The Night the Mountain Fell

L. Woodrow Ross in Charleston, SC

Major geological events often have a drastic effect on mankind. Floods, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, forest fires and earthquakes often disrupt patterns of human activity. In addition, they often threaten human life and when a major event takes place, it captures national attention in the news media.

Such an event occurred on a Monday, August 17, 1959, at 11:37 p.m. Not far outside the boundaries at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park in the Gallatin National Forest, a massive earthquake occurred. It was one of the largest ever recorded in North America and was recorded at 7.5 on the Richter Scale. The earthquake caused a landslide and millions of tons of rock, soil and debris crashed from a mountainside on the south side of the Madison River. The slide covered the river and inertia carried it several hundred feet up the mountain on the north side of the river.

The result of the slide was that 28 people died on that fateful night. Nineteen bodies were never recovered due to being buried under the million tons of debris. The slide blocked the river and in three weeks Earthquake Lake was created. It is 190 feet deep and 6 miles long. Today it is an attraction for anglers fishing for trout. A visitors center was created there as a memorial to the event that took those 28 lives.

This novel is a work of fiction centered around that event and how it affected those that were left  behind. It tells the story of a young couple from Charleston, SC, who were in the campground when the slide occurred. The prelude to the tragedy tells of their marriage and early successes. The actual night of the event records the terror and how they were ripped apart.

Over the next 2 1/2 years, the story records the convoluted series of events as they struggled with the aftermath and how it affected their lives. In the end, they never gave up and their love for each other overcame circumstances.

Join Daniel and Jessie (Jay) Gray in their journey as they pit their will against tragic circumstances. You will see that character and integrity will prevail as old friendships are tested and new ones are made. It is a journey with twists and unexpected turns that will keep you involved in the plot up until the last page.

© L. Woodrow Ross, January, 2013

Available on Amazon Kindle