“To the editors of the Register...”

Creator

John C. Edwards

Date

2-14-1812

Newspaper

Norfolk Ledger

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 1 and 2.

Newspaper Location

Norfolk, Virginia

Serial Number

1083

Abstract

John Clarke Edwards account of the New Madrid earthquake as felt in Western North Carolina. Fictional account

Transcript

RALEIGH, (N. C.) Feb. 7. To the Editors of the Register. Burke County, (N. C.) Jan. 10. GENTLEMEN, I herewith communicate to you a brief account of the cause of those dreadful shocks which have lately shaken the mountains to their base, whose foundations were laid when the Almighty Architect first reduced chaos to order. On the morning of the 16th ultimo, a great smoke was seen to issue from the top of Spear's Mountain," which is detached from that range that extends from the Blue Ridge, to Swananoe River, and ends some miles below its junction with French Broad. The great noise that was heard through the day, and continued smoke, left no doubt but that it was a VOLCANO that had burst forth during the Earthquake. The mountain is conical and insulated-its base is washed on the west side by French Broad River, on the east side it is separated by a narrow valley (overhung in some places by large rocks) from the Ridge called French Broad Mountain-their bare rocks, stunted [unreadable], and arid surface, show that they long have felt that subterranean fire when probably [unreadable] heat to the Warm Springs, and has at last burst out with such dreadful fury. It still continues to burn with great violence and throws up lava, scoria, ashes, calcined, stones and vitrified matter, in great quantities, and with the most tremendous noise. The quantity of lava discharged at the beginning of the eruption was immense; it ran down the mountain as a stream of liquid fire for more than a [unreadable], and has formed a dam across French Broad river, so high as to overflow about two [unreadable text] bottom land, to the great [unreadable text] appearance- and where it has been driven by the wind, has withered the smell [unreadable] pines which had taken root in the barren soil of this and the neighbouring mountains; their trunk and leaves are inerusted with a yellow podwer, which has an acrid taste and strong sulphuric smell. No person has had courage sufficient to approach the crater; but those who were acquainted with the top of the mountain before the eruption,say that it was uneven and very rocky. The crater appears (judging by the smoke) to be twenty yards in diameter, and is growing larger. Yesterday a large mass fall in, with a greater noise than the loudest artillery; it shook the country round, and was echoed from the mountain and vallies. The lave, where cold, has the appearance of vitrified basalt-The stone on the mountain is hard and coarse grained, with an uneven conchoidal fracture-but no appearance, of basalt. The scoria are sonorous, have a few ferruginous appearance, and show strong magnetic attraction. Notwithstanding the terror which seized me on viewing this awful sight, I could not help smilingat the credulous simplicity of the people who inhabit the mountains. The view it with as much awe and terror as the children of Israel did Mount Sinai: Some say the end of time is arrived, and think the crater is the mouth of the "bottomless pit,"-the fantastic appearances of the electric fluid, which is seen darting in various shapes through the smoke after night, by the help of fancy they transform into spirits, devils, &c. These wild ideas have been increased by the declarations of an itinerant preacher, who calls upon them to repent, [unreadable] in the language of Jonah ,"Yet forty days," &c. but saying, "Behold the place of punishment for the wicked!" In a few days I shall go and take another view of this western AEtna. It is hoped that it will draw the attention of some geologist or man of science, who will be able to give a correct description of it. I have seen but two pieces of pumice-stone. Yours. &c. JOHN CLARKE EDWARDS>

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