The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-01-29
MADE BY EARTHQUAKE.
QUEER HISTORY OF THE LARGEST
LAKE IN TENNESSEE.

Formation tho mississippi AsuA W
strean,-A Great Place For Sportsmen.
Reelfoot Lake, which lies mostly IN
Obion County, and partly in Lake, is
The largest sheet Of water in tho State,
it being forty miles in length aud from
three to five in width. It is fifteen
miles from Union City, the nearest
railway point. The first view visitor
obtains Of the lake is one Of surpass:
ing beauty. The road circles around
q high bluff; md, sudden ". several
hundred feet below, the lake, in oil
it's. loneliness, breaks full upon the
vision, its dancing, sparkling waters
away as far as the eye con reach. just
under, the ..lofty, picturesque ellis
nestles the little village Of Wheeling.
The lake. which evokes rapturous
comments from even the most indiffer.
ent observer, was formed in Q few
minutes by an earthquake, which, &C.
cording to tho best authorities, CO.
Cured between 2 and 3 O'Clock on
Saturday morning, November 1t,
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 terrorto the
car, the atmosphere was heavily laden
with something like smoke and vivid
md 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
fur 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 threo hours
the river ran up stream, and RATS and
boats below the lake were torn from
their moorings and wont whirling into
the seething, maddening vortex. AS
soon as the newly formed lake was
filled, tho river went majestically on
its usual course, leaving to Tennessee
ono of the finest fishing resorts in the
country, which is annually the Mecca
of thousands of sportsmen.
Reelfoot Lake is not the only mem
orable freak of the seismic monster OF
1911, for it sunk thousands Of acres OF
land in Arkansas and Missouri, and
formed Open Lake, in Laudcrdale
County. about twelve mile from Hip
ley. This lake is ten miles long BY
three or four in width, and is also
great resort for hunters and fisher
men. New Madrid, Mo-, suffered
considerably by the quake, several O.
its score or more of inhabitants beng
killed and its cemetery caved into thu
Mississippi River and the bodies wer'
swept away by the current.
Reelfoot Lake is known es the hunt
! ers' and fishers paradise, and deserves
that appellation, which it has born
almost since its formation, eighty 81
years ago. Around its borders can b
, found bear, deer, turkeys and spur
> rels, while within its depths abound
, great variety Of fish, including bass
). trout, croppies, Dream, perch, pike
buffalo, drum and cattish. The
a there is q fish in the lake known
ALLIGATOR gar" which is almost 9
a voracious as a shark. It grows to th
length Of twelve or thirteen feet, on
:, has on immense head, armed wit
- large, formidable teeth. The loss
several people in the lake has been a
: tributed to this fish. Several yea
y ago q young man was bathing in Il
- lake, when he suddenly threw up b
= arms and called loudly for help. .
- claiming that something had hi
n Several Of his companions, who We
" in q boat, rowed quickly to his asst
Al ance, but before they could reach hi
"a he was drawn beneath the surface
"a the lake, and the bloody water who
II he had gone down proved that
r. spoke trnthfully when he cried tt
II he was in the grasp Of some dread
T. monster. His friends believed that
ID was the victim Of on alligator gar,
1T there is no other fish in the lake
h. largo or voracious. Nashville (Ten
I'd Banner.