November 5th is World Tsunami Awareness Day. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a devastating tsunami that tragically claimed the lives of around 230,000 people and affected 14 countries. There have been several movies, and eyewitness videos which show the devastation that happened a mere twenty years ago.
I reached into the book “In the Shadow of Death-Martinique and the World’s Great Disasters” by Trumbull White, published 1902. I read about Krakatoa.
In 1883, the largest volcano explosion ever, was when Krakatoa blew up. The ash blew around the world. The book states that over a cubic mile of matter was ejected into the sky. It goes on about a ‘seismic sea-wave”. This fifty to seventy-two foot waves (other accounts have said 125 foot waves) were released. Over 36,000 people perished from the tidal-wave. A man-of-war ship was driven two miles inland. However, it is unusual that a volcano causes tsunamis, it is usually earthquakes.
I have several books on earthquakes, especially The New Madrid Earthquakes, that happened in 1811 and 1812 in Southeast Missouri. These were the strongest earthquakes in the United States. It was considered ten times stronger than the San Fransisco Earthquake of 1906. While there was not a tidal wave, the eathquakes caused waves on the Mississippi river to move upstream-the river flowed backwards for several hours.
The books are “The Effects of Earthquakes in the Central United States” by Otto W. Nuttli; “The New Madrid Earthquakes” by James Lal Pewnick, Jr; and “The New Madrid Earthquake” by Myron L. Fuller.
The books are filled with eyewitness accounts of the ground roiling and moving like water. Folded in one, is an article from the Jonesboro Sun, reprinting another story of a person who was there. In another is a map that showe fault lines, and geographic information. All three books are interesting reads.
I have another wonderful book on earthquakes, called “Earthquake History of the United States” by N.H. Heck published 1928.
This book goes into the history of earthquakes in the United States, excepting California and Western Nevada. As well as descriptions, there is a beautiful fold out map of the United States (about two feet by eighteen inches) that shows the placements of epicenters of the earthquakes. It also gives more details on the New Madrid Earthquakes. This is a very curious book on earthquakes that was printed by the United States Department of Commerce.
I have been through several earthquakes, but had not noticed anything because I was on the water. First in Indiana, was boating on Patoka Lake near French Lick. And second, in California, I was kayaking in Monteray Bay, near the aquarium. Both times people were talking like crazy about the earthquakes when I got ashore, and yet I had felt nothing. I got to read about it.
Thank you for reading, as well.
Librarytomes 