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

  
  
1850s
Event #25 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  25
Volcanic Activity Known only from Plummer's article in the Tacoma Ledger - February 28, 1893. The story goes: " In January 1853, persons living down Sound could distinctly see a long black streak on the southwest slope of Mount Baker which was variously estimated at from 1000 to 2000 feet in width. It was several months before this mass of lava (as it undoubtedly was) had cooled so as to receive the falling snow. Persons who reached the summit in 1881, report that just south of the peak is an enormous chasm bearing nearly east and west and at least 1000 feet below the summit. At the bottom of this chasm is the crater, and it was from its western mouth this river of lava flowed."

Another newspaper report, mentioned in "Land of Trees" by Larry Workman says " 1854 George Davidson, a scientist, reports ‘vast rolling masses of dense smoke,’ on Mt. Baker."
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
1853                        Mt. Baker  WA           
N-WPP - 2467 - - - N-WPP - 2467 -
Event #26 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  26
Volcanic Activity Known only from Holden (1887): "1853; Perrey refers to eruptions of Hood, St. Helens, Mt. Baker, etc.-Am.J.Sc. 2d series, v. 20, p. 207, September, 1855."
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
1853                        Mt. St. Helens  WA           
HOLD1 - 421 - - - HOLD1 - 421 -
Event #27 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  27
Volcanic Activity Known only from Holden (1887): "1853; Perrey refers to eruptions of Hood, St. Helens, Mt. Baker, etc.-Am.J.Sc. 2d series, v. 20, p. 207, September, 1855."
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
1853                        Mt Hood  OR           
HOLD1 - 421 - - - HOLD1 - 421 -
Event #28 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  28
No mention of whose diary, the location of the diarist, or where Milne viewed the diary
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
1853  11  25                           
MILNE - 1385 - - - - -
Event #29 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  29
Volcanic Activity Known only 2 reports in from Holden: "1854. March; St. Helens, Oregon, in eruption.-Perrey. [?]" and "1854. February-April; Mountain of St. Helens, Oregon, was in eruption about February-April.--Perrey. [?]"
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
1854                      Mt. St. Helens  OR           
HOLD1 - 422 - - - HOLD1 - 422 -
Event #30 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  30
Volcanic Activity Known only from Holden (1887): "1854. April 10; Mt. St. Helens still in eruption.-Perrey. [?]"
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
1854  10                    Mt. St Helens  OR           
HOLD1 - 424 - - - HOLD1 - 424 -
Event #31 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  31
Known only from Holden (1887): "1854. May 23; A shock at Crescent City, Humboldt County, Cal.-J.B.T. And San Francisco, Cal.-Perrey. 11h. 20m. p.m.-Perrey."
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
1854  23  11  20            Crescent City  CA           
HOLD1 - 425 - - - HOLD1 - 425 -
Event #32 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  32
Volcanic Activity Known only from Holden (1887): "1854. August; Smoke on Mt. Hood.-Perrey."
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
1854                      Mount Hood  OR           
HOLD1 - 426 - - - HOLD1 - 426 -
Event #33 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  33
Diary entries only - additional references should be sought.
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
1855  11  29              Whidbey Island  WA           
DIARY - 1945 - - - DIARY - 1945 -
Event #34 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  34
This earthquake was felt in Port Townsend, where, according to the Oregonian, it "shook houses considerable, and was followed by an undulating motion of several minutes duration". It is included in all the catalogs, and was also reported felt on Whidbey Island. No B.C. newspapers are presently in the collections, and Milne makes no mention of whether they were checked.
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
1856  12  26        48.00  123.00        Port Townsend  WA           
N-Ore - 1518 USEQS - 910 - - MILNE - 1386 -
Event #35 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  35
No information from newspapers - They should be checked.
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
1857            48.80  122.70        Birch Bay  WA           
TAWA - 1029 WWC - 1623 - - TAWA - 1029 -
Event #36 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  36
Since there is no mention of an event in 1858 except for this reference, it seems reasonable to believe that this article has mistaken the event date. Could this be 12/26/1856, 9/1857?, April 2, 1859? or possibly some other date?
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
1858                        Victoria  B.C.           
N-Vic - 1519 - - - N-Vic - 1519 -
Event #37 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  37
The Olympia Pioneer Democrat says "although no damage was done that we are aware of, buildings and their loose contents were considerably shaken, and some of our more nervous neighbors no little alarmed." George Gibbs (1874) gives further information : "A very distinct shock was noticed at Olympia on the 2nd of April, 1859, at 2:30 A. M. Mr. James Tilton, Surveyor General of the Territory, describes its force as about equal to the the effect of a sixty-mile-an-hour gale upon a frame house. The crockery rattled, and many persons were awakened. There was but one shock, which lasted eight or ten seconds. The night was calm, and thr tremor well defined, undulatory, and suggestive of the motion of a ship at sea. A lady living in Olympia informed me that a pivot glass in her bedroom was made to swing so much as to attract her notice. The direction was S.W." Townley and Allen do not list this event.
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
1859  30  47.00  123.00        Olympia  WA  MM       
JOURN - 1213 USEQS - 911 - - RAS - 3 -
Event #38 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  38
Milne is the only source of information for this earthquake: "1859 JUNE 22. 3 p.m. III to IV. Oscillation from west to east of two or three seconds duration at Victoria. Br. Col. ."
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
1859  22              Victoria  B.C.  IV  MM       
MILNE - 1387 - - - MILNE - 1387 -
Event #39 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  39
Milne is the only source of information for this earthquake: "1859 JUNE 22. 5:30 p.m. Rumbling at Victoria. Br. Col."
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
1859  22  30            Victoria  B.C.           
MILNE - 1388 - - - MILNE - 1388 -
Event #40 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  40
Volcanic Activity Known only from Holden (1887): "1859. August 15; August 17. Eruption of Mt. Hood, Oregon.-Perrey. [?]"
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
1859  15                    Mt. Hood  OR           
HOLD1 - 428 - - - HOLD1 - 428 -
Event #41 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  41
Volcanic Activity Known only from Holden (1887): "1859. November 22; Mt. Baker in full activity.-Perrey. [?]"
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
1859  11  22                    Mt. Baker  WA           
HOLD1 - 429 - - - HOLD1 - 429 -
Event #42 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                            Full references for Event #  42
Volcanic Activity Known only from Holden (1887): "1859. December; Eruption of Mt. Baker.-Perrey. [?]"
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
1859  12                      Mt. Baker  WA           
HOLD1 - 430 - - - HOLD1 - 430 -

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