The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-05-26

injury W property Was trivial, however
and the loss Of life was not great, for th
country was sparsely settled.
The story of the Mississippis re
versal OF the laws Of nature, Mitchell
says, is better told in letter from on
William sllaler, who wrote: I do my
self the pleasure to communicate to 70,
the following simple account of the lat,
earthquake as / received it from one o
the patrons Of a Kentucky boat-thes,
boats were trading boats used in those
days instead Of the stores to-day. Or
the 9Th day Of February, 1912, at 8 a.
M, being moored to the bank of the
Mississippi, about thirteen miles above
New Madrid, he was awakened by a
tremendous roaring noise, felt his vessel
violently shaken, and observed the trees
over the bank falling in every direction
and agitated like weeds ON windy day,
and many sparks OF fire emitted from
the earth.
He Immediately cut his cable and put
off into the middle OF the river, where
he soon found the current changed, and
the boat hurried up, for about the space
Of a minute, with the velocity OF the
swiftest horse. He was obliged TO hold
his hands to his head to keep his hat on.
On the current returning to its natural
course, which it did gradually, he con-
tinued to proceed down the river, and
about daylight he came to a most ter
rifle fall, which, he thinks, was about
six feet perpendicular, extending across
the river and about half mile wide.
The whirls and the ripplings of this
rapid were such that his vessel was alto
gether unamangeable, and destruction
seemed inevitable; some Of the former,
he thinks, were at least thirty feet deep,
and seemed to be formed by the river
being violently sucked into some chasm
Of the rivers bottom. As soon as he
was able to look around, he observed
whole forests on each bank fall PROSTATE,
to use his own comparison, like soldiers,
grounding their arms at the word OF
command.
On his arrival at New Madrid he
found that place a complete wreck, sunk
about twelve feet below its level and en-
tirely deserted. The inhabitants, with
those Of the adjacent country who had
fled there for refuge, were encamped in
its neighborhood. He represents their
cries as truly distressing. Another fall
was formed about eight miles below
town, similar to the one above, the
roaring Of which he distinctly heard at
New Madrid.
He waited five days for the fall to
wear away During that time the earth
vas continually trembling at intervals
il about five minutes. He observed
many assures in the earth below the
own, five or six feet wide, extending in
ength out Of sight. and one side several
Get lower than the other. On the fifth
ay he passed the lower fall, which had
Torn away to practical rapid. He
cit a succession Of shocks Of earth
uakes until he came down to Flam
sland.
After giving number Of such ac-
ounts, Mr.. Mitchell, author ofthe arti- ,
e, concludes with the following analysis
the phenomena:
"First-The trembling Of the earth
as felt from the Atlantic ocean to the
gious far beyond the Mississippi. The
idians uniformly stated that the shocks
ad been very frequent and violent at a
reat distance up the Arkansas. They
,pear to have been very little feft to
e north OF the Potomac and east OF
e Alleghenies.
Second Though the commotic,ns
IRE Of great extent it was not possible
assign any priority to any place.
rough the earthquakes were not equal
violent or extensive, yet in those Of
dest diffusion or circuit there was no
ethod Of tracing succession; on the
ntrary, the shocks in the most dis
ut situations were synchronous, or
arly So
"Third-Air was produced below and
into the atmosphere.
Fourth ~ This, when it passed
rough the water, produced bubbles
d frcth, and after their extrication
med visible yapor, obscuring the at
,sphere.
Fifth--Hot water was elected with
force.
Sixth-Coal or carbonated wood was
own ts1Jin similar manner and
but the same time.
Seventh-Light in some. instances
$ extricated, and from the circum- sts
noes ii appeared only to be considered nc
as an accidental coincidence OF the
thquake, but as natural and neces- th