PNSN Logo
Cascadia Historic Earthquake Catalog, 1793-1929
Covering Washington, Oregon and Southern British Columbia

Provided by: The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
About the Cascadia Historic Earthquake Catalog       One-line catalog format

1793-1849 .... 1850s .... 1860s .... 1870s .... 1880s .... 1890s .... 1900s .... 1910s .... 1920s .... 1930s (not complete) .... Other Cascadia Catalogs

  
Individual Event Report
Event #636 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                           
Townley and Allen state: "The shock was felt from Yakima to Spokane." One newspaper account, from the U.C. Berkeley clippings collection, says:
"Spokane, Dec. 30. -- An earth shock violent enough to be felt without a seismograph, and located within 500 miles of this city, was recorded at the Gonzaga University observatory here, the director reported today. The tremor started at _:57 and continued for two minutes, he stated. Wenatchee, Wash., Dec. 30. -- A pronounced earthquake was felt here at 10:55 AM today. Buildings shook and many occupants ran into the streets. One old citizen who has felt them before, said it was the most pronounced in the 17 years he has lived here."
The Seattle PI reports the shock felt in Wenatchee, Cashmere, Chelan, Entiat (most strongly) and Yakima. Longview Orchards, fifteen miles north of Wenatchee reported an especially severe shock. The quake was lightly felt in Seattle, and reported NOT felt in Oroville and Pateros.
TIME LOCATION MAGNITUDE MAX. INTENSITY FELT AREA
YR MO DAY HR MIN AM/PM Time
Type
LAT(N) LON(W) DEP
(km)
MAG Mag
Type
Felt
Plc.
Felt
St.
Inten-
sity
Int.
Type
Felt
Area
Felt
Area
Int.
Felt
Area
Units
1926  12  30  57  47.70  120.20        Wenatchee  WA  VI  RF  15000.00    mi2 
N-WA - 6069 WWC - 1887 - - TAWA - 1189 USEQS - 964

Underlying Source Material
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
6069  The Spokesman Review, Spokane  1926  1926, Dec 31, Friday 
Transcription: EARTH TREMORS ARE FELT IN N.W.
Wenatchee Valley Shock Lasts 10 Seconds No Large Damage Is Reported

WENATCHEE, Wash. Dec 30 An earthquake shook the Wenatchee Valley this morning at 9:57, the two shocks being felt generally throughout the valley. Reports from Cashmere, Sunnyslope, East Wenatchee and Rock Island indicated that the shock there were of equal strength. No great damage was reported up to tonight.

Mrs. George Larner, Sunnyslope, reported feeling three distinct shocks sufficient to rattle dishes. The temblor laster about 10 seconds. Doctor L.W.Strudley, Monitter, said it was the most severe earthquake he had felt at Monitter in 17 years. At the courthouse filing cabinets rattled and many persons left the building. On Highland Avenue a chimney was shaken down, dishes broken and toys knocked from the table in the home of Mrs. Walter Brines.

Felt At Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. Dec 30 Tremors, general throughout this region, were distinctly felt here 9:58am today. Buildings rocked and dishes rattled and people rushed from houses and stores to the streets. No damage has been reported. This is the first earth shock noticed here since early in 1920, when a similar quake was felt.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1887  Woodward Clyde Consultants, unpublished  1981  Woodward-Clyde Consultants (1981), Historical Catalog (1841-1980) for the Pacific Northwest Region, unpublished catalog prepared for the Washington Public Power Supply System. Copy provided to UW in 1993. 
Transcription: 192612301757000 47700-120200W VI WG 6 01
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
6067  Seattle Post-Intelligencer  1926  1926, Dec 31, Friday 
Transcription: WENATCHEE FEELS QUAKE
Pronounced Disturbance Reported Over East Washington; Entiat Citizens Flee Homes

WENATCHEE, Dec 30 A pronounced earth shock was felt in Wenatchee at 9:54 o'clock this morning. The shock was also felt Cashmere, Leavenworth, Chelan and Entiat.

Oroville, four miles from the Canadian line, and Pateros, which also lies north of Wenatchee, about sixty miles, did not report the shock. The disturbance apparently centered about eighteen miles north of Wenatchee, near Entiat, at which place people left their houses. The shock lasted several seconds at Wenatchee, shelf goods and dishes being shaken about in different parts of town. Longview Orchards, fifteen miles north of Wenatchee reported an especially severe shock.

YAKIMA, Dec 30 Desks in the upper floors of the Yakima federal building were shaken and doors, windows and dishes rattled in homes miles from this city on the Summitview road, in particular, when this street felt the earthquake that jarred eastern Washington just before ten o'clock this forenoon.

Seattle Feels But Light Shock

Seattle felt the earthquake which shook eastern Washington cities at about ten o'clock yesterday morning but, because of an odd coincidence, the temblor was not officially recorded here.

It just happened that, at the very moment the quake occurred, the roll of paper on the University of Washington's seismograph was being changed and thous, although the needle of the instrument vibrated perceptibly, it left no trace of its movement.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1888  Woodward Clyde Consultants, unpublished  1981  Woodward-Clyde Consultants (1981), Historical Catalog (1841-1980) for the Pacific Northwest Region, unpublished catalog prepared for the Washington Public Power Supply System. Copy provided to UW in 1993. 
Transcription: 19261231 47430-120340W III WG 3 01
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2390  Washington Public Power Supply System, Preliminary
Safety Analysis Report, Ammendment 23,
WPPSS Nuclear Project No. 1, 1300 MW Nuclear Power Plant, Vol. 2A. 
1977  Table 2R E-9 
Transcription: 95 1926 Dec 30 Wenatchee, Wash. v
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
184  Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476  1967   
Transcription: 184 1926 Dec. 30 17:57 Chelan-E. Central WA V-VI 1,4 felt over 15,000 sq. mi.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
6070  Morning Oregonian  1926  1926, Dec 31, Friday P: 1 C: 3 
Transcription: SPOKANE, Wash. Dec 30 Earth shocks that moved desks and tables here and at Yakima, in south central Washington, and toppled over a chimney at Wenatchee, in the north central part of the State, were felt this forenoon.

Recorder on the seismograph of Gonzaga university at 9:57, the shocks continued for 2 minutes. Residents of Yakima and Wenatchee felt them a few minutes later.

WENATCHEE, Wash. Dec 30 A pronounced earthquake was felt here at 10:05am today. Buildings shook and many occupants run into the streets. One old-timer, who has felt them before, said it was the most pronounced in the 17 years he has resided here.

SEATTLE, Wash. Dec 30 Seismographs at Victoria, B.C. And here did not record an earthquake felt today in Eastern Washington.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
6068  Okanogan Independent  1927  1927, Jan 4 Tuesday 
Transcription: QUAKE FELT

A few people have reported feeling slight tremors of the earthquake reported in this part of the State last Thursday.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2515  Washington Public Power Supply System, Preliminary
Safety Analysis Report, Ammendment 23,
WPPSS Nuclear Project No. 1, 1300 MW Nuclear Power Plant, Vol. 2A. 
1977  Table 2R-E1 
Transcription: 95 1926 Dec 30 17:58 Central Washington vi 9 TA(268) Shock felt widely,
but epi-
1926 Dec 30 17:57 E. Central Wash. v 15,000 EP(75,79) central location is uncer-
1926 Dec 30 17:57 Chelan V-Vi 15,000 RA(467) tain. EP(79).
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
6065  The Leavenworth Echo  1926  1926 Dec 31, Friday (weekly) P: 1 C:3 
Transcription: EARTH TREMOR HERE YESTERDAY MORNING

Thursday morning, Dec 30, at about 10 o’clock, earth tremors were felt in downtown buildings. It was similar in effect to a locomotive coming to a halt under breaks quickly applied. This was followed, probably within a few seconds by buildings being rocked sufficient to cause chairs, our lintoype and other objects to vibrate and pictures and mirrors on the walls to swing for a minute or two. The shock and tremor were both felt all over the city, as well as down the valley.

MORE ABOUT THE QUAKE

Just before going to press we learn that tremors were felt about the same in Cashmere and Wenatchee and intermediate points as here. And out in Chumstick valley J. K. Ells was milking a cow at the time and it fell on him, therefore he supposes the quake was an severe there as here, but by the time he got from under the cow the tremor was evidently over.

A report comes from Wenatchee that the quake was felt in the Entiat district, but there was a rumor to the effect that a great meteor had fallen there. This is not credited, however.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
6064  Ellensburg Daily Record  1926  Dec 30 
Transcription: EARTHQUAKE AT WENATCHEE

A pronounced earthquake was felt at Wenatchee at 10.05 a.m. today, shaking buildings and frightening many people to the streets. The seismograph at Gonzaga University, Spokane recorded a violent earth tremor at 9.57 a.m. today, located within 500 miles of Spokane.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1998  Unknown, UC Berkeley  1926  UC Berkeley Seismograph Station Clippings Collection 
Transcription: By Associated Press
Spokane, Dec. 30. -- An earth shock violent enough to be felt without a seismograph, and located within 500 miles of this city, was recorded at the Gonzaga University observatory here, the director reported today. The tremor started at 10:57 and continued for two minutes, he stated

By Associated Press
Wenatchee, Wash., Dec. 30. -- A pronounced earthquake was felt here at 10:55 AM today. Buildings shook and many occupants ran into the streets. One old citizen who has felt them before, said it was the most pronounced in the 17 years he has lived here.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1023  U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96  1973   
Transcription: 1926. December 30. East-central Washington. Strongest at Wenatchee and Leavenworth where people rushed into the street. Widely felt; epicenter uncertain.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1189  Townley, S. D. and M. W. Allen, 1939, Descriptive Catalog of Earthquakes of the Pacific Coast of the United States 1769-1928, Chap. III Earthquakes in Washington, 1883-1928, BSSA, V. 29, No. 1, pp. 259-268  1939   
Transcription: 1926 December 30. 9:58 a.m. VI? Central Washington. At Wenatchee, Chelan Co., two shocks; abrupt bumping or shuddering vibration; moved furniture; rolled rocks onto highway; felt by many. At Leavenworth, Chelan Co., nearly all felt two shocks; first from north to south, second a rapid swaying; people ran outdoors. At Quincy, Grant Co., buildings swayed and dishes fell from shelves. The shock was felt from Yakima to Spokane. At Davenport, Lincoln Co., a rocking motion felt by several was followed ten minutes later by another shock. Also felt at Cashmere and Sunnyslope, Chelan Co.; Rock Island, Douglas Co.-SRC&GS.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
964  U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96  1973   
Transcription: Dec. 30 09:57 East-central Washington - - 15,000 V 3-53,10
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
6066  The Leavenworth Echo  1927  1927, Jan 7 Friday 
Transcription: Thursday of last week an earthquake was felt in this vicinity. Stove pipes rattled, houses were shaken, but no damage was done. The dishes in Al Mueller's house were shaken from the shelves. Sunday night, another slight quake was felt.
 


UW Logo ESS Logo