Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-01-08
MADE BY EARTHQUAKE
QUEER HISTORY or THE LARGEST
LAKE IN TENNESSEE.

eorty Mu<b Long ana frof8 koree 70 ks'~
wide-Dates From iStf-During Its
Formation the sIisstssippi Han Up
stream-A Great Place For sPcrtsncn.
Reelfoot Lake, which lies mostly in
Cbion County, and partly in Lake. Is
the largest sheet of water in the State,
il being forty miles in length and from
three TO five in width. IL is fifteen
miles from Union City, the nearest
railway point. The first view a visitor
obtains Of the lake is one of surpass-
ing beauty. The road circles around
q high bluff; and, suddenly, several
hundred feet below, the lake, in all
its loneliness, breaks full upon the
vision, its dancing. sparkling waters
away as far as the eye can reach. Just
under the lofty, picturesque cliffs
nestles the little village OF Wheeling.
The lake. which evokes rapturous
comments from even the most indiher-
cnt observer, was formed In few
minutes By an earthquake, which, ac-
cording 20 the best authorities, &C.
Cured between . and o'clock on
Saturday morning, November l6,
1911. There were two terrific shocks
about thirty minutes apart, and many
! lighter ones between and after. The
earth rocked violently, deafening
noise like thunder struck terror TO the
ear. the atmosphere was heavily laden
with something like smoke and vivid
and almost constant flashes oflightning
| illuminated the surrounding country;
and in less time than it takes to write
It thousands OF acres of land had sunk
far below the level Of the mighty Miss
issippi. The Fathers of Waters rushed
into the sunken country, and the sue
ton was SO great that for three hours
the river ran up stream, and rats ana
boats below the lake were torn from
their moorincs and went whirling into
the seething, maddening vortex. As
soon as the newly formed lake was
filed, the river went maiostically on
its usual course, leaving to Tennessee
one Of the finest fishing resorts In the
country, which is annually the Mecca
Of thousands Of sportsmcn. =
/ Reelfoot Lake is not the only men,
orable freak Of the seismic monster of
1911, for il sunk thousands Of acres OF
} land in Arkansas and Missouri. and
I formed Open Lake, In Lauderdale
= County, about twelve mile from Rip
, lev. This lake is ten miles long 10y
three or four in width, and is also 4
great resort for hunters and fisher
! men. New Madrid, Mo-. suffered
, considerably by the quake, several o
z its score or more Of inhabitants being
r killed and its cemetery caved into the
z Mississippi River nd the bodies wer'
1 swept away by the current. z
e Reelfoot Lake is known rs the hunt
{ ers' aud fishers paradise, and deserve
that appellation, which it has borne
4 almost since its formation, eighty-sr
4 years ago. Around its borders can b
% found bear, deer, turkeys and SOUR
. rels, while within its depths abound
e great variety Of fish, including bass
V trout, croppies, Dream, perch, pike
r buffalo, drum and catfish. The
q there ia fish in the lake known q
la alligator gar" which is almost q
a voracious as a shark. IL grows 10 tn
I. length of twelve or thirteen feet, an
re- has an immense head. armed wit
large, formidable teeth. The loss {
IL several people in the lake has been a
10 tributed TO this fish. Several year
a ago O young man was bathing IN Il
La lake, when he suddenly threw mp b
w arms and called loudly for help, e
a claiming that something had hir
no Several of his companions, who we
ct in boat, rowed quickly to his assis
e. ance. but before they could reach hi
"A he was drawn beneath the surface
he the lake, and the bloody water whe
ed he had gone down proved that
spoke truthfully when he cried III
he was in the grasp of some dreadf
monster. His friends believed that
he was the victim OF an alligator gar,
ed there is no other fish II the lake
Ia large or voracious. Nashville iTenl
81