davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

deed in all animal nature, vas now. II posi-.
bic. doubled
FLED TO THE COUNTRY.
The Inhabitants led In every direction TO tbs
country. supposing df It can b admitted that
their minds were exercised At all that there
was less danger At a distance from than neal
the river. In one person, . woman (Ars- La
fono. the alarm was 70 great that she tainted
and could not be revived.
mere were several shocks DAY. eut ngnseS
Khan those aireaoy menuoneo. until the "a OF
as the severest OF the FORMER ones. Iaccompa-
MEG py the same phenomena a the FORMER.
n' II ms ues sns ~ 3s sAo
waving rs on gentle sea. On that Gay tnsIe
oass nsx S = as On
th sbou, SG9ek 'sn, ;nsn ;so.s on x S
nAd preceded 1t that 1t was denominated the
vi The Awful darkness Of tho atmosphere. which.
.apo., and the violence Of the tenpes;ous. than-
daring nYss that sssomssn;sd ,S s9ss.h.l E,sn
ing the former ones , fSfmea ;S &c sne ae-
l.rne.y fancitul Imagination.
Al first the MISSISSIPPI seemed % fecede from
It's banks and Its wates gathered up like a
on i 1as bare sand. % which I'M. d: poor s.iols
ii then r.sins fifteen OF twenty fest perpen.
dieaiarly ard expand ING; a. u wsrs :a T., the
retrcgrade current as rapid AZ o torrent The
boats which before had been left on the sand
were now torn from their moo:ings and sud
denly driven up Q Little creek. At tho mouth Of
which they laid, to the distance In some IN.
river. failing Immediately rapidly e II had
risen. receded within its banks asain with such
violence thu. II took with It whole groves Of
young cottonwood trees which lodged Its bog
ders
some instances that persons who had not Wit.
messed the fact would with difficulty be per-
great many dsh were left on the bank, belnE
unable to keep pace With the water. The river
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

30 miles. was coE'-uIsed to such a degree
as to create lakes and Islands. the num-
ss. Of which is not Re. k ;n .Tt.1, cover
the Little Prsir:c. with water three or
four feet deep: and when the water dis
appeared. stratum Of sand Of the same
thickness Was left in its place.
The trees split In the midst. dashed ono
with another, and are still visible over
great tracts Of country. inclining in ev-
cry Girettrn and in every angie to the
They described the undulation Of the
earth as resembling waves. increasing In
elevation as they advanced, and when
the earth would burst and vast volumes
OF water and sand and pft-coal were dis
CHARGED as high as the top: OF the tree.
I have seen HUNDRED OF tnese . enaSm5;
IN very tender alluvial soil, and after .
lapse Of seven years.
Whole districts were covered with white
water at first covered the whole country.
particularly at the Little Prairie; and Il
must have been indeed scene OF horror
II deep ana an a. IN IN tSs
water to the middle to dy rom these con
cussions. which were occurring every few
hours with q noise equally terrible to the
beasts and birde a. to men.
BIRDS UNABLE TO FIJI.
The birds Themselves lost al power and
disposition to ny. and fetreated to the
bosoms Of men. their fellow-sufSefSfs Ia
this general eenvul.ion.
were pfov1dentially extricated. One per
son died Of alright. One perished miser.
ably on m island. which refaf-"d ne orig
ated by the earthquake. The hat and
clothes OF this MN were found: a nu...-
Der perished. who sank with their boats
in the river,
A bursting Of the earth Just below the
village Of Now Madrid arrested this
mighty stream in its course and caused .
time . great number Of boats were swept
b. the ascending current into the mouth
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

motion. the people were thrown on the
ground at almost every step.
A French gentleman told me that IN es-
Gaping from his house. the largest in
the village. he found he had left an in.
FAINT behind. and he attempted to mount
up the RACED piazza to recover the child
succession
The venerable lady in whose house We
lodged was extricated from the ruins OF
her house. having lost everything that
could be broken or destroyed.
The people at the Little Prairie. who
suffered suffer n msss had their settlement ,i..
and which was located in a wide and
very deep and fertile bottom-broken up.
When 1 passed 1t. and stopped to con-
template the traces of the catastrophe
which remained after seven years. the
sufficiently manifest. and the whole re-
gion was covered with sand to the depth
of two or three feet.
The surface was red with oxided pyrites
of iron. and the sandblows. as they were
called, were abundantly mixed with this
kind OF earth. and with pieces of pit
TWO FAMILIES REMAINED.
But two families remained OF the whole
settlement.
The object seems to have been In the
first paroxysms OF alarm TO escape to the
hills at the distance Of twenty-five miles
surface soon precluded escape.
The people remarked that the chasms
In the earth were in direction from south
west to northeast, and they were Of an
extent to swallow up not only men but
houses. down quick into the pitt And
these chasms occurred frequently. within
intervals Of half mile.
They felled the tall trees at right
angles to the chasms. and stationed them
selves upon the felled trees.
BY this invention all were saved, For
the chasns occurred more than once un-
der these felled trees.
Meantime their cattle and their har-
vests. both here and at New Madrid. prin-
cipally persisted. The people no longer
dared to dwell in houses. They passed this
winter and the succeeding one in bark
booths and camps. like those Of the In
dams. Of SO light texture as not to
expose the inhabitants to danger in case
of their being thrown down.
Such numbers Of laden boats were
wrecked above. and the lading driven by
the eddy into the mouth Of the bayou.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

and it is said that one was wrecked In which
there was q lady and six children. all Of whom
In All she hard shocks mentioned the earth
dreds Of acres was from time to time covered
over Of various depths by the sand which IL
ETes, numbers ali over. the. country. some q
which closed up immedi.,eiy after thsy had d
must b remarked was the substance senersliy
thrown up In some places. however. there
pure stone coal thrown up with the sand.
TOWN SITE LOWERED.
II u impossible TO say what the depth Of
these assures or irregular breaks were. We
have reason to believe that some were very
deep. Tho site Of this town was evidently set
tied down At least fifteen fest. and not more
than half mile belo. the town there doe
q the river. but back from the river " !ns small
ere & ss
enearly dried up.
a' Ct St
elevation often nfteen Or twenty feet from
covered mat lake Kseiioot Lake, was found
on the opposite side Of the Mississippi. in the
and from one to s,a miles in width. Of II:
uepth flom ten to nrty feet
ends. and It is contectured that II VIII NOT be
many years eef .ns ne prtneipa! part not
We were constrained. BY fear Of our houses
the first shocks in little light camps made Of
boards: but we gradually became calious and
sa from a Il. s S
shocks have returned home.
ISL. and stiil continue 70 feel. flight shocks
OCCASIONALLY Is seldom seldom that We are more
three or four DAY There We're two this VIM
ter past much harder , than ~, We have felt for
l. have ss %
begin to hope that ere long they will entirely
have now. sir; lnshed NY promised descrip-
tion Of the earthauake. imperfect. It Is true:
hut Is 81 s s 70
s5 E &! ~
R fGST humble an Sc. bid E sfa .si sarAx
Posterity is Indebted to the interest of
the Reverend Lorenzo Dow for the pre-
servation Of this description.
It was another minister OF the gospel
who. sever years later. visited the scene
of the earthquake and recorded Its story.
gathered as It was from those who had
felt its shocks
The Reverend Timothy Flint wrote a
series Of letters. which were published
In book form In 1926. and entitled "Recol-
lectfons Of the Last Ten Years Passed IN
in the Valley Of the Mississippi
In his description Of the earthquake.
Mr.. Flint said:
LAND PLUNGED INTO RIVER.
do not believe that the public have
ever yet had any adequate idea Of the
violence Of the concussions. We are ac-
customed to measure this BY the build
inEs overturned. and the mortality that
results.
Here the country vas thinly settled.
Tho houses. fortunately. were frail and
Of '-es, tbs most difficult to overturn that
could b. constructed. Yet. ~ 1t was.
whole tracts were plunged into the bed
Of the river.
The graveyard ct New Madrid. with all
It's steering tenants. was precipitated in
to the bend Of the stream.
Most OF the houses were thrown down.
Large lakes OF twenty miles in extent
" II made in an hour. Other lakes were
dlainctl
This while country, to the mouth Of the
Ohio IN enc direction. and to the st.
E'ransis in the cthsT. including front Of
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

at the village. which makes the harbor.
that the people were amply supplied Win
every article of provision: Flour, beef.
short. every thing that is carried down
the river. was In such abundance. as
scarcely to be matters OF sale ~.
bayou. were disposed of by their al
frighted owners for a tr:fe.
For the shocks continued every day. and
the owners. deeming the whole country
In eject. a great many island, ver.
sunk: Few ones raised. ana the oed OK
REQUIRED AT SHORT INTERVALS
After the earthquake had moderated IN
violence. the country exhibited q melan-
choly aspect OF chasms OF sand covering
the earth. Of trees thrown down or lying
at an angle Of forty-five degrees, or split
in the middle.
intervals. SO that the people had no con-
fidence to rebuild good houses or cfim-
neys of brick.
The little prairie settlement was broken
up. The Great Prairie settlement. one OF
the most nourishing before on the west
bank of the Mississippi. was much d.
New Madrid again dwindled to insignif-
icance and decay. the people trembling IN
their miserable novels at the distant and
melancholy rumblins of the approaching
eAOShS.
The general government passed an act
allowing the Inhabitants Of this country
to locate the same quantity OF lands,
that they possessed here in any part OF
the territory where the lands were not
yet covered by any claim.
These claims passed into the hands OF
spectators. and were never OF any sub
stantial benefit to the posseseors.
When resided there. this district form
eriy so level. rich and beautiful. had the
most melancholy of all aspects of de-
cay. the tokens Of former cultivation and
habitancy. which were now mementos OF
desolation and desertioH.
Large and beautiful orchards. left unin-
closed. houses uninhabited deep chasns
in the earth. obvious at frequent inter-
yals-such as the face Of the country, al
though the people had for years become
so accustomed 10 frequent and small
shocks which did no essential injury.
that the lands were gradually rising again
IN value. and New Madrid was slowly re-
building. with frail buildings adapted TO
the apprehensiors of the people.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

Of the bayou. carried out and left upoI
the dry earth. when the accommodating
waters Of the river had again cleared theil
current.
shocks. but two series of conclusions were
particularly terrible: far more SO than the
rest And they remark that the shocks
were clearly distinguishable into two
classes-those In which the motion was
horizontal and those in which it was per-
pendicular.
The latter we're attended with the ex-
plosicns and the terrible mixture of noises
| that preceded and accompanied the earth
quakes in a louder degree. but were by no
means SO desolating and destructive as the
crumbled. the trees waved together. the
ground sank and all the destructive phe-
| nomena were more conspicuous.
In the interval of the EARTHQUAKES there
| was one evening. and that brilliant and
clcudless one. In which the western sky
| was continued glare Of vivid flashes of
| lightning and of repeated peals OF subter-
ranean thunder. seeming to proceed. as
| the flashes did, from below the horizon.
They remark that the night SO conspicu-
Gus for subterranean thunder was the
auakes at Caracas occurred, and they
| seem to suppose these flashes and that
event parts of the same scene.
BECAME OF ONE RELIGION.
One result from these terrific phenom-
| ena was very obvious. The people Of this
village had been noted for their profigacy
| and impiety.
In the midst Of these scenes Of terror all
became Of one religion and partook OF one
feeling.
Two hundred persons. speaking Eng
lish. French and Spanish. crowded to-
| gether. their visages pale. the mothers
| embracing their children-as soon as the
| omen that preceded the earthquakes be-
| came visible. as soon as the air became a
| little obscured. as though q sudden mist
arose from the east-all. in their differ
| ent languages and forms. but all deeply
in earnest. betook themselves to the
voice of prayer.
The cattle. as much terrified as the
rational creation. crowded about the as
semblage OF men and seemed to demand
protection or community OF danger.
One lady ran as far as her strength
would permit, and then fell exhausted
and fatnting. from which she never re-
covered.
The general impulse when the shocks
commenced was to run; and yet. when
they were at the severest point OF tne!r
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Ninety-two years ago occurred dis
astef which has had no parallel in North
America In the memory Of man.
Il was on the 18th Of December. 1911.
that what ID known as the New Madrid
earthquake wrought ruin to hundreds
II It had occurred fifty years later DESC
hfion would have been brought to thou
sands
Owing 70 the small number Of Inhabitants
then living in the affected region the loss
was comparatively small.
History has dealt with the New Madrid
earthquake. but full justice has never
been done-to the great catastrophe.
DESCRIPTIONS and accounts OF 1t that
come down to Us Of the present Cay we're
written usually by travellers and from
heanay.
In 1sls letter was written TO the Rev.
erend Lorenzo Dow by a resident Of New
Madrid. which gives tho story Of an eye
witness.
Il is to be regretted that this descrip-
ton was not written shortly after the
shock. instead OF three or four years later.
The letter 70 as follows:
New Madrid Territory. Missouri. March =
lSA-Dear Sir: In compliance with your re-
susse viii now give you history. a. full in
dstail - the limits OF letter will permit. Of
the awful sisitAtion OF Providence In this place
ana its vicinity.
On the 18th Of December 1871, about O'Clock
q. M. We were visited by violent shock Of
N earthquake. accompanied by 4 very awful
noise, resembling loud but distant thunder. but
more hoarre and vibrating. which was fol-
lowed IN q few minutes by the complete satura-
sioa Of the atmosphere with suiphurous vapor.
cansinG total darkness
ne screams Of the anr,khted Inhabitants.
running 70 and fro. not knowing where to 20
o. MAT to do: the cries OF the fowls and the
esn.ts Of evsry species. the cracking of trees
eu1elt Of which was refrigerated for few
mtnutes owing. as u supposed to an etup-
tSo0 IN it, bed. formed q scene truly terrible
rfQm. that time until about sunrise a number
q Hghter shocks occurred, At which time one
sim moro violent than the first took place,
With the same accompaniment. and the terror
which had been excited In every one, and IN
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-13

deed in al, animal nature. Va. now. If posi-.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
A Patriotic Pincushlon.

A very pretty little pincushion can
be made Of small American flags. To
make the cushion two silk flags will
be needed. The best flags are those
that are made of ribbon about three
inches wide. This ribbon may be
bought by the yard. About nine inches
will be needed for q cushion three
inches wide. For q cushion of this
size you will need about is inches Of
red silk ribbon three-quarters of an
inch wide. The ribbon should be the
exact shade Of the red in the flag.
Wool, or old woolen' rags, make the
best stufing.
To make tho cushion follow the ex-
act plan of bed mattress, cut the
flag ribbon exactly in half for the top
and bottom of the cushion, sew the
ribbon around the edges Of top and
bottom with red silk, overland stitch,
leaving one end open. to insert the
stuffing. When this is done close the
end like the other. Then with red
silk tuft your cushion just like a
mattress. Sachet powde: may be put
inside the cushion II, you wish. If
the cushion is to be hung up, attach
G piece of the red ribbon to one cor
ner 'e. 'E'
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
HOW cAebIEs GOT FARES.

Ingenious Device That Decelvoo
a1v* s1GJEs Guests Of BanquetonsfyA;.,~
It was nearly midnight, and the
group of cabmen standing outside the
banqueting hall we're despondent. The
night was so warm and fine that the
guests at the banquet would be sure
to walk home instead of riding. At
length one cabman hit on a brilliant
idea. He brought bucket OF water
from the horse trough, and poured Il
well over the steps of the hall and
the pavemel. in front of the en-
trance, so thA it looked as though
there had beea heavy rain. Then he
took an umbrellas and dipped 1t in the
water trough, and, as the beadlo
threw open the door for the departing
guests the ingenious cabman, stood
in the doorway with his dripping UNI
brella. "A fearful night! Raining
cats and dogs!" said one of the
guests. Cabs were in such great de.
mand that there was not one of them
went away without fare.-Spare Mo.
ments. 1. -. .-:,. ,ss
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
STEFFENs SELLS OUT.

STEFFENS SELLS OUT.
Thursday the insurance was ad:
justed on the building Of Mrs. Bilt.
gems, she being awarded four hund
red dollars for the loss by fire.
She will at once begin to repair
the building for occupancy again
and expects to have it ready by Oct.
18th. III W. 81 "-. '.'% Ea~>
~ Friday aafftterA0on Mr.. stenena
closed q deal transferring his res.
taurant to Mr.. and Mrs.E e Dayton
who will engage in the restaurant
business las soon the building
is ready. They will conduct the
restaurant in a first class order. Mrs.
Dayton has the reputation Of being
q most excellent cook and house.
keeper 80 We may expect these de.
partments to be of the best.
Mr.. Steffens has decided to remove
from our village, this we regret to
announce He has made many
warm friends here during his res.
idence and has enjoyed a good
business which he was justly enti-
tied to by the way he conducted it.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
In the Morning.

Apropos of the humorous reference
to the somnolence of Judges made by
James M. Beck, formerly assistant at
torney general of the United States,
at the dinner of the Hardw:cke soci.
ETY. in London, an English paper re.
calls that during the protracted ses
sions of the Parnell commission Jus.
tice Day habitually sat with closed
eyes. 1t was commonly supposed that
his lordship was sleeping, and the
late Sir Frank Lockwood, observing
that the learned judge was very much
awakened by a little tiff between the
.nrastdent and Sir Charles Russell. aex.
claimed quite ,aud1bly: This IS the
dawn of Day!"-0maha Bee. =
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
L |. L..EG ]. SMASHED | ' D
Oscar Kunzemon,
Brakeman, Will q
.->. Lose q Foot. "

Oscar J Kunzman, employed a.
switchman in tho Omaha yard at
this place, had one of his legs SER
iously injured early Saturday
morning. Gt. Az
The accident occurred about
twelve-thiry Saturday morning
at the freight house where switching
was being done. The engine, en-
gineer Stowell, was on the track be-
tween freight house platform and.
freight transfer platform, aud when
at a point opposite of Mr.. Glasgow
office Mr. Kunsman attempted to
take aooupling1 Of the engine to :
car. just how the accident occurred
no one but hiself knows and ;hs is
not in q condition to be seen atIthis
writing, but it is supposed he at
tempted to push the clutch of the
automatic coupling draw bars back
so they would lock, with his foot
and was caught between draw heads
smashing the leg, the knee and
ankle. He called for help and was
removed to the freight house by en-
gineer Stowell and a physician sum-
moned, and later taken to his home
opposite R. L. Morlandrs g residence.
The physician is undecided
whether he can stand the amputa-
tion operation or not, at this writ
ing. n
Mr.. Kunzeman has been employed
here for some years in the Omaha
freight house up to about six months
ago when he went on as switchman
in the yard. He has recently
moved his parents here from Adrian
He is known as a steady and
reliable young man and has large
number of friends here who very
much regert this unfortunate
accident. IL -: .a.s
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
Leaves.

%% Leaves.
Thou hast been blowing leaves. o wind of
@&s strife! ~+
Wan. curled, boatlike leaves that ran
Z and ned:
Unresting yet though folded up from life:
Il sleepless, though cast among the un-
IT, waking dead.
~ Out to the ocean fleet and hoat;
pf Blow blow, my little tieafiike' boat.
u r., 49, - .,.; .~..f
O wind Of strife! to us a wedding wind!
o cover me with kisses Of her mouth !;
Blow thou our souls together, heart and
mind;
To narrowing Northern lines, blow from
the South
Out to the ocean feet and float;
Blow, blow, my little leahike boat.
Thou hast been blowing many a drifting
thing
, From circling cove down to the unshel-
tered sea;
Thou blowest to the sea my blue sails
wing,
-. Us to a new lovelit futurity
Out to the ocean feet and float;
=. Blow. blow, my little leafike boat.
George Macdonald.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
In Close Quarters.

Brown used to live in Texas, you
know, and he says he soon found out
that Rhode Island wasn't big enough
for him." "What was the particular
trouble?" ''Why, he was busy ar
ranging to put up big ONCE build
ing, and the authorities stopped him
1mt as soon % he commenced exca-
waiting the cellar" "What did they
say?" They said he'd dShaveat ito stop.
He was undermining Massachusetts,
a do side and Coan0c4icut on the
soEAee.s C1eve31ass sse1atns Doalsr. 54
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-10-09
Has Fine Voice at Eighty.

Thomas Ball, the octogenarian sculp.
tor and painter, was one Of the singers
at a concert at Montclair, N. J.. Satur.
day night. Fifty-flve years ago Mr..
Ball appeared in Boston in a perform.
ance of Mendelssohn's Elijah" with
the Handel and Haydn society He
was the first singer, to undertake the
role Of Elijah in America and scored q
great triumph. Saturday night he sang
the baritone solo Lord God of Abra-
ham," His voice had apparently lost
none Of its power and every note was
pure and clear.-New York World.