The question I asked about earth quakes was supposed to lead up to this question, but I became so engrossed in the responses on earthquakes I almost got lost: Could the 1811 earth quake have caused pools of quicksand to form as far away from the Mississippi as Valley Park where the Meramec River flows under I-44 nearest to St Louis? One of which I was caught in up to my knees in 1945. It was very near to the site where they were working that rock quarry. (My sister told me not to play hooky that day.)----Jim