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Analyzing the New Madrid Earthquakes

Parker Lynn

History 2010 Dr. Fletcher November 21, 2011

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The New Madrid Earthquakes occurred between December of 1811 and February of 18121. A series of three earthquakes, they rank as three of the most powerful since the Europeans settled in North America, and the strongest east of the Rockies2. The area affected was substantial, 600,000 square kilometers were damaged severely and the quakes were felt over 5,000,000 square kilometers3. The first quake occurred at 2:15 a.m. on December 16, 18114. This quake minimally damaged man made structures, since this region was skim in terms of population5. The first earthquake was followed by an after shock 5 hours earlier, which was reported to be not quite as strong as the first; it occurred around the Real Foot Lake6. The second earthquake occurred on January 23, 1812; this earthquake is considered the weakest of the three main ones7. The third quake occurred on February 7 at 3:45 a.m.; there were many shocks that resulted from it and it is regarded as the strongest of the series of earthquakes8 The third earthquake, and accompanying shocks leveled the town of New Madrid and many structures in St. Louis were damaged significantly9. The earthquakes caused significant visible damage to the terrain, scarring the ground with deep gashes and mangling trees10 . The Mississippi River was modestly affected as well, the quakes formed large waves which sunk and capsized many boats, and washed many aground; many banks fell as well, along with points of islands, while many islands were simply no more11. The most damage came from landslides and other changes in the land, including: fissures, sinks, sand blows and
1

Historic Earthquakes: New Madrid 1811-1812 Earthquakes, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S Geological Survey, May 24, 2011.( http://earthquaked.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1811-1812.php) accessed August 26, 2011. 2 Ibid 3 Ibid 4 Ibid 5 Ibid 6 Ibid 7 Ibid 8 Ibid 9 Ibid 10 Ibid

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risen and sunken ground12. A well known Tennessee land mark, Real Foot Lake, was created when the land containing it sunk 1.5 to 6 meters13. It is difficult to fathom the impact these quakes would have had if they had been postponed a century or two. Eliza Bryant was a very important eyewitness of the earthquakes; she wrote to Lorenzo Dow, a minister who made her testimony a key piece of evidence in accessing the impact of the quakes14. She describes the quakes as an awful shock and having a very distinct sound, the sound of thunder15. This was followed by screams, shrieks and yelling from her fellow settlers and the noise of the creatures of the land, equally unsettled by the quakes16. The fear was immense, and everyone dispersed, overcome by the will to survive17. She vividly describes the effects of the quakes on the Mississippi, and how the receding waters grounded many a vessel, which were abandoned by their crews and swept away minutes later18. She also describes the fissures, and how they were surrounded by sand that had erupted from them, and how a few of them were also surrounded by a black substance she identifies as coal, though not a pure specimen of such19. She heard through word of mouth of a large lake that was formed, a result of a drop in the land, which was most likely Real Foot Lake20. In the last paragraph she testifies that she wrote this to the best of her memory, and she assures its accuracy21.

Ibid Ibid 13 Ibid 14 The Center for Earthquakes Research and Information (CERI) New Madrid Eyewitness Accounts (http://www. Ceri.memphis.edu/compendium/eyewitnesses/bryan.html) 15 Eliza Bryan, Letter to Reverend Lorenzo Dow, March 22, 1816. Quoted in Lorenzo Dow, History of Cosmopolite (Philadelphia: J. B. Smith, 1859). At New Madrid Eyewitness Accounts, Center for Earthquake Research and Information, by Arch Johnson and N. K. Moran, no date. (http://www.ceri.memphis.edu/compendium/eyewitness/bryan.html) accessed August 26, 2011. 16 Ibid 17 Ibid 18 Ibid 19 Ibid 20 Ibid 21 Ibid
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Eliza Bryans account, though vivid, seems to go along quite well with the general consensus of present day academia. She should be expected to have some bias, since she was there during the events, and more than likely traumatized by them. The account may be slightly over attentive to detail, which may indicate much of the info came via word of mouth and should be treated as such. Saying this, the account is parallel with the general consensus and should be treated as such. The account of George Heinrich Crist is a first hand account from north-central Kentucky, in todays Louisville22. He describes the event as a violent shaking of his home, which overturned tables and other through him and his companions out of their beds23. He describes the sound of earthquake as that of a mighty roar, followed by screams from his fellow settlers and from animals as well24. His house was left intact, unlike some, and his animals had wondered off, he decides he is not going to stay around much longer25. He describes the second quake as just as or stronger than the first, and begins to question the origin of the quakes26. He has lost a loved one, and he wonders if the Devil has joined them, while he says many others are wondering if the world is coming to an end27. His account of the third quake shows how distressed he is, he and his family are in fear for their lives and they cant leave until they find their animals or find more28. A little over a month later he still hasnt found his animals, and there are none to acquire; he still feels aftershocks29. Crists account is much more blunt than Bryans. It was not glorified and over attentive, it was simple and rugged. It was also more of a diary/journal, while Bryans was a recollection. The trauma had
22

George Heinrich Crist, unknown documents, various dates. Quoted at The Virtual Times: The New Madrid Earthquake, no date. <http://hsv.com/genlintr/newmadrd/accnt3.htm> accessed August 26, 2011.
23 24

Ibid Ibid 25 Ibid 26 Ibid 27 Ibid 28 Ibid

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not worn off of Crist, which is apparent, and he is not afraid to show emotion in his account. Overall I view it as very believable and accurate. William Pierces identity is not known, but his account was published in the New York Evening Post in March of 181230. His account of the first quake is unique, he is on a boat as it happened, and describes as sounding like running over a sandbar31. They were under the false impression that their boat had been sabotaged, and that the Natives were to blame; after they discovered that they were still safely moored, several aftershocks hit and he realized that it must be an earthquake32. He describes observing the bank and seeing mangled trees and a collapsing bank, consistent with consensus33. He also observed the cracking of the ground34. He recalls hearing the banks give way, and seeing the bottom of rivers thrown onto the shore35. He observes that many islands have been destroyed, and notes the damage of an island he explored The Earthquake had rent the ground in large and numerous gaps; vast quantities of burnt wood in every stage of alteration, from its primitive nature to stove coal had been spread over the ground to very considerable distances; frightful and hideous caverns yawned on every side, and the earths bowels appeared to have felt the tremendous force of the shocks which had thus riven the surface (sic).36

29 30

Ibid ) New Madrid Eyewitness Accounts (http://www. Ceri.memphis.edu/compendium/eyewitnesses/bryan.html)

William Leigh Pierce, An Account of the Great Earthquakes, in the Western States, particularly on the Mississippi River; December 16-23, 1811 (Newburyport, Massachusetts: Thomas & Whipple, 1812). At New Madrid Eyewitness Accounts, Center for Earthquake Research and Information, by Arch Johnson and N. K. Moran, no date. <http://www.ceri.memphis.edu/compendium/eyewitness/pierce.html> accessed August 26, 2011.
32 33

31

Ibid Ibid 34 Ibid 35 Ibid 36 Ibid

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He goes on to tell of the destruction observed as they made their way down stream, elaborating on the damage of the banks and the mangled trees37. He and his fellow travelers then find four wrecked boats, with no crew around, and he is sure they are buried in the mud or debris. This account is quite length and vivid. It was written for a magazine, so it may have been exaggerated slightly. This account is quite unique, since it is from someone on the Mississippi during the quake. It follows the consensus well, and gives us a first person account of the things described in by word of mouth in Bryans letter. It does more than reinforces Bryans letter, it adds the element of loss of human life, in more graphic description than that of Crists account. It is a chilling story, and while some of it may be just that, it does offer many details that others do not and should not be overlooked for appearing as such. John Bradbury was a traveler from Britain who explored the American west searching for specimens38. He starts off by stating how bored he is with New Madrid and how dissatisfied he is with the lack of people and settlement39. He says the first shock struck at 2 a.m. and after he had gone ashore an aftershock hit, though it was not as strong as the first40. While ashore, he noted that the bank had sunk two feet41. He noticed that their boat had been moored to a sloped bank and he credited this to saving their lives, alluding to the collapsed river banks42. Bradbury and his envoy had to work their way upstream, bartering with Native Americans for food43. They felt fewer and fewer shocks as the days went on, until they
37

Ibid

38

John Bradbury, Travels in the Interior of America, in the Years 1809, 1810, and 1811 . . . (Liverpool, England: Smith and Galway, 1817). At New Madrid Eyewitness Accounts, Center for Earthquake Research and Information, by Arch Johnson and N. K. Moran, no date. <http://www.ceri.memphis.edu/compendium/eyewitness/bradbury.html> accessed August 26, 2011.
39 40

Ibid Ibid 41 Ibid 42 Ibid. 43 Ibid

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had an encounter with another earthquake all together44. They were then ushered into a settlement with about twenty others, who told them of how surges of water had reached the height of trees, and that many of them had escaped to the hills to avoid the waves45. One of the men he encountered blamed a comet for the earthquakes, saying the earth was trying to repeal one of its tails46. He learned from another sailor that New Madrid had been wiped out and most of the land had been turned into a lake47. Bradbury finishes his voyage, after a few more aftershocks, in peace before departing for home48. Bradbury also offers an account from the river. It is not as detailed as Pierces but is considered accurate, considering Bradburys profession. As a scientist, he knows to record relevant facts in his journals. He does this well, and it shows in his book. His recording of the theory of the comment is also interesting, and goes hand in hand with Crists wondering if the end of the world is near. Mitchills interpretation is very detailed. It starts out referencing a comet, possibly the same one Bradbury had heard of49. His analysis says that the quakes were felt in D.C., Norfolk, Raleigh and Georgetown S.C.50. In Charleston, the quakes caused a clock bell to wring for about 10 seconds51. There were seven shocks felt in Charleston, and the comet was visible the entire month52. People in Savannah felt three shocks, and saw a flash of light, along with the loud roar53. The quakes were felt throughout the
44 45

Ibid Ibid 46 Ibid 47 Ibid 48 Ibid

49

50 51

Samuel L. Mitchill, A Detailed Narrative of the Earthquakes which occurred on the 16th day of December, 1811 etc., Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society of NY, Vol. 1 (May 1814): 281-307, transcribed by Susan E. Hough, May 2000. <http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/office/hough/mitchill.html> accessed August 26, 2011.

Ibid Ibid 52 Ibid 53 Ibid

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south54. Mitchill amassed large amounts of data while preparing this, from accounts of many cities to meteorlogical data, he assimilated it all to try and make sense of this unusual happening. He notes that the earthquakes were not felt below New Orleans55. He goes on to make note of all that reportedly occurred during the earthquakes, which include: trembling of the earth that was not consistent geographically, air was realeased into the atmosphere, coal and hot water were ejected, and light was emitted in a few locations, sound was heard often but definitely not always56. He goes on to theorize that there was a fire below the surface of the earth, but was unsure how it affected the area it did or why57. Mitchill amassed huge amounts of data in his plight to understand the New Madrid Earthquakes. He was curious as to what caused them, and his research pre dated modern geology. His work did make a very interesting connection though, how widespread these earth quakes were. He had reports of quakes all over the east coast, strong enough to notice, make people feel seasick and even cause property damage58. His theories and claims were examples of pre plate tectonic knowledge and were his best way of explaining the events. His report it still useful today, minus the theorizing. The USGSs page is the modern explanation of what happened scientifically59. It is the current geological consensus of what happened in 1811-12 around the southern half of the Mighty Mississippi. It uses first hand accounts and analysis to approximate the strength of the quakes on the Richter scale, with the first and last being 7.7s and the second a 7.560. It is purly scientific and very impersonal, with no accounts backing it up it uses data alone to explain the earth quakes. Compared all the accounts though,
54 55

Ibid Ibid 56 Ibid 57 Ibid 58 Ibid

Historic Earthquakes: New Madrid 1811-1812 Earthquakes, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, May 24, 2011. <http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1811-1812.php> accessed August 26, 2011.

59

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this analysis made the most sense, but would not be here if it there were no accounts to base some of the inferences on. This analysis is a great starting point for research if one is versed in elementary geology, but it should be little more than a stepping stone and eyeglasses, giving one both a scientific understanding of what probably happened and a way to show the consistencies of all of the different accounts. Landon Jones starts out by relating the New Madrid Earthquakes to a minor quake felt earlier this year61. He is quick to point out how weak they really are, compared to the New Madrid Earthquakes that happened 200 years ago62. The earthquakes were much stronger than this, and if repeated would do unforeseen damage to the south. It should be a wake up call, to get cities to prepare for this, to get people to prepare for this. But as Katrina taught us, we are fools whod rather wait for something tragic to happen and then play the blame game afterwards. David Fletcher, in his analysis, points toward unusual events that coincided with the earthquakes63. In his analysis he points out these odd events that coincided with the quakes. The Great Comet of 1811 happened as the quakes were happening64.There were other odd things happening as well, the water fowl were acting in a frenzy, the natives were frightened and the bewilderment of the inhabitants. Settlers that Bradbury came across were occupied by fear, clinging to their bibles and telling him about a two horned comet that had passed by months earlier. It shows the difference in times. Today, we explain with logic and science. Two hundred years ago, they explained with superstition and dogma. The church attendance
60

Ibid

61

Landon Jones, The New Madrid Earthquake: 200 Years Later, Huff Post Green, The Internet Newspaper: News Blogs Video Community, August 26, 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/landon-jones/earthquake-new-madrid_b_934803.html> accessed August 26, 2011.
62

Ibid

David W Fletcher, Signs and Wonders and the New Madrid Earthquakes, Border States 16 (2007): 11-27. At David W Fletcher: History Papers, no date. < http://www.davidwfletcher.com/history-papers.php> accessed August 26, 2011.
64

63

Ibid

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swelled following the quakes, the flock wanted answers65. People also wanted to find religion before it was too late66 . The way this relates to today is simple, religion and science arent really that different, they both just want to answer the same questions. To call the settlers ignorant would show are ignorance, not logically but ignorant of our history and progress.

65 66

Ibid Ibid