“Extract of a Letter....”
Date
1-16-1812
Newspaper
Hampshire Federalist
Page and Column
Page 3, Column 4 and 5
Newspaper Location
Springfield, Massachusetts
Serial Number
784
Abstract
Felt report from Springfield, Tennessee for the December 16, 1811 earthquake. Detailed account notes the rolling of land and rocking of house. Notes several shocks felt that day with the first being felt at a little past 2:00 am (local time). Notes other shocks some so strong as to make it hard to stand up. Noted six shocks that day. Detailed account.
Transcript
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Springfield (Tennessee) to his brother in Washington City, dated December 16, 1811. "The night of the 15th being remarkably dark and cloudy, accompanied by a stillness of the air equal to the silence of the tombs; a little past 2 o'clock there appeared to be a rustling of something similar to wind at a distance; we were however soon undeceived by a rattling of things in the house, and then a sensible rocking of the same, to a very great degree-I made up a light as soon as possible and opened the door, more effectually to discover the cause, when, to my utter amazement, there was a perfect calm, and nothing but an agitated rolling of the earth from south-west to north-west; this continued I think from seven to ten minutes; after which the convulsions of nature appeared to cease for about forty or fifty minutes, when a second shock, though much lighter than the former, alarmed us if possible, more than the first-An interval then took place till about sun-rise, when another shock, equal I believe to the first, gave us fresh alarm; I walked out into my yard, with difficulty could stand steady; saw the earth under my feet, oscilate as plainly as I ever saw the pendulum of a clock for some minutes; it then stopped, and was followed by three or four more in succession, for the space of thirty or forty minutes, since then we have had six light shocks-It is now one o'clock at night; we are in dread of other returns before morning. The consternation we are all in has prevented any speculative conjecture-I am now by myself, and will hazard to you my opinion-I think, from the short time I have had to reflect on the course of this phenomenon of nature, that it must be owing to one of two causes, viz. either Orleans or New Mexico, or some large tract of land, surrounding the Gulf, has sunk.
Recommended Citation
"“Extract of a Letter....”" (1812). New Madrid Compendium Far-Field Database. 769.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/cas-ceri-new-madrid-compendium/769
