Individual Event Report
| Event #411 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs |
The Jan 11, 1909 earthquake is a well documented, large and significant event. The time of the event differs in various accounts from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. Numerous newspaper sources were found, and the event was widely felt from Port Angeles, Victoria, Vancouver and Chilliwack in the north to Tacoma and Aberdeen in the south. There were no reports of felt shaking from Olympia or Portland, and presumably the earthquake was not felt there.
Some damage occurred. The San Juan Islander, reporting from Friday Harbor, says:
"Here buildings rocked enough to crack some chimneys, stop clocks, and cause some breakage of window glass, crockery, etc. In the valley, the large chimneys on P.E. Peterson's house were shaken down as were also one of the chimneys of Chas. Peterson's house at Argyle and one on Mrs. Schmidt's house of Kanaka Bay. Most of the monuments in the cemetery were moved. Here in town Dr. Wright is the only one who suffered damage worth mentioning. In his drug store a large number of bottles and medicines were thrown from the shelves and broken, and one chimney on the drug store building and one on his residence were cracked and moved horizontally so as to necessitate rebuilding them from the roofs up.
Navigators and others out on the water, whether in large or small craft report that when the first shock occurred their first thought was that their boats had struck submerged logs or unknown reefs. The captain of the Rosalie ordered the engines reversed thinking that the vessel had struck a big log or rock."
Although it has previously been suggested (Garry Rogers, 1983) that this earthquake occurred at depth, based on a lack of reported aftershocks, It appears that at least seven aftershocks were felt in the San Juan Islands. Garry Rogers (1983) calculates the magnitude of this event to be around magnitude 6.0 and states:
" Felt reports from newspapers limit this epicentre to the San Juan Islands region where several instances of damage occurred” Felt information also clearly shows that the size of the isoseismal map is between that for the 1965 Seattle earthquake and the 1976 Gulf Islands earthquake (Figure 7). The magnitude is about 6 according to Toppozada's (1975) felt area relationship."
All reported aftershocks in the San Juan Islands, particularly noted at Lopez. Blasting at several locales was also mentioned. (Waldron Island: San Juan Islander, Feb. 5, 1909, Fri., p. 8, c. 5; Bellingham: Friday Harbor Journal Feb. 11, 1909, Thurs., p. 8, c. 4, 5), though it seems unlikely to have been the cause of all the reports. |
| 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 |
| 1909 |
1 |
11 |
03 |
46 |
|
L |
48.70 |
122.80 |
|
6.00 |
MI |
Northwestern |
WA |
VII |
MM |
150000.00 |
|
km2 |
| N-WA - 7072 |
GCR - 2330 |
- |
GCR - 2330 |
USEQS - 941 |
GCR - 2330 |
Underlying Source Material
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 1000 |
U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96 |
1973 |
|
| Transcription: 1909. January 11. Northwestern Washington. Walls cracked at Blaine; plaster thrown down at Bellingham. Sidewalks twisted and piers were slightly damaged at Anacortes. Felt at Olympia and Aberdeen. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 1972 |
Friday Harbor Journal |
1909 |
Jan 14, 1909, Thurs., p. 5, c. 1, UW microfilm A2358 (Summary) |
Transcription: There are excitable people in town who will look you in the eye with a stony stare and declare that they felt an earthqauke shock in Friday Harbor late on Monday afternoon, and no doubt some of them actually believe it.
...
A light earthquake shock was felt along the northwest coast Monday afternoon. At 3:54 o'clock Fruday Harbor people noted its presence, but no particular damage was done, beyond shaking a few bottles off the shelves of the Wright drug store. Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., and Seattle, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Bellingham, Anacortes, etc., all felt the fugitive shock, which came from some distant disturbed center. Our Island correspondents refer to the shock, showing it was generally noticed. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 7072 |
Anacortes American |
1909 |
Jan. 14, 1909, Thurs., p. 8, c. 1-2 |
Transcription: EARTHQUAKE DID NOT PHASE PHONE GIRLS
Randenbaugh’s Beauties Answered More than 1,100 Calls Within Half an Hour After Shake
J.L. Redenbaugh, manager of the local system of the Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Co., has the bravest as well as the prettiest bunch of girls in his office that were ever shaken up by a terrestial wobble. The earthquake struck Anacortes with vague uncertain wiggles at exactly 14 minutes to four o’clock last Monday afternoon, January 11. Nearly everybody rushed out to see the landscape escape, but the telephone girsl stuck to their posts like true heroines and for at least half an hour after the shudder or shrug or whatever it was their dainty fingers fairly twinkled as they made connection on the switchboard for the multitude of subscribers (there are 510 in all now) who simultaneously wanted central and then some. The girls say they were really too busy to take fright and flight, and as they answered more than 1,100 calls within half an hour after the terrestial flutter maybe that explains their heroism, but anyhow they deserve gentle calls from all the subscribers for at least thirty days.
Some funny things happened when the world was wobbling. One lady carried her baby off the street, grabbed a couple of sadirons and walked briskly out to the sidewalk exclaiming, "There, now! I’ve saved something out of the old shack anyhow - and the baby’s safe in the pantry!"
It is said that Guy Baty, who has been hobbling around with a cane for many months, was completely cured by the unprecedented shuffle and left his cane to shift for itself in the deserted rooms of the Anacortes Chess & Checker club, while he and the city health officer engaged in a spirited footrace just of the fun of it.
No damage was done anywhere in this neighborhood, no plastering was knocked down, no chimneys tumbled over and no minds not previously out of plumb were unbalanced. Over in Bellingham plastering was cracked, one sober man was knocked down a flight of stairs and the ice in Lake Padden was cut in four slices like a pumpkin pie.
The quake originated in Southeastern Alaska and the worst scares were reported from north of Puget Sound. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 7071 |
Friday Harbor Journal |
1909 |
Jan 14, 1909, Thurs., p. 8, c. 4 |
Transcription: Olga
An earthquake shock lasting twenty seconds was felt here at 3:30 p. m. on Monday. Houses shook and windows rattled, people ran out of their homes and were very much frightened. The shock was sufficient to overturn a lamp upon a table. There is no sign of an eruption of Mt. Constitution as yet.
Lopez
Monday evening, about 4:30 p. m., Lopez was startled by the tremors of an earthquake, It was sharp and quick. Chimney’s swayed and it is reported that Mr. Stalker lost one of his and that the top came off from Mr. Coffelt’s. Considerable damage was done at the store – medicines, groceries and crockery fell and the odors were those of a drug store let loose. Several panes of glass were shattered, the flues were twisted and confusion reigned for a moment. A party was skating on the lake and the skaters rushed for shore. Walter Hutcheson was standing, when the ice cracked near him and he was wet by the upspouting water. It is said that the water spouted several feet high through the cracked ice. Mr. Stedelin reported that he felt a second slight shake about twenty minutes after the first. We hope no more such experiences will come our way, and are thankful it was no worse. Richardson reported that the quake was not severe at that place.
Orcas
Orcas had a hearty shake at 3:30 p. m. Monday, not by hands but b the earth. Dishes and bottles were dashed from the selves, come dead trees shed their bark and school children report that their books fell out of their desks, standing charts, etc., fell over. It is no wonder the earth shook, when everything on it is shaking with such extreme cold. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 7073 |
Anacortes American |
1909 |
Jan. 14, 1909, Thurs., p. 6, c. 2 |
| Transcription: EDISON Three distinct earthquake shocks were felt here on Monday, the first one being merely a quiver followed by two severe ones not more than a second in time apart. The two were so severe that buildings rocked like a cradle. Occupants in some of the residences rushed to the open streets in terror, and several report experiencing the feeling known as seasickness. No damage was done. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 7074 |
Anacortes American |
1909 |
Jan. 14, 1909, Thurs., p. 4, c. 1 |
| Transcription: As a shaker, the earthquake of last Monday afternoon was comforting imitation of the kind they use in lieu of alarm clocks every morning in sunny California. At that, it was the most realistic wobble we’ve felt in twenty years’ sojourn on the well-woven Sound. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 7075 |
Arlington Times |
1909 |
Jan. 16, 1909, Sat., p. 1, c. 3 |
Transcription: EARTH QUAKES A LITTLE
Earth Wave Passes Through Puget Sound Country Monday After-noon - shock Distinctly Felt But no Damage Results
The Puget Sound country jumped into the limelight Monday by producing an earthquake. It didn’t amount to much, but the name "earthquake" is alwasy good for a sensation. The consensus of observation is that the quake occurred at 3:45 p. m., Jan. 11, 1909, and that there were two shocks close together, the whole disturbance lasting, possibly, thirty seconds. The seismograph at the state university, however, recorded earth tremors beginning at 3:50 and lasting 7 minutes and 30 seconds, with an east and west movement. No damage of any consequence resulted. Plaster was loosened in a few instances at Seattle, and at Blaine small cracks opened in cement and brick buildings. Ice was broken in the Skagit river also at Friday Harbor. The shock was sufficient in a few instances to throw bottles from shelves, but it was not nearly so pronounced here.
Most of the people in Arlington and vicinity noticed the phenomenon and are agreed that there were two shocks close together, the first being the stronger, and that they were accompanied by a low roaring noise. Many thought the jar and slight creaking of buildings was due to sudden gusts of wind until they saw the atmosphere was still. Thos. Jefferson of Trafton was in his root-house at the time. He says he felt two slight shocks and heard a rumpling noise, and is sure the motion came from the south. B.F. McCaulley, who was walking along the street at the time, says he suddenly became dizzy and somewhat unsteady on his feet. As he is known to be strictly temperate, this may be charged to the quake. Peter Funk thought someone had backed against his store with a dray wagon. William Fowler was at the telephone talking to "central" at Everett. When the building began to bob up and down he yelled "Who is jumping up and down on the floor." "Central" heard the remark and said that their building also was shaking and promptly fainted away. The other central girls, feeling the temblor and seeing their comrades in a dead faint, promptly collapsed in like manner. This was one of the saddest results of the quake, and it distressed Mr. Fowler exceedingly to think that he should be the innocent cause of such a panic among Everett’s ‘phone girls. He declares that hereafter, although the earth may quake, his voice when talking to "central" shall always be calm as a summer morning and sweet as the honey-dew.
The quake is supposed to have been caused by a slipping of the rock crust of the earth at some point where a fault exists, such an occurrence, but on a much larger scale, having been responsible for the San Francisco disaster. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 7076 |
San Juan Islander |
1909 |
Jan. 16, 1909, Sat., p. 8, c. 1,2,3 |
Transcription: Orcas was shaken, very much against her will, by the general quake of Monday. In a number of the homes china was broken in the china closets, while plate shelves, mantles, etc. scattered things around in general; and in the kitchens were regular kitchen showers. Several were very much alarmed and could not readily return to a normal feeling of security. Some of the older settlers tell us that they had just as severe ones years ago but have never given them a second thought. We believe that sympathy we feel for the unfortunate people in the recent terrible earthquake in Sicily is deeper, more sincere and of a more understanding nature than it was before our slight experience.
.....
[c. 2]Mitchell Bay – The earthquake shock did no damage in this locality.
[c.3] Stuart Island
An earthquake shock was felt on the island at 3:40 p. m. Monday, enough to make the windows rattle. |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 1433 |
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: 1909 JANUARY 11. 3:44 p.m. A tremor, whose origin seems to have been in the Gulf Islands between Victoria and Bellingham, was felt over an area greater than 25,000 square miles. The intensity near the origin was of the order of VI
At Victoria, where the vibration lasted from 10 to 20 seconds, the most serious damage reported was that of broken crockery. At Blaine walls were cracked; Bellingham reported sidewalks twisted; and at Anacortes the piers were damaged. Ladysmith, Nanaimo, and Alberni felt the tremor quite distinctly. Reports indicate that the earthquake was felt at Comox, Pachena Point, Bamfield, Sumas, Chilliwack, Hammond, Everett, Lopez, Port Townsend, Tacoma, and south to Portland, but was not felt as far east as Kelowna, Princeton or Vernon. It appears that placing the epicentre in the Gulf Islands area is as good an approximation as is possible, for no instrumental recording of the origin is available. Col., BSSA |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 2394 |
Washington Public Power Supply System, Preliminary
Safety Analysis Report, Ammendment 23,
WPPSS Nuclear Project No. 1, 1300 MW Nuclear Power Plant, Vol. 2A. |
1977 |
Tables 2R-E16 and 2R-E14B. Chilliwack Progress, The, Chilliwack, B.C., January 13, 1909 |
Transcription: Jan 11, 1909 CHILLIWACK PROGRESS, THE 01/19/1909
Chilliwack Progress, The, Chilliwack, B.C., January 13, 1909
"CHILLIWACK HAD AN EARTHQUAKE
"A Slight Earth Tremor Distinctly Felt on Monday Afternoon by the
House Dwellers.
"Dishes, Pictures and wall Bric-a-Bric Rattled and Swayed for about
Seven Seconds.
"Not to be behind and out of the fashion with other places of
importance, Chilliwack experienced about 3:45 p.m. on Monday, a slight
shock of earthquake. The shock was quite perceptible to those in the
houses but those upon the street felt nothing of it.
"The tremor or shock lasted about seven seconds and set dishes and
windows rattling and pictures swayed upon the walls. No people are
reported as alarmed. There were three distinct shocks recorded on the
instruments at Harrison House." |
| |
| Source ID |
Publication |
Pub Date |
Pub Details |
| 2330 |
Garry Colin Rogers, Seismotectonics of British Coulmbia, PhD Thesis |
1983 |
PhD Thesis, Dept. of Geophysics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, pp. 19-27 and p. 228 |
| | |