. T, Aug. 24-Your correspond
ent has just returned from an extensive
tour through the country visited by the
earthquake a few weeks ago. The trip ex-
tended over 100 miles CT the stricken coun-
try and comparisons made by the most IN
telligent men of the Cocopah Indians, whose
territory WAS principally visited. Accord
ing to their story of the general contour of
the country before the visitation, 1t is diff
cult to give an accurate description of the
changes made without laying Ons self liable
to the charge of drawing the long bow.
There are enough evidences Of the recent
Transformation, however, TO convince any
one that the whole country has undergone a
great change, and ii there is any depend
euce to be placed upon indications. the end
IS not yet, for each day sees some additional
change, and the old Indians say that they
think there will more and greater shakingS
come before things get settled down to an
other period of quiet.
An old chief who enjoys the confidence
of the tribe to such an extent that nothing
of Importance is done without his sanction,
IS a Veritable storehouse of legends of the
tribe and country and says that twice be-
fore has the country been changed by just
such catastropheS as the present. On one
of these occasions he says about a hundred
of the people of the tribe were swallowed
had once been valleys were left a vast up
heavel of rocks forming d mountain chain.
He says that the history of his people .ellS
how the changes came aoout.and tells also
that the same conditions are present now
as We're noticed before the great change
many years ago. He says at that time
there were several light shocks similar to
the one just had, and then came the grand
CONFUSION which almost wiped the tribe
out of existence. According TO his chrto-
noogy this must have occurred about 1872,
as he says 1t was when he was a boy and
was old enough to dimly remember the
events of the catastrophe.
The damage done by the recent earth
quake is principally to stock. SO far as
known no human lives were lost. Whole
herds of cattle and sheep are said to have
been killed along the Colorado river. The
Cocopahs say that when the greatest shock
came Il large mountain, which stood out
from the range alone, and which was used
rs a landmark and guide, split directly IL
two and then sank down several hundred
feet, while great chasms ran from it in all
directions Other mountains We're en-
tircly swallowed up, while new peaks
sprang up into the air, 50 entirely trans
forming the general contour Of the land
scape that the best guides and hunters of
the regions were completely at sea so far as
finding their way over the country was
concerned One immense boulder which
projected over the side of the mountain
cracked off and rolled down into the valley
below, crushing three houses out of exist
ence. Fortunately the inhabitants fled at
the first shock and escaped humiliation.
\ crack started in the grounn four miles
north of Lerdo and ran south past the town
TO small stream and was then DETECTED,
following the water-course, which it deep
eueG 10 such an extent that the mouth,
where it enters the Colorado, line fifty
feet long did not reach bottom. This stream
before the shock was about three feet deep
at the mouth, and easily forded. About
five miles east of Lerdo a crack ran directly
through ranch, opening about twenty feet
and then closing again. II opened directly
under the house, taking it in and crushing
il SO that when seen by the correspondent
the house was III crack about three feet
wide. The herders said that at the same
time about ten head of cattle were taken in
anu crushed. The Colorado river has been
greatly changed, and where it formerly ran
through a wide valley it now runs in deep
chasm and over rapids. The Cocopahs are
leaving the country before the next great
shock comes. which is predicted, they hav-
ing implicit faith in the Old mans prognos-