“Important Arrival”

Date

2-22-1812

Newspaper

Louisiana Gazette

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 3

Newspaper Location

St. Louis, Missouri

Serial Number

293

Abstract

Account of the arrival of the steamboat New Orleans dated January 2, 1812. Notes that the shocks of earthquakes could not be felt when the engine was running and that the shocks were felt when the boat was at anchor. Noted that almost all the chimneys at New Madrid had been thrown down. Noted that at Little Prairie the local population thought the land was sinking. Further south of Little Prairie two islands had sunk into the river.

Transcript

Natchez, Jan 2. IMPORTANT ARRIVAL. Steam Boat from Pittsburgh which had on account of low water been some time detained at the falls of the Ohio; and is destined to run between this place and New Orleans as a regular trader. She was only [unreadable] hours under way from Pittsburgh to this place, a distance of near two thousand miles. No very satisfactory account of the shocks of Earthquake, and their effects, which have lately happened could be expected, that received from the gentlemen on board is; rather more so than we anticipated. The shake or jar, produced by the powerful operation of the engine, rendered the shocks imperceptable, while the boat was under way. While at anchor five or six shocks were felt, two or three more severe than the rest. On enquiry at New Madrid, a small town about 70 miles below the mouth of Ohio, they found that the chimnies of almost all the houses were thrown down, and the inhabitants considerably alarmed.-At the little Prairie, thirty miles lower down, they were bro't to by the cries of some of the people, who thought the earth was gradually sinking, but declined to take refuge on board without their friends, whom they wished to collect. Some distance below the little Prairie the bank of the river had caved in to a considerable extent and two islands had almost disappeared.

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