“We have conversed with...”

Date

2-8-1812

Newspaper

Carthage Gazette

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 2

Newspaper Location

Carthage, Tennessee

Serial Number

489

Abstract

Report from Natchez, Mississippi details reports of the New Madrid earthquake of December 16, 1811 earthquake received when the steam boat New Orleans arrived there. Also there is an account from Indians in the west. Story is from a Natchez newspaper.

Transcript

NATCHEZ, Jan. 1st, 1812. We have conversed with a gentleman who cam passenger in the Steam Boat lately arrived here, and are informed that the Earthquake, shocks of which were felt here a week or two since, has done great injury to the settlements on the Ohio and Mississippi, by throwing down houses, chimnies, &c. and in one or two instances islands in the Mississippi, of considerable magnitude had been sunk or destroyed; that the banks of the river on both sides feel in into prodigious extent, and at one place above 300 acres caved in of a solid body. He also informs, that the western side of the river, was the most affected, and that the shocks lasted about twelve days with intervals of 13 or 20 minutes. The Earthquake appears to have been felt in every part of the United States from which we have had an opportunity of any information. Some gentlemen just arrived from the Chickasaw Bluffs, on the Mississippi, state that the mischief done in that neighborhood by this phenomenon of nature to have been considerable. They further state that previous to their having the Bluffs, seven Indians had arrived there from the north west, that had gone out to the mountains, to hunt, in great haste who rode day and night to get into their families, believing by the tremenduous shocks that were felt by them, that general destruction was about to take place, and determined to die with their relatives in the vortex; and that when they left their camps, the mountains appeared to be tumbling to pieces; large trees were snapped off at their roots and dashed together in the greatest disorder, rocks as large as houses were thrown into the vallies from the tops of mountains; and in many places the earth appeared to be much heated, and in every direction were to be seen evident signs of volcanic eruptions. The Indians being well known at the Bluffs, the above relation was credited by every person. From the above and other information we are led to believe that the source of the Earthquake must be some where on this continent, a little to the north of west. It is said that the shocks were not felt in New Orleans.

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