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.
| 'It Is said that where the lake was
formed was a vast area of f1pe 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 a 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
| ton of the earthquake it Is rare
| thing that one ventures in that vi
cinity. BY some method, known only
| to themselves, they marked q 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 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
ject to severe thunder, but for a 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 description of the earth
| quake--imperfect, it Is true, but Just
as it occurred to the best of my mem-
ory. If you will come out here, you
and myself will take a 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 histc ",
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. H. Swiggart,
giving the origin, history and de-
scription Of Reelfoot Lake, the opin-
and Lahe counties, with 1000 acres,
or more, In Kentucky. 1t covers 25,-
600 or O,0O0 acres of submerged
land. not including the arms or pock-
cts, which cover several hundred
more. 1t Is Is to 20 miles long and
| from two to seven miles wide. Sew
eral islands cover about l 500 acres.
The outlets Of the lake are at it's
Southern 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
MissiSsip river. The small streams
called "Re,lfoot 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 a point now
in the lake towards it's eastern and
southern shore, three quarters Of a
| mile from its 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
| turbed district. Bayou De Chem,
| where the tragedy was enacted, en-
| ters the lake near it's extreme north
eastern corner, and bears to the
| southwest and then back across the
| lake towards it's eastern side, where
it empties into Reelfoot River, which
| enters the lake on its eastern shore.
| The channels Of these streams are
still traceable through the waters Of
| the lake. Bayou De Chem is thought
| to be 2 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 overnows.
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.
While 1t seems indisputable that
the lake was formed by the earth
quake Of 1911, the authorities vary
in some minor details as to the phe-
nomena. DR.. ]. NJ. Stafford, in his
Geology Of Tennessee" says: "This
lake had no existence previous to the
shakes 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 convulsions of that
period.
This damned up the water that