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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 #206 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                           
The Monthly Weather Review (MWR) is the original source for this earthquake: "December, 1885: Tatoosh Island, Washington Territory: a distinct shock of earthquake was felt at 12:30 a.m. of the 18th, lasting about 5 seconds; it was followed by a second shock about 10 minutes later." Rockwood assigned the intensity of III. No newspaper accounts have been researched.
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  12  18  12  30    48.38  124.75        Tatoosh Island  WA  III  RF       
MWR - 2195 WWC - 1680 - - CGR - 1211 -

Underlying Source Material
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
237  Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153  1935   
Transcription: 1885 December 18, 0h 30m; III; a very light shock, Tatoosh Island. U.S.W.R.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
58  Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476  1967   
Transcription: 58 1885 Dec. 19 08:30 Tatoosh Is. III 4
 
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).
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1680  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: 188512190830000 48380-124750W III R 3 01
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1071  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 December 18. 0h 30m [12:30 a.m.]. III. Tatoosh Island [Clallam Co.]. A very light shock.-MWR [December 1885, p. 313. Followed by a second shock in ten minutes. Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., 32, 11].
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
863  Reid 2, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park     
Transcription: Tatoosh Island 12:30a December 18, 1885 Duration 5 seconds. Followed by a second shock 10...(scribbled out).
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2195  Monthly Weather Review  1885  December, V. 13, p. 313 
Transcription: December, 1885: Tatoosh Island, Washington Territory: a distinct shock of earthquake was felt at 12:30 a.m. of the 18th, lasting about 5 seconds; it was followed by a second shock about 10 minutes later.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
476  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. December 18; 0h. 30m. A very light shock (III) Tatoosh Island, W.T.--U.S.W.R.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
2137  U. S. Weather Bureau Climatological Records, for the State of Washington  1819-1892  National Archives Microfilm Copy T907, Roll No. 537, 1819-1892 - Tatoosh Island, Washington-handwritten weather forms 
Transcription: December, 1885, Tatoosh Island, Washington

December 18, Earthquake reported by Light keeper
 


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