Individual Event Report
| Event #193 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs |
| There is some confusion about the exact time of this earthquake. The MWR (carried forth into all of the catalogs) says: "Olympia, Washington Territory, 3d: a light earthquake shock occurred at 11:30 p.m. (local time). Light shocks continued until 1:30 a.m., of the 4th." The Seattle P.I. has a one-paragraph article that sets the time at 12:50 AM. It mentions no damage, but calls this "one of the most severe ever experienced in this region". A search of further issues of the Seattle P.I., the Chehalis Bee (weekly), and theTacoma Daily Ledger for additional accounts was unsuccessful. |
| 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 |
5 |
3 |
11 |
30 |
P |
|
47.04 |
122.89 |
|
|
|
Olympia |
|
III |
RF |
|
|
|
| MWR - 2197 |
WWC - 1675 |
- |
- |
CGR - 1211 |
- |
Underlying Source Material
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 1247 |
Holden, E.S., 1898, A Catalog of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1087 |
1898 |
|
| Transcription: 1885. May 3; 23h. 30m., local time. A very light shock, Olympia, W.T. Light shocks continued until 1h. 30m. of the 4th.__U.S.W.R. (II). At intervals for 2 hours.__P. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 232 |
Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153 |
1935 |
|
| Transcription: 1885 May 3, 23h 30m, local time; a very light shock, Olympia; light shocks continued until 1h 30m of the 4th. U.S.W.R. II; at intervals for two hours, P. |
| |
| 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 |
| 2156 |
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer |
1885 |
Tues. May 5, 1885 (not published on Mondays) |
| Transcription: An earthquake shock was felt here at ten minutes of one o'clock Monday morning. The vibrations were from north to south. Those who felt the shock say that it was one of the most severe ever experienced in this region. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 703 |
Reid, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park |
|
|
| Transcription: Olympia 11:30 pm 3 May, 1885 III -Am Jr Sc III-XXXII, pg 13 Light shocks continue until 1:30 am of the 4th. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 1675 |
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: 188505 40730000 47045-122890W R 01 |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 470 |
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. May 3; 23h. 30m., local time. A very light shock, Olympia, W.T. Light shocks continued until 1h. 30m. of the 4th.--U.S.W.R. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 2197 |
Monthly Weather Review |
1885 |
May, V. 13, p. 135 |
| Transcription: May, 1885: Olympia, Washington Territory, 3d: a light earthquake shock occurred at 11:30 p.m. (local time). Light shocks continued until 1:30 a.m., of the 4th. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 1067 |
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 May 3. 23h 30m [11:30 p.m.] local time. II. Olympia. A very light shock. Light shocks continued until 1h 30m [1:30 a.m.] of the 4th.-MWR [May 1885, p. 135]. At intervals for two hours.-P. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 859 |
Reid 2, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park |
|
|
| Transcription: Olympia 11:30p May 3, 1885 III |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 53 |
Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476 |
1967 |
|
| Transcription: 53 1885 May 4 07:30 Olympia 4 many light shocks were felt |
| |
| | |