Cascadia Catalog 1793-1930

	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 #487 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs
Catalogs refer to the reports of weather observers in Seattle (RF IV), Silverton, Sumner (RF IV), and Olympia (RF IV). Olympia reported 3 shocks, Sumner 2, the others 1. Durations reported ranged from 1-5 sec. Buildings shook, windows rattled.
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
1916	1	2	0	52		G	47.33	122.33				Puget Sound	WA	V	MM	12000.00		mi2
RAS - 134							BRAD - 312		-	-		USEQS - 950				RAS - 134

Underlying Source Material

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
6053	Seattle Post Intelligencer	1916	Jan., 2, Sunday, A329, p1 c7
Transcription: QUAKE ROCKS WESTERN END OF THE STATE Shock Startles City Residents When Pictures Wobble on Walls and Chairs Move as by an Invisible Hand - Vibrations Last 1 to 15 seconds. Dinner is Spilled At Woodland Park Home City Hall Sways and Anxious Occupants of Jail Ask Questions - Desks Slide Across Offices in Downtown District - Many Think It to Be Result of Another Explosion. Seattle was rocked by an earthquake shock a few minutes before 6 o’clock Saturday afternoon. All sections of the city felt temblor. The residence sections, Ballard, West Seattle, Rainier valley and the University and the downtown business section reported the disturbance. Estimates of duration of the shock varied from one to fifteen seconds. There were reports of two distinct vibrations. No damage of consequence resulted from the visit of the temblor. There were instances of plates smashed into bits by falls from cupboards and plate rails. Pictures were jarred loose from the wall, several householders said, and chairs were moved about as if by an invisible hand. Seismograph Didn’t Register The seismograph at the University of Washington failed to register the earthquake at all. Dean Henry Landes, of the college of science, is at a loss explain this action of the delicate instrument, except that the needles were jarred out of position earlier in the afternoon by men working in the laboratory where the machine is located. "The instrument showed a distinct jar at 3.10 o’clock." said Dr. Landes, "One of the needles was thrown off the instrument, and another was thrown out of its course, but regained its normal position, and was in good working order at 4.50 o’clock, when the shocks were felt. Men working in the laboratory probably dropped something heavy on the floor and jarred the instrument. However, I cannot understand why the needle, which was apparently in working order, did not register the shocks. It has never failed before." Shock in South America Saturday morning around 10 o’clock the report of an earthquake that shook all parts of the country was received by this general disturbance was indefinitely placed in Central America. The temblor that made its appearance at 7 o’clock shook the entire Northwest. News of its passing was received in Seattle from Tacoma, Olympia, Everett and other cities. Prisoners Are Startled This query was reported a hundred times over the telephone shortly after the temblor made its appearance, and the Post Intelligencer was kept busy answering questions. Many remembered the powder explosion in the harbor, and were curious to know if there had been a repetition of this occurrence. Workers in office buildings in particular noticed the trembling of the earth’s crust. At the city hall the prisoners incarcerated in the jail summoned the jailers and nervously inquired what was up. City Hall Swayed The city hall building was virtually swayed by the shock. By the shock in the nurses dormitory the quake was distinctly felt and the nurses scurried to the halls, thinking that the building bombarded. Police telephone operator Fred Mills was kept busy for more than half an hour answering inquires from residents in all parts of the city about disturbance. A plate fell of the cupboard at the home of Patrolman. C. A. Prothero, at ... [?] Eastlake, and the picture on the wall were jarred loose. Weather Man Surprised Two distinct earthquake shocks, the first starting at 4.56 Saturday afternoon and lasting four seconds and the second of about the same duration were felt on Vashon Island according to Byron S. Wise, in charge of the United States weather bureau station for the island. The first shock was the most severe, causing dishes to rattle, stove doors to open and windows to shake. Mr. Wise on noticing the shocks, thought at first that he had imagined them, but called up Ellisport, Vashon and Portage, where he verified the correctness of his sensations. The weather bureau reports feeling a shock, or several shocks, they were unable to say definitely about 4.54 p.m. Desks were shaken vigorously. The office is on the fourteenth floor of the Hoge building. William Aitken, an architect, whose office is on the third floor of the Northern Bank building, says that building was shaken severely twice. Doors rattled, be related, heavy desks moved and chairs danced about. Shock in West Seattle Rev. Maurice J. Bywater of West Seattle, said that the shock appeared to last all the way from fifteen to twenty seconds. His house trembled under the shock and the continued vibrations. W. M. Huestis, who resides north of Woodland park, says the dishes in the cupboards rattled and the house jarred. He thought he felt two shocks. Miss Mabel Abbott telephoned from the Mount Baker park district, saying that the direction of the shock was from east to west. ‘It must have lasted fully two seconds’ said Miss Abbott. ‘There was no mistaking the temblor.’ D. C. Kenyon was sitting in the office of the city labor commissioner, in the Prefontaine bulding, when the building began to shake. ‘The office seemed to sway’ said Mr. Kenyon, ‘It was a distinct quake, and I believe, was confined to one shock.’ Dinner is Upset George Hargrave whose home is on West Howe street, felt the shock. Albert Bochan and his family were seated at dinner when suddenly the contents of the plates and cups and saucers began to slide. Mr. Bochan lives on West fifty-second street and he and his friends thought that another dynamite barge had been blown up. ‘West Woodland park got a real shock, an experience that was new to us.’ he said after the excitement had subsided. Felt Three Shocks Mrs. W. A. Fonda, 311 of all Eighteenth avenue north, felt three distinct shocks, the first rather mild, the second quite strong and the third a mere vibration, it rattled the windows in her home. Mrs. E. W. Dahlberg, at 8812 Beacon avenue, also felt the quake and was surprised to find what several of her neighbors knew nothing about it. Prof. J. G. Schumon, of 312 Fulton street, on Queen Anne hill, was reading a newspaper when the shock came and almost overturned his chair. Several visitors were in the house and were frightened by the strength of the vibrations. Cliff Dwellers Startled Reports from West Seattle Indicate that the tremor was felt violently in that section. On Alki avenue, where the houses have been raised from two to fourteen feet and stand perched on stilts during the work of filling in and regarding the district residents rushed from their homes into the street. Occupants of houses along Alki declare the shock was much greater than the one experienced early in the morning in Christmas day 1913. At that time the tremors were accompanied by a booming sound, as of distant thunder, the shock was sharp and over with at once. Yesterday the shock lasted several seconds, as the residents of West Seattle tell it, and during that time there were several pronounced heavings that caused the houses to rock back and forth. Stilted Houses Creak. Those houses in the vicinity of Fifty-eight southwest and Sixty-third southwest, and from Alki avenue back four blocks to the foot of West Seattle bluff, are at present standing on an average of ten feet above the ground on stilts. The work of filling has not progressed that far, and their lofty positions made the situation really dangerous. It was in that quarter that with the first indications of the quake most of the occupants rushed into the street, although this was general along the entire length of the avenue as far south as Fauntleroy Park. The creaking of the stilted houses of the regrade district as they swayed back and forth for several seconds was noticeable to pedestrians several blocks away. George Carison, of 5810 West Lander street, was coming through a trail in Schmitz park at the time. The creaking of the houses, the nearest of which was four blocks away sounded to Carlson like the creaking of the axle of a heavily laden wagon, at that distance. Motorman Frank Osgood, of the Alki line, was taking his car along the raised track on Alki avenue, near Old Homestead , at the time. The shocks were felt by him and, not knowing their origin, and believing the trestle under his car was sagging, he brought it to a stop. Several of the passengers noticed the shock. After an investigation of the condition of the track, the car was started again, and the trestle made slowly. TEMBLOR ROCKS AT TACOMA: SHOCKS LIKE EXPLOSIONS. TACOMA, Jan 1. Two or three violent shocks rocked the city at 4.52 o’clock this afternoon. The shocks felt more like explosions that earthquake shocks, but the Dupont powder works and the Ruston smelter, the only likely places for large explosions, reported no accidents there. Pheasants Badly Scared Special to The Post-Intelligencer TACOMA, Jan 1. Pheasants in the wood were badly scared, according to Attorney A. R. Titlow, of Titlow is beach, and emitted pitiful noises, Titlow thought the Dupont powder works had blown up, the Dupont was as much mystified by the trembling as other localities. One woman in the south end whose husband, a street car conductor, was taking a bath upstairs, shouted up to him to ‘quit trying to tear the house down.’ and was decidedly wrathy [?] at her liege lord until she learned the true cause of the house shaking. Hundreds reported the shock was more like that from a huge cannon and many thought one of the forts down Sound had been blown up by war plotters. So far as known, the only damage done in Tacoma was that in nervous systems. Felt at Olympia Special to The Post-Intelligencer OLYMPIA, Jan 1. About 4.59 o’clock this afternoon Olympia felt a severe earthquake shock that lasted for several seconds. No damage was done Recorded at Buffalo BUFFALO, Jan 1. Severe earthquakes were recorded on the seismograph at Canisiuss College here today. The first of seven minutes duration from 9.12 to 9.19 a.m. and the second of ten minutes duration from 9.20 to 9.30 o’clock, after which there were five minute tremors with one minute intermissions until 10.45 o’clock. The indicated direction was due south and the distance about 2.700 miles Vibrations Last Three Hours WASHINGTON, Jan 1. A very severe earthquake, the heaviest recorded in some time and lasting almost three hours, occurred in an undetermined location today. Seismographs of the Georgetown university observatory began recording the tremor at 8.13 a.m. The shocks increased in intensity, and between 9.25 and 9.45 o’clock they were violent. Father Francis A. Tondorf, the seismographical director, kept constant watch over the instruments and it was not until 11.33 a.m. that the vibrations stopped. The vibrations were principally north and south. He conservatively estimated the distance of the center of the disturbance at 3.000 miles from Washington. He thought it probable that the shocks might have occurred in Central America, where there have been at number of disturbances within the last few years. Santa Clare Records Quake SAN JOSE, Cal. Jan., 1. A report from the observatory at the University of Santa Clara states that a splendid record of a far-distant earthquake was produced on the horizontal and vertical seismograph this morning, beginning at 5.55 a.m. and terminating over an hour and a half later. The east-west component predominated with a double amplitude of five millimeters and a period of fifteen seconds. The vertical machine slightly disturbed. Prof. Albert J. Newlin states that owing to the enduring ...satory [?] oscillation coincident with the storm on the Pacific coast of the last few days, the starting point of the preliminary was not discernible, rendering it impossible to locate exactly the epicenter, except it is safe to place it some thousand miles from this station. According to Prof. Newlin this record is culmination of a series of minor records during several days.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
134	Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476	1967
Transcription: 134 1916 Jan. 2 00:52 47.3 N, 122.3 W V 1 felt over 12,000 sq. mi.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
1145	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: 1916 January 1. 4:52 p.m. IV. Olympia, Seattle, Sumner. Shook buildings; windows rattled. Felt also in Silverton, but no intensity given.-MWR, 44, 39.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
2236	Monthly Weather Review	1916	V. 44, p. 39
Transcription: Date: January 2, 1916 Time (Greenwich Civil): 00:52 Location: Olympia, Wash. Latitude (deg., min.): 47 02 Longitude (deg.,min.): 122 55 RF Intensity: 4 Number of Shocks: 3 Duration (sec.): 3 Sounds: Remarks: Windows rattled Observer: S.R. Holcomb

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
2237	Monthly Weather Review	1916	V. 44, p. 39
Transcription: Date: January 2, 1916 Time (Greenwich Civil): 00:52 Location: Seattle, Wash. Latitude (deg., min.): 47 38 Longitude (deg.,min.): 122 20 RF Intensity: 4 Number of Shocks: 1 Duration (sec.): 2 Sounds: Remarks: Doors moved Observer: U.S. Weather Bureau

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
2238	Monthly Weather Review	1916	V. 44, p. 39
Transcription: Date: January 2, 1916 Time (Greenwich Civil): 00:52 Location: Silverton Latitude (deg., min.): 48 00 Longitude (deg.,min.): 121 32 RF Intensity: Number of Shocks: 1 Duration (sec.): 5 Sounds: Rumbling Remarks: Observer: C.M. Mackintosh

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
1009	U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96	1973
Transcription: 1916. January 1. Puget Sound, Wash. Felt at Tacoma, Seattle, Olympia, and Silverton. Buildings shook; doors moved.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
2239	Monthly Weather Review	1916	V. 44, p. 39
Transcription: Date: January 2, 1916 Time (Greenwich Civil): 00:52 Location: Sumner, Wash. Latitude (deg., min.): 47 12 Longitude (deg.,min.): 122 13 RF Intensity: 4 Number of Shocks: 2 Duration (sec.): 3 Sounds: Remarks:Shook buildings Observer:H.E. Thompson

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
950	U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96	1973
Transcription: 1916 Jan. 1 16:52 Puget Sound, Wash 47.3 122.3 12,000 V 3-25

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
6048	Washington Standard	1916	Jan., 7, Friday p8 c5
Transcription: FEEL EARTHQUAKE HERE An earthquake reported many of the older residents to have been the most severe in the city’s history, shook Olympia and the whole Puget Sound County about 5 o’clock last Saturday evening, but did no damage. Dishes rattled, loosely hung chandeliers swung back and forth and houses were considerably shaken. To distinct shock were felt, the second being more the more severe. Many at first thought the big plant of the Dupont powder works had been blown up. A slip in the Cascades or the Olympics caused the quake say the university authorities.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
312	Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153	1935
Transcription: 1916 January 1, 4:52 p.m.; 47 degrees 20' north, 122 degrees 20' west; felt at Tacoma, Seattle, Olympia, and Silverton; area approximately 12,000 square miles.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
6047	The Seattle Star	1916	Jan. 3, Monday, p3 c3, A2202
Transcription: SEATTLE IS ROCKED Seattle and the entire Northwest were rocked by a sharp earthquake shock Saturday. Seismographs reported the disturbance, which was thought to have had the origin somewhere in Central or South America. Furniture was mysteriously shifted about in many homes and dishes rattled. The shock was felt about 5.56 o’clock p.m. Some persons said they felt two distinct shocks.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
768	Reid, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park
Transcription: West Central, WA 47 degrees 20' N; 122 degrees 20' W PST 4:52 pm 1 Jan, 1916 GMT 0h 52m 2 Jan, 1916 IV 3-4 seconds duration -SB IV 83; MWR 39; SB IV 826 Felt at Olympia, Sumner, Tacoma, Seattle (IV), and at L...ton (?) 40 mi NE of Seattle. Origin probably near Sumner. Area shaken 12,000 sq mi about. At first four places mentioned. Windows rattled, doors moved and buildings were shaken.

Source ID	Publication	Pub Date	Pub Details
1805	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: 191601 20052000 47300-122300 V NO 5 01