"New Madrid Earthquake"

As with any earthquake, it came without warning at two o’clock in the morning on December 16, 1811. Suddenly, the earth moved--and moved again--and the trees swayed and snapped as though a strong--but silent--wind had passed through. The small, roughly built wooden houses of New Madrid (Missouri) shook and bounced, some even collapsed. The 400 or so frightened residents of this small Mississippi River town stumbled barefoot onto the streets wearing only their nightshirts. Eyewitnesses claimed a “sulphurious” vapor rose from the ground to cause people to choke and gasp as the fumes burned their lungs.

Pandemonium ensued. The air was filled with thousands of ducks, geese and other birds flying aimlessly about and screeching in terror, afraid to alight on a quaking branch or shuddering building. Cattle, horses, and pigs broke free from their corrals and pens and stampeded through the streets, the cows bellowing and the horses neighing.

Many were convinced that the Day of Judgment had come and dropped to their knees in fervent prayer and supplication.

When the aftershocks subsided and the noise and racket settled, the residents, afraid to return to their houses, spent the remainder of the cold night huddled together in the streets.

The quakes didn’t end that night, however, but continued on into late April of 1812. More that 2,000 tremors were recorded with three, including the first one, of an 8.0 magnitude—if the Richter Scale had been invented then.

Centered in this part of the Mississippi River Valley, the quakes were among the strongest in America’s history and were felt as far away as Canada, New York and Washington D.C. Even the Mississippi River temporarily ran backwards.

Jay Feldman, the author of the new book, “When the Mississippi Ran Backwards, Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes” skillfully weaves geological and seismographical information with firsthand memoirs of the disaster.

The author vividly describes how the series of earthquakes made an impact on practically every aspect of life on the American frontier of 1811-12. He describes how Indian chief Tecumseh used the quakes to partially justify his people’s revolt against the fledging American government which brought about the brutal Indian wars of the early 19th century. He tells of the maiden voyage of the Mississippi River’s first steamboat, “The New Orleans”,and how the muddy water’s reaction to the quakes nearly sunk that ship. He recounts the murder of a Kentucky slave by his owner and how this killing was discovered after one of the quakes demolished the chimney where the victim's charred remains were hidden.

We read about historical events to learn from them. An author like Jay Feldman writes a gripping account about how a natural disaster that happened nearly two-hundred-year-old changed the course of American history. Catastrophic natural occurrences, such as the earthquakes of 1811 and 1812, are sure to happen again and are sure to have a great impact on the lives of those who live through it, as well as on the ongoing history of the area.

Check out the Library’s website at “columbuslibrary.info” to learn what the area book club members are reading, locate a wiring diagram for a 1972 Chevy pickup, check the bookmobile schedule, or research the death dates of former friends or relatives who’s obituaries have appeared in the “Columbus Telegram.”.