“From Mr. James Fletcher”

Creator

James Fletcher

Date

2-10-1812

Newspaper

Wilson’s Knoxville Gazette

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 2 and 3

Newspaper Location

Knoxville, Tennessee

Serial Number

30

Abstract

Good eyewitness account of the December 16, 1811 earthquake by James Fletcher

Transcript

NASHVILLE, January 21. From Mr. James Fletcher, (in whose statement we place the utmost reliance,) we have received the following narrative: "At the Little Prairie* on the 16th of December last; about 2 o'clock A.M. we felt a severe concussion of the earth, which we supposed to be occasioned by a distant earthquake, and did not apprehend much danger. Between that time and day we felt several other slighter shocks; about sunrise another severe one came on, attended with a perpendicular bouncing that caused the earth to open in many places-some eight & ten feet wide, numbers of less width, and of considerable length, some parts have sunk much lower than others; where one of those large openings are, one side remains as high as before the shock, and the other is sunk more, some less; but the deepest I saw was about twelve feet. The earth was, in the course of 15 minutes after the shock in the morning, nearly inundated with water. The pressing of the earth, if the expression be allowable, caused the water to spout out of the pores of the earth, to the height of eight or ten feet! We supposed the whole country was sinking! and knew not what to do for the best. The agitation was so great that it was with difficulty any could stand on their feet, some could not-The air was very strongly impregnated with a sulphurious smell;-As if by instinct we flew as soon as we could from the river, dreading most danger there; but after rambling about two or three hours, about two hundred gathered at Capt. Francis Lecuer's, where we camped until we heard that the upper country was not damaged, when, I left the camp, (after staying there twelve days) to look for some other place, and was three days getting about thirty miles, from being obliged to travel round those chasms. "Previous to my leaving the country I heard that many parts of the Mississippi River had caved in;-in some places several acres at the same instant. But the most extraordinary effect produced that I saw was a small Lake below the river St. Francis-The bottom of which is blown up higher than any of the adjoining country, and instead of water it was filled with a beautiful white sand. The same effect is produced on many other Lakes, as I am informed by those who saw them, as it is supposed they are generally filled up. A little River called Pemiscoe, that turns parallel with the Mississippi, at the distance of about twelve miles from it, is also filled with sand. On the sand that was thrown out of the Lakes and rivers, lie numerous quantities of fish of all kinds common to the country. "The damage to stock &c. was unknown. I heard of only two dwelling houses, a granary and a smoke-house being sunk. One of the dwelling houses was sunk twelve feet below the surface of the earth; the other, the top was about even with the surface-The granary and smoke-house were entirely out of sight; we supposed sunk and the earth closed over them. The buildings through the country are much damaged. We heard of no lives being lost, except seven Indians who were shaken into the Mississippi. This we learned from one who escaped. "Previous to the shocks coming on, we heard a rumbling noise like that of thunder. They continued until I left the country-some very severe. I cannot tell how many there were." *The Little Prairie, was a beautiful spot on the west side of the Mississippi river, about 30 miles from New-Madrid, and nearly west of Nashville, 180 miles-it was settled.

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