Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-09-28
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE.
Later and More Startling News OF
the Terrible Seismic Disturb
ance in Alaska.
EXPERIENCE OF A PARTY OF MINERS.
Boats and other Articles Left Mile
up the Mountain Side-Fhe Hub
bard Glacier Broken in Two and
Forced Into the Sea-Indescribn-
Bile Phenomena.

4
along the coast of Alaska. Rev. Shell
don jackson, educational agent for
Alaska. writes as follows from Kakutat
under date of September II:
A General Shaking Up of Things.
1.-The first shock was experienced on
caused no alarm. During the follow
/ ing five hours there were 50 distinct
shocks, eliminating at 3 p. m. in a
| shock so severe that people of Yakutat
were hurled violently across their
rooms, or, if outside, they were thrown
to the ground, pictures fell from the
| walls and clocks and dishes crashed
from the shelves and houses rocked
and swayed and whirled, while the
mission bell rang violently in the shak-
ing church tower.
Fled to the Hills.
"Panic-stricken, the inhabitants re-
gained their feet and attempted to
flee to the hills, only to be again and
again thrown to the earth, which was
all the while creaking, rolling and
running, as they sought safety.
A Tidal Wave EnguIfed.
Gaining the hills and looking sea-
ward, they were transfixed with hor-
ror as they Aaw a great tidal wave ap-
parently a wall of water 80 feet high.
approaching with the speed of race
horse that would engulf their village
and sweep away their homes. Before
the shore was reached the earth
opened in the bottom of the harbor,
and into this chasm the tidal wave
ror as they saw a grea tidal wave, APP
spent it's force and around 1t the sea
swirled like great maelstrom.
This saved the village from destruc-
ton. The tide would raise ten feet
in the space of four or five minutes.
and in an equally short time go down
again. These sudden fluctuations were
frequent and repeated.
Afraid to Return to the Village.
Tents were pitched on the hills back
of the village, and nearly the whole
population is camping out, fearing
that another tidal wave may come.
From the 10th to the present there
have been frequent shocks, one hay-
ing occurred this afternoon.
Tossed About Like Puppets.
''Near Hubbard glacier, on Olsen
chantment bay, were encamped three
miners, A. Fleur, W. Beck and j. w.
Johnson, and a mile from them at an
elevation of 81 feet above the sea,
were Messrs. T. Smith, Cox and Son,
j. Falls and D. Stevens. When the
heavy shock of Sunday, the 10th, was
experienced, the Fleur party had
rugged a machine and was marking
the oscillations of the earthquakes
waves when, withouta moments warm
ing, they were thrown violently across
the tent. At the same moment a large
fresh water lake back of their camp
and about forty feet above it was split
open and the waters were thrown upon
the camp, and before the miners could
regain their feet they were being
swept out to sea. Almost at the same
instant they were met by tidal wave
which picked them up and not only
washed them ashore, but over a hill
40 feet high, landing them on the
crest of a divide Regaining their feet
they ran along the crest with the tidal
wave boiling and seething at their feet
alongside the hill. Afterwards one of
the party found his baggage and
clothes one and one half miles up on a
mountain side where the waves had
left it,
Great spruce forests for miles along /
the shore were uprooted, broken into
pieces and massed into great piles
with roar that was deafening. Large |
rocks weighing 40 tons or more we're |
rolling over one another down the |
mountain like SO many pebbles.
hubbard Glacier Moved Into the Sea. |
Hubbard glacier, with two and a
half miles sea front, thousands of feet |
thick, extending for miles back to the
summit of the mountain, broke from
its mornings, and with a grinding, ln-
describable roar, that shook the sur
rounding hills, moved bodily from half
to three-quarters of a mile into the
sea.
"A large creek, Is feet wide. down
whose bed catarcts were rushing, was
flooded so that miners were able to
cross over to the miners camp on the
opposite side. A few minutes later il
had sunk back to its former bed and
was again an irresistible, uncrossable
raging torrent.
Terrifying Phenomena.
Mountains were. thrown down, the
sea opened and islands disappeared.
The earth opened in many places, af-
ter the great shock had passed, and the
miners commenced preparations to
get away.
A boat with pair of oars was found
a mile up the mountain side. where
t had been carried by the waves. With
this another boat was secured thai
was floating on the bay.
Pursued by "a Landslide.
''In these two small boats they start
ID orGakutat bay, As miles away. The
irst night they made camp on large
one and half miles from the
but an earthquake during
he night loosened a landslide that
covered not only the one and a half
miles of plains, but also their tent.
Digging out the tent and provisions
hey again took to their boats.
A Night of Terror.
On the second night they wer.. terri
led by strange noises that issued from
he earth, and their tent was blown to
hreds by the strange winds that
eemed to blow from every point of
he compass, and as clouds were pour
ng down torrents of water, they fed
O their boats. Forcing their boats
or II miles through fields of fresh
orming ice, and 10 miles of rough sea,
hey at length reached Yakutat Ssy
n safety.
"Rumors are afoat that portion Of
,ane ST Films and Khanfaak island |