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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 #198 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                           
The Oregonian describes this event as "distinct" with "no damage" and gives the event time as 2:15 AM. This time differs from that given in previous catalogs, all of which refer back to the Monthly Weather Review: "at 5:26 a. m. on the 27th a heavy shock of earthquake occurred at this place. It was accompanied by a rumbling noise". No mention of this event was found in the Washington Standard or the Tacoma Daily Ledger, which 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
1885  27  26    47.04  122.89        Olympia  WA  IV  RF       
MWR - 2196 WWC - 1676 - - HOLD1 - 471 -

Underlying Source Material
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2196  Monthly Weather Review  1885  June, V. 13 
Transcription: June, 1885: Olympia, Washington Territory: at 5:26 a. m. on the 27th a heavy shock of earthquake occurred at this place. It was accompanied by a rumbling noise. The vibration was from east to west.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
860  Reid 2, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park     
Transcription: Olympia 5:26a June 27, 1885 IV E-W
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
471  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: 1885. June 27; 5h. 26m. A light shock (IV), Olympia, W.T.--U.S.W.R.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
704  Reid, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park     
Transcription: Olympia 5h 26m 27 June, 1885 IV. direction E-W -Am Jr Sc III-XXXII, pg 13
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1068  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: 1885 June 27. 5h 26m [5:26 a.m.]. IV. Olympia. A light shock.-MWR [June 1885,p 162].
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2520  Oregonian  1885  June 29, p.1, c. 6 
Transcription: Earthquake at Olympia
Olympia, June 27 -- A distinct earthquake shock was felt here this morning at 2:15 o'clock. No damage was done as far as heard from.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
54  Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476  1967   
Transcription: 54 1885 June 27 13:26 Olympia IV 4
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1676  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: 188506271326000 47045-122890W IV R 4 01
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2043  Leslie M. Scott, Memoranda of the Files of the Oregonian 1850-1910, Oregon Historical Society  1910  Unpublished index to the Oregonian 
Transcription: at Olympia, June 17, 1885 no damage
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
233  Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153  1935   
Transcription: 1885 June 27; 5h 26m; a light shock, IV, Olympia. U.S.W.R.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1211  The American Journal of Science  1887  Third Series, Vol. XXXII, Nos. 187-192, July to December 1886, pp. 13-16 
Transcription: Rockwood, C. G. "American Earthquakes", THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, Third Series,, VOL. XXXII, Nos. 187-192, July to December 1886, pp. 13-16.

May 3, 1885 - 23h 30m local time a very light shock (III) at Olympia, W. T. Light shocks continued until 1h 30m of the 4th (U.S. Weather Review)

June 27 - 5h 26m at Olympia, W. T., a light shock (IV) east to west, with rumbling noise (U. S. Weather Review).

October 9 - 8h a moderate shock (V), south to north, at Olympia, W. T.

October 10 - Between 1h and 2h three very light shocks (III), each of about one second duration and separated by an interval of six seconds, at East Portland, Oregon (U. S. Weather Review).

December 8 - In the evening a moderate earthquake (V) occurred in the vicinity of Puget Sound, W. T. The principal shock occurred at 22h 40m, 120th meridian time, and was felt as far south as Olympia, where the motion was east-west and was sufficient to arouse sleepers. At East Sound three light shocks were reported at 22h 35m; two heavy ones, rattling dishes at 22h 40m; two light ones at 23h 15m, and a somewhat heavier one at 23h 50m ... It was also reported from Port Angeles and Salt Springs Island.

December 18 - 0h 30m a very light shock (III) at Tatoosh Island in the extreme northwest of Washington Territory. It lasted about five seconds and was followed by a second shock about ten minutes later (U. S. Weather Review).
 


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