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Natchez, (M. T.) Jan. 5, 1S12. Dr. C/.pkhton',You have in n»y former letters from New Madrid, a description cf my journey to hat place; and on my voyage down the Mississippi to this place, I shall give you an a-larming detail of an earthquake.We arrived on the 15th December at night to the 25th island, and on the 16th at 10 minutes alter 8 o'clock A. M. we were surprised by the greatest emotion imaginable of the boat, which t can compare to nothing more picturesque, than that of a team of iior»es running with a waggon over the most rocky road that is in our part of the country. There was in company about 40 boats, each thought their boats adrift and running over sawyers, but a man on board a boat lashed to us hinted it to he an earthquake, when an old navigator of the river who was a little above, hailed :.;ul said it was occasioned by the hanks falling in; we were then floating under n high i^lolTbanic, which immediately cast ( ft’ and fell in about a quarter of a mile of tlic Bluff, which drew os into the current on tin* right side of the 25 th island, where we staid till the next morning pu» ofT, but in the intermediate time we experienced about fsfty partial shock, which shook our boats with great agitation; 1 minutes after seven P. M. we heard a tremendous distant noise,and in a few seconds the boats, island and main land became perfectly convulsed, the trees twisted and lapped together, thc.carth in all quartern was sinking, and the water issued from the center of the island No. v5, on cur left and came rushing down its sides in torrents, and on our right there sunk at once about 30 or 40 acres cf land, some say 300 ; but i was till then perfectly collected, and although much alarmed, was less so than any in company. The shocks at this time became more frequent, at intervals of about 15 minutes, the river rose from the first shock till 8 o'clock that day 7 or S feet perpendicular and the current ran from 7 to 8 miles per hour, as we floated from the 25ih island to rionr island, a distance of 35 miles, in 5 hours an«* 25 minutes, though we lost considerable time to effect a landing at a place called the 9 mile reach ; this place together with the 10 mile reach, were in perfect commotion, the logs which had risen from the bottom of the river had so covered the surface of the water and in such confusion that it appeared impracticable for a boat to pass with 5-ifety. Unfortunately three boats from our company were lost, two of the boats the property of Mr. James Atwell from Kentucky and in value about three thousand dollars.The other, a family boat, was stove, and all was saved except one man. Whole trees with large roots, logs and stumps came up from the bottom, which at'a distar.c had the appearance of timbered fields, and all had the mud and sand on them from the bottom •»f the river, so that it appeared as if the order of nature was reversed—we experienced frequent shocks for right davs, but mnc compared to the tirst. i have iienrd of no place being as much convulsed as where i was.
Newspaper Details
Virginia Argus
Richmond, Virginia, US
Mon, Mar 02, 1812
Page 3
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Anonymous
IA, USA 07 Jan 2025
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