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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 #478 - Summary, and parameter estimates with source IDs                                           
Townley and Allen repeat what Smith gives: "Portland. Reported as though localized in eastern part of Portland; rattled dishes, rocked chairs, disarranged books in cases, caused fright. Three shocks" and cite BSSA, 9, 68. 'Earthquake History of the United States' cites BSSA Vol. 53. These have not yet been checked. Newspapers also should be 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
1915  19      45.50  122.70        Portland  OR  MM       
TA-OR - 531 USEQS - 948 - - USEQS - 948 -

Underlying Source Material
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1007  U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96  1973   
Transcription: 1915. May 18. Portland, Oreg. A sharp local shock rattled dishes and rocked chairs.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
582  Smith, W. D., 1919, Earthquakes in Oregon, BSSA, V. 9, n. 3, pp. 58-71  1919   
Transcription: 1915 May 19. 7 p.m. Portland. Reported as though localized in eastern part of Portland; rattled dishes, rocked chairs, disarranged books in cases, caused fright. Three shocks. -BSSA, 9, 68.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1799  Woodward Clyde Consultants, unpublished  1981  Woodward-Clyde Consultants (1981), Historical Catalog (1841-1980) for the Pacific Northwest Region, unpublished catalog prepared for the Washington Public Power Supply System.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: 19150518 45535-122620W V WG 5 01
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
386  Byerly, Perry, 1952, Pacific Coast Earthquakes, Condon Lecture, pp. 33-38  1952  U.W. Library, N979 B991p, Special Collections) 
Transcription: 1915, May 19 Portland. Reported as though localized in eastern part of Portland. Rattled dishes, rocked chairs, disarranged books in cases.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
948  U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96  1973   
Transcription: 1915 May 18 19:00 Portland, Oreg 45.5 122.7 (2) V 3-9,3-53
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
531  Townley, S.D. and M.W. Allen, 1939, Descriptive Catalog of earthquakes of the Pacific Coast of the United States 1769 to 1928, Chapter II, Earthquakes in Oregon--1846-1928, BSSA, V. 29, No. 1, pp. 253-258.  1939   
Transcription: 1915 May 19. 7 p.m. Portland. Reported as though localized in eastern part of Portland; rattled dishes, rocked chairs, disarranged books in cases, caused fright. Three shocks. -BSSA, 9, 68.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
1351  Berg and Baker, 1963, Oregon Earthquakes, 1841 through 1958, BSSA, V. 53, No. 1, pp. 95-108  1963   
Transcription: 1915 May 19 03:00:-- May 18 7:00 pm (PST) Portland V 10;O/May 19, 1915, 1:6 24 hr ambiguity as to time; that listed, however, is thought to be correct.
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
129  Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476  1967   
Transcription: 129 1915 May 20 03: 45.5 N, 122.7 W V 1
 
Source ID Publication Pub Date Pub Details
622  Reid, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park     
Transcription: Portland PST 7 pm 19 May, 1915 GMT 3h 20 May, 1915 IV-V -Bull SSA IX.68 Very hard shock; felt in eastside of Portland. Moved books and caused fright. SE Oregon Origin in Pleasant Valley, Nevada PST 10:53 pm 2 Oct, 1915 GMT 6h 53m 21s 3 Oct, 1915 X
 


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