Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-11-11

|
and eat this moss as food. Deer and
other animals seem to enjoy 1t.
| "ft Is said that where the lake was
formed was vast area of fine tim
bered lands. and in places only the
tops Of the trees can be seen. The
lake runs north and south, and each
end has neck shape, widening out
| about the center or nearer the north
ern terminus than the center. The
water in 1t does not seem to rise or
| lower to any marked degree, and the
lake Is destined to become the great
hunting and fishing resort of the
West.
at is said that where this lake
was formed was formerly the In
| dians hunting grounds, and also
where they held their annual war
dances, but since the terrible vista
tion OF the earthquake 1t Is rare
| thing that one ventures in that vi
| cinity. BY some method, known only
to themselves, they marked a warn
| ing on the trees for other Indians to
keep away.
| "Most Of those who fled from the
| vicinity during the hard shocks have
returned, but always become greatly
alarmed at the slightest trembling of
the earth. We have, since their
commencement in 1911, occasionally
felt light shocks. Hardly a week
passes but We feel one. There were
two the past winter, much more Sc
we're than we have felt them for sew
eral years before. Since then, how
ever, they are lighter than ever, and
as the months and years pass the in
| habitants are becoming more and
more reconciled to the surroundings.
| 'One circumstance worthy Of men
| ton is: This section was once sub
jcct to severe thunder, but for long
time previous to the first shock there
was no thunder at all and but very
! little since.
| 81 have now complied with your
request for a description Of the earth
| quake-imperfect, 1t Is true, but just
as II occurred to the best Of my men,
ory. If you will come out here, you
and myself will take two or three
days tour of inspection of the coun-
try most affected by the earthquakes,
and especially of the lake | have de-
scribed in the foregoing history
| which In my mind is. the wonder Of
the age. Respectfully yours,
E. Bryan.
| "New Madrid, Mo-"
| In the case of Webster VS.. Harris,
growing out of the Reelfoot Lake
controversy, Judge McAllister Of the
Supreme Court, delivering the opin-
ion of the court, quoted from an
opinion OF Judge W. II. Swiggart,
giving the Origin. history and de-
scriptiOn of Reelfoot Lake, the opin-
ion shows that the lake Is In Oblon
and Lake counties, with 700 acres.
or more, in Kentucky. 1t covers 25,-
600 or 10000 acres Of submerged
land, not including the arms or pock-
cts, which cover several hundred
more. 1t Is 10 to 20 miles long and
from two to seven miles wide. Sew
eral islands cover about 1900 acres.
The outlets OF the lake are at its
SOut Iern end, consisting Of sloughs
and bayous. These carry It's waters
south into and through other smaller
basins or lakes and through other
slOughs or bayous into ObiOn river,
about fifteen miles from the main
body Of the lake, and thence to the
Mississippi river. The small streams
called "Reelfoot River" and Bayou
De Chem" passed through the terri
tory now composing the basin Of the
lake. 1t was on the banks Of Bayou
De Chem that Capt. Rankin was re-
Gently killed by night riders. These
streams come together at point now
| in the lake towards. it's eastern and
southern shore, three quarters of a
mile from It's eastern banks, at the
| village OF Samberg, where the State
troops are now in camp, and which
Is said to be the center of the dis
turbcd district. Bayou De Chem,
where the tragedy was enacted, en-
ters the lake near its extreme north
eastern corner, and bears to the
southwest and then back across the
lake towards its eastern side, where
1t empties into Reelfoot River, which
enters the lake on its eastern shore.
The channels OF these streams are
still traccable through ihe waters Of
the lake. Bayou De Chem is thought
to be IL or Is miles in the lake.
There are many logs, trees and
stumps in the lake, dead cypress
mainly. The lake Is subject to Mis-
| siSsippi river overflows.
| The lake extends along the entire
| eastern boundary line OF Lake
county, the eastern banks, according
| TO the government maps, forming the
| Lake and Obion county lines, though
other maps place the great body OF
water partly in both counties. 1t ex-
tends north and south from the
Dyer county line up and into the
| Kentucky line.
"nlle IL seems lndlSputaDlc tnat
the lake was formed by the earth
quake of 1911, the authorities vary
In some minor details as to the pho-
nomcna. DR.. j. NJ. Stafford, In his
Geology OF Tennessee" says: "This
LAX a had no existence previous to the
| 'shak, of 1811-12. It's origin ap-
pears to have been due to the filling
up of the old channel OF Reelfoot
! Creek during the commissions of that
period.