“Earthquakes”

Creator

William Leigh Pierce

Date

3-25-1812

Newspaper

The Georgia Journal

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 1 -3.

Newspaper Location

Milledgeville, Georgia

Serial Number

601

Abstract

December 25, 1811 letter to the New York Evening Post. Very good earthquake account one of the best eyewitness accounts of the earthquakes.

Transcript

EARTHQUAKES. From the New York Evening Post Big Praire (on the Mississippi) 761 miles from N. Orleans. DECEMBER 25th, 1811. TO THE EDITOR--Dear Sir--Proceeding on a tour from Pittsburg to New Orleans, I entered the Mississippi where it receives the waters of the Ohio, on Friday the 13th day of this month, and on the 15th, in the evening landed on the left bank of this river, about 116 miles from the mouth of the Ohio. Precisely at two o'clock on Monday morning the 16th inst. we were all alarmed by the violent and convulsive agitation of the boats, accompanied by a noise similar to that which would have been produced by running over a sand bar-every man was immediately roused and rushed upon deck-We were first of opinion that the Indians, studious of some mischief, had loosened our cables, and thus situated we were foundering. Upon examination, however, we discovered that we were yet safely and securely moored. The idea of an Earthquake then suggested itself to my mind, and this idea was confirmed by a second shock, & two others in immediate succession. These continued for the space of eight minutes. So complete and general had been the convulsion, that a tremulous motion was communicated to the very leaves on the surface of the earth. A few yards from the spot, where we lay, the body of a large oak was snapped in two; and the falling part precipitated to the margin of the river; the trees in the forest shook like rushes; the alarming clattering of their branches, may be compared to the effect which would be produced by a severe wind passing through a large cane brake. Exposed to a most unpleasant alternative we were compelled to remain where we were for the night, or subject ourselves to imminent hazard in navigating through the innumerable obstructions in the river; considering the danger of running two fold, we concluded to remain. At the dawn of day I went on shore to examine the effects of the shocks; the earth about 20 feet from the water's edge was deeply cracked, but no visible injury of moment had been sustained; fearing however, to remain longer where we were, it was thought most advisable to leave our landing as expeditiously as possible; this was immediately done-at a few rods distance from the shore, we experienced a fifth shock more severe than either of the preceding. I had expected this from the lowering appearances of the weather; it was indeed most providental that we had started, for such was the strength of this last shock that the bank to which we were (but a few moments since) attached, was rent and fell into the river, whilst the trees rushed from the forests, precipitating themselves into the water with force sufficient to have dashed us into a thousand atoms. It was now light, and we had an opportunity of beholding in full extent all the horrors of our situation. During the four first shocks tremendous and uninterrupted explosions resembling a discharge of artillery, were heard from the opposite shore, at that time I imputed them to the falling of the river banks.-This fifth shock explained the real cause.-Wherever the veins of the earthquake ran, there was a volcanic discharge of combustible matter to great heights, an incessant rumbling was heard below, and the bed of the river was excessively agitated, whilst the waters assumed a turbid, and boiling appearance-near our boat a spout of confined air breaking its way through the waters burst forth, and with a loud report discharged mud, sticks, &c. from the river's bed at least 30 feet above the surface. These spoutings were frequent and in many places appeared to rise to the very heavens. Large trees which had lain for ages at the bottom of the river were shot up in thousands of instances, some with their roots upper-most an their tops planted; others were hurled into the air; many again were only loosened, and floated up on the surface. During the day there was with very little intermission, a continued series of shocks, attended with innumerable explosions like the rolling of thunder; the bed of the river was incessantly disturbed, and the water boiled severely in every part; I consider ourselves as having been in the greatest danger from the numerous instances of boiling directly under our boat; fortunately for us, however, they were not attended with eruptions. One of the spouts which we had seen raising under the boat would inevitably have sunk it, and probably have blown it into a thousand fragments; our ears were constantly assailed with the crashing of timber, the banks were instantaneously crushed down, and fell with all their growth into the water. It was no less astonishing than alarming to behold the oldest trees of the forest, whose firm roots had withstood a thousand storms and weathered the sternest, tempests, quivering and shaking with the violence of the shocks, whilst their heads were whipped together with a quick and rapid motion; many were torn from their native soil and hurled with tremendous force into the river; one of these whose huge trunk ( at least 3 feet in diameter) had been shattered was thrown better than a hundred yards from the bank and planted in the bed of the river, there to stand a terror to future navigators. It is almost impossible to trace at present the exact course of this earthquake or where the greatest injuries have happened; from numerous inquiries however, which I have made of persons above and below us at the time of the first shock, I am induced to believe that we were very nearly in the height of it; the ruin immediately in the vicinity of the river, is most extensive on the right side in descending. For the first two days the veins appeared to run a due course from W. to E. afterwards they became more variable, and generally took a N. W. direction. The continuance of this earthquake must render it conspicuous in the pages of the Historian, as one of the longest that has ever occurred; from the time that the first shock was felt at 2 o'clock in the morning of the 16th, until the last shock at the same time in the morning of the 3d was 168 hours (67 shocks.) It is hardly possible to conceive the convulsion which they created, and I assure you I believe that there were many of these shocks which had they followed in quick succession were sufficient to shake into atoms the firmest edifices which art ever devised. I landed often, and on the main shore as well as on several Islands found evident traces of prior eruptions, all which seem corroborative of an opinion that the river was formed by some great earthquake. It is a circumstance well worthy of remark that during the late convulsions the current of the river was almost instantaneously and rapidly increased. In times of the highest floods it rates at from 4 to 5 knots per hour. The water is now low and when we stopped on the 16th inst. at half after 4 P. M. we had then run from that morning 52 miles rating at 6 knots generally. The current was increased for two days and then fell to is usual force. It is also singular that the water has fallen with astonishing rapidity. The most probable and easy solution of this fact, which presented itself to my mind, was, that the strength of the Mississippi current was greater than the tributary streams could support.-Either this must have been the case or some division of waters above have occurred, or destruction below has created some great basin or reservoir for the desemboguing of the main body of water. The latter presumption I apprehend cannot be correct, as our progress towards the mouth of this river, is marked with little or no injury. Your obedient servant. WILLIAM LEIGHT PIERCE

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