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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

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

  
Individual Event Report
Event #119 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                           
This may be two separate events, or a single misreported earthquake. Holden lists two events, one in Victoria on the 17th, the other in Olympia, with uncertain date. Milne says that no earthquake was mentioned in the Victoria papers. Newspapers should be searched.
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
1873  12  17  11    47.04  122.89        Olympia  WA  IV  MM       
CGR - 1203 WWC - 1646 - - RAS - 26 -

Underlying Source Material
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
648  Reid, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park     
Transcription: Victoria between 11 & 12 pm 17 Dec, 1873 IV -Holden's Cat. pg 97; Am. Jr. Sc. ser III, vol 7, pg 387
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1203  The American Journal of Science and Arts  1874  Third Series, Nos. 37-42, January to June 1874, pp. 386-387 
Transcription: Rockwood, C. G. "Notices of Recent American Earthquakes", THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS, VOL. VII, Third Series, Nos. 37-42, January to June, 1874, p. 386-387.

October 19, 1873 - A slight shock was felt about 2 P. M. at Seattle, W. T., and "at 4 o'clock clouds of smoke were seen pouring from the highest peak of Mt. Rainier."

November 22, 1873 - A shock was felt along the Pacific Coast and vicinity, from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco ... It was most violent at Crescent City, California, and Port Orchard, Oregon ... At the former place nearly every brick building suffered more or less damage from cracked walls and falling chimneys. It was quite heavy at various points in the Coast Range of mountains, the severity diminishing north and south from the neighborhood of the State boundary line. The duration is stated at 20 to 30 seconds, and the time a few minutes past nine P. M. The direction appears to have been from a point between north and northeast ... At Albany, Oregon, two shocks were reported, and at Roseburg, Oregon, a "roaring" was also heard.

December 17, 1873 - A smart shock, followed by a rumbling noise, between 11 and 12 P. M., at Victoria, Vancouver Island.

December 20, 1873 - A shock in the night, lasting 10 seconds, at Victoria, Vancouver Island.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
26  Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476  1967   
Transcription: 26 1873 Dec. 17? - Olympia IV 4
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1050  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: 1873 December ? (probably 17, E.S.H.) Olympia. Three shocks.-P. [Plummer gives an intensity of IV.]
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1234  Holden, E.S., 1898, A Catalog of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1087  1898   
Transcription: 1873. December ?; (Probably 17, E.S.H.) Olympia. Three shocks.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1407  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: 1873 DECEMBER 17. 11-12 p.m. Bradford lists an earthquake of intensity IV at Victoria, but the newspapers make no mention of it.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
213  Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153  1935   
Transcription: 1873 December (probably 17, E.S.H.) Olympia three shocks. P.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1646  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: 18731217 47045-122890W IV R 4 01
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
212  Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153  1935   
Transcription: 1873 December 17, 11-12 p.m.; IV; Victoria, B.C. C.G.R.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2473  Coombs, H.A., W.G. Milne, O.W. Nuttli, and D.B. Slemmons, "Report of the Review Panel on the December 14, 1872 earthquake",  1976  Appendix D: Selected Supporting Information -- Professor Plummer's Paper on "Recent Volcanic Activity" Read before the Academy of Science - Tacoma Ledger - February 28, 1893 
Transcription: (This is part of an 8 page article - see the WPPSS table for entire text RSL 7/1995)

On the 9th of January 1873, several sharp shocks were felt
at Tacoma, and with less force at Seattle. No damage was done.
On November 20th of the same year shocks were felt at Tacoma,
and the following December three shocks were felt at Olympia.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1233  Holden, E.S., 1898, A Catalog of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1087  1898   
Transcription: 1873. December 17; 11-12 P.M.; IV. Victoria, B.C.___C.G.R.
 


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