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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

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Individual Event Report
Event #34 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                           
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        L  48.00  123.00        Port Townsend  WA           
N-Ore - 1518 USEQS - 910 - - MILNE - 1386 -

Underlying Source Material
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1213  Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York  1874  Gibbs, George. "Physical Geography of the Northwestern Boundary of the United States - Earthquakes", Vol. IV, 1874, pp. 298-392. 
Transcription: Gibbs, George. "Physical Geography of the Northwestern Boundary of the United States - Earthquakes", JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, VOL. IV, 1874, pp. 298-392.

"These have evidently been of frequent occurrence, as they do not excite much astonishment among the Indians. Duflot de Mofras mentions one which was felt at Fort Vancouver, December 2, 1841, at 4 P. M. They experienced these oscillations, of a second or more, and in a direction north and south. Mr. Yale, in a letter to me, says: `We had two that might have attracted the attention of the geologist. Both occurred after the eruption of Mount Baker. The first was tremulous, and caused some dilapidation of tottering things; but its greates pecularity was perhaps the loud report that preceded or attended it, and the roaring noise, which continued for some time ... The other was undulatory, and did some injury to the foundation of our house. It seemed to have come from the westward, and to have left in its trail a cold, disagreeable, smoky vapor. Both occurred in winter. That of December 26th was felt here, but I believe slightly, ...'

The last one was of December 26, 1856, which was very perceptible at Port Townshend, where I then was, jarring the house like the fall of some heavy body. It was felt by Mr. Warbass at Whidbey's Island, and the Indians told him `that the earth was rising.'

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.".
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
197  Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153  1935   
Transcription: 1856 December 26; Port Townsend. Perrey; P.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1386  Milne, W.G., 1956, Seismic Activity in Canada, west of the 113th meridian 1841-1951: Canada Dominion Obs. Pub., V. 18, No. 7, pp. 119-146  1957   
Transcription: 1856 DECEMBER 26. An early explorer's letter states of this earthquake: "This last one of December 26, 1856, was very perceptible at Port Townsend, where I then was, jarring the house like the fall of some heavy body. It was felt by Mr. Warbass at Widbey's Island and the Indians told him, in reply to his inquiry if they knew what it was, that the earth was rising." JAGS
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2  Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476  1967   
Transcription: 2 1856 Dec. 26 - 48 N, 123 W 1 felt, Port Townsend
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
427  Holden, Edward S., 1887, List of Recorded Earthquakes in California, Lower California, Oregon, and Washington Territory  1887  Printed by Direction of the Regents of the University of California, Sacremento, California, 
Transcription: 1856. December 26; Port Townsend, Washington.-Perrey.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1979  Oregonian  1856  Jan 27, 1857; pg 2, col 3 
Transcription: 1856, December 26. Port Townsend.
A slight shock of an earthquake was felt at Port Townsend of the 26th of December. It shook the houses considerable, and was followed by an undulating motion of several minutes duration.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
666  Reid, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park     
Transcription: Port Townsend 26 Dec, 1856 -Holden's Cat. pg 47
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2010  Leslie M. Scott, Memoranda of the Files of the Oregonian 1850-1910, Oregon Historical Society  1910  Unpublished index to the Oregonian 
Transcription: at Port Townsend, Dec. 26, 1856
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
969  U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96  1973   
Transcription: 1856. December 26. Port Townsend, Wash. House jarred.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
910  U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96  1973   
Transcription: 1856 Dec. 26 - Port Townsend, Wash 48 123 3-25,25
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2402  Washington Public Power Supply System, "WPPSS Nuclear Project No. 2, Final Safety Analysis Report, Volume 1, Amendment 18"
September 1981 		 1981  Table 2.5-6 
Transcription: 1856 Dec 26 Port Townsend, Wash TA
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
827  Reid 2, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park     
Transcription: Port Townsend December 26, 1856
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1028  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: 1856 December 26. Port Townsend (Jefferson County). ------ Perry. P.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1622  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: 18561226 48000-123000 R 01
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1518  The Oregonian  1857  Jan. 24, 1857; pg 2, c. 3. 
Transcription: A slight shock of an earthquake was felt at Port Townsend on the 26th of December. It shook the houses considerable, and was followed by an undulating motion of several minutes duration.
 


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