THE AUSTIN PAPERS. · 207 country into dessolation and plunging such of the unfortunat.e wretches who survive the ruin, into Misery and dispair, These emotions I experianced when on landing at N. Madrid the effects by the Earthquake were so prominently visible as well in the sunken and shatered situation of the Houses, as in the counte- nance of the flew who remained to mourn over the ruins of their prosperity and past happiness As I view 4 • the present situation of this place and reflected on the cause which desolated it I could not refrain from heaving a sigh at its departed prosperity and at the same time from regarding with fearfull astonishment the Force of a Power sufficient thus to agitate the Earth- The effects of the Earthquake began to be visible about 20 miles above this place by the shattered state of the Bank of the River. 6 miles aboTe this the Bed of the river rose on the night of the 7 Feb 7 • the most severe shock which has been felt, and formed a kind of falls very similar to the falls of Ohio, and re[n]dered the naviga- tion very dangerous untill the spring floods had wash 4 • it away being onely sand- There were a number of Boats lost at this place, and many lives. The Banks are very much shattered and su·nken from this place to N. M where the Bank has sunk about nine feet which reduces the former site of the Town, below high- '"ater mark, The shock of the 7 of Febry. altho not attended with quite so terribJ..e a catastrophy, yet excited all the horrors of the most violent, and distructive Earthquakes in those who were at this place-the agitation was so great that a man could not stand without holding on by something and the Mississippi rose in an instant 15 feet which brought the water all round and in some of the Houses, which justified the Idea that the whole country was sinking, and as there was no high land to fly to they considered themselves as lost- happily however there was not many lives Lost, an unfortunate family who were moveing down the River and had Landed here a flew days before was all lost by the overturning of their Boat which was carried with a number of others some distance into the woods and left dry by fall of the water,- Having had occat.ion to go out into the country twenty Miles to the Big Perain.[sic] I had an opportunity of seeing all damage which was done-this is nothing compar 4 to what has been reported tho consider- able. the Earth is very much crack 4 • all the way to the Pernin and per- ferated with holes of different sizes out of which emmence quantities of white sand has been discharged mixt.d with a Kind [oftstone coal which altho it resembles the common fossil coal in smell yet is more regular in -its grain and of a clearer Black and will not burn so freely- • There is not in any of these places the smallest appearance of Vol- canic Matter tho. there are numbers of marks of the most violent
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