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The Roosevelts take the New Orleans over the Falls of the Ohio. A strange shaking of the earth is felt by country-folk.
As Lydia Roosevelt stood in the stern with her dog, watching the rapid race along at an alarming speed, aboard the New Orleans all hands were busy, and probably praying, that all would be well. Engine Screams as Falls Draws NearIn preparation to running the falls extra wood was fed into the boiler. The safety valve on the engine screamed in protest as the boat reached its top speed. The falls grew nearer and, as it did, a thick smoky cloud rose toward the sky. The sound of the rushing rapids and that of waves crashing against rocks was deafening. Then, suddenly, there was a slight jarring and all knew with certainty that the boat had struck something. Just how badly the boat was damaged was yet to be determined for all attention had to be aimed toward the biggest drop in the Falls. And then, the boat plunged forward and downward. Over the FallsSoon, and to the astonishment of all aboard, the waters were calm. The New Orleans had passed her trial. And also to everyone's astonishment, the damage to its hull was slight. A layover was called at Shippingport to load supplies and fuel, then they would be off for New Madrid on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. From there it would be four-hundred-miles to Natchez. The Shaking EarthThey arrived at Yellow Bank on the 15th of December and docked to load fuel. As the crew worked settlers came from the surrounding woods. These frontier folk wanted to know if the crewmembers had heard any unusual noises coming from the river or the forest that day. Had they not felt the earth shake, as they had? The crew denied any such experience but later realized that something did seem out of the ordinary. The weather seemed strange, unusually warm for December. The air, itself, seemed hazy and the sun, though shining, appeared red rather than its usual yellow brightness. Then, resuming their work, nothing more was thought of all this as they turned in late into their bunks. A Fateful December Day in 1811There are various account of what really happened concerning the New Orleans and its crew on that 15th day of December in 1811, and the days that followed. The version I have just related in light of the devastating events that took place that day seems hardly plausible. A more likely telling of that day's events is as follows. Over The Falls of the Ohio: The Shaking Quaking Earth, continues with New Madrid Earthquake: A River Gone Mad . Previous: Nearing the Falls of the Ohio: Birth Aboard the Boat .
The copyright of the article Over The Falls of the Ohio in American History is owned by Mary Trotter Kion. Permission to republish Over The Falls of the Ohio in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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