PNSN > Catalogs and Data > Historic EQs of the PNW > Puget Sound Quakes > Nov. 29, 1891, Port Townsend, WA, earthquake

1891

pub	pubpl	pubde	smem	pubda
Reid 2, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park			Tacoma 3:16p November 29, 1891
Reid 2, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park			Physht 3:34p November 29, 1891 VI Duration 5 seconds.
Reid 2, unpub., Scrapbook and Cardfile, on microfilm at USGS in Menlo Park			Port Townsend 3:14p November 29, 1891 VII Duration 20 seconds.
U. S. Weather Bureau Climatological Records, for the State of Washington		National Archives Microfilm Copy T907, Roll Nos. 530-537, 1819-1892 - Aberdeen, Chehalis County - handwritten weather forms. Researched by Gerald Elfendahl, curator, Bainbridge Island Hist. Soc.	From Roll No. 530: Aberdeen, Chehalis County - "November, 1891: slight earthquake shock on the 29th, 3:30 p. m. ..."	1819-1892
The Oregonian	Portland, OR	date uncertain -about event of 1891November 29	1891, November 29. Seattle, Snohomish, Tacoma, Bellingham, Port Townsend, Olympia. SOUND CITIES JOLTED An Earthquake Shock Alarms the People Seattle, Nov 29.-- At 3:20 1/2 this afternoon, this city was visited by the most severe earthquake shocks ever felt here. There were two shocks in quick succession, the first being merely a tremor of about 5 waves, which, after an intermission of about 30 seconds, was followed by a more severe shock of 27 seconds duration. There were six distinct vibrations, the direction being from the southeast to the northwest. No damage was done, although great alarm was occasioned to those in the tops of the six and seven story buildings. One building swayed so much that the elevator bumped against the side of the shaft and could not move until the shock was over. Lake Washington, on the east side of town, was lashed into foam and the water rolled onto the beach two feet above the mark of the highest water and eight feet above the present stage. Reports from Snohomish and Bellingham bay towns say the shock was plainly felt there. DISTINCT AT PORT TOWNSEND. Port Townsend, Nov 29-- A distinct shock of earthquake was felt here at 3:14 o'clock this afternoon. The shock continued fully twenty seconds. Buildings shook, windows rattled and many persons rushed out of their houses in alarm. No damage was done. SLIGHT IN TACOMA. Tacoma, Nov 29.-- A slight earthquake shock was felt all over the city at 3:16 this afternoon. No damage was done. Dispatches say there was a severe shock, but no damage at Olympia. OLYMPIA VISITED. Olympia, Nov 29.-- Two earthquake shocks were ex- perienced here at 3:20 o'clock this afternoon, the last one being exceptionally severe. Buildings were rocked and many people were frightened, a number rushed into the street.	1891
U. S. Weather Bureau Climatological Records, for the State of Oregon		National Archives Copy T907, Roll Nos. 427-434, 1819-1892 - Madrone, Kitsap County, Washington , Riley Hoskinson-handwritten weather forms	Madrone, Kitsap County, Washington , Riley Hoskinson November, 1891 Earthquake on the 29th at 3:55 PM did some smart rocking from West to East. No damage hereabouts that I know of.	1891
Spokane Review	Spokane, WA	Dec. 1, 1891	Earthquakes on the Sound Tacoma, Nov. 29. -- Distinct shocks of earthquake were felt in this city, Port Townsend and Olympia, about 3 o'clock this afternoon, but no damage was done. Seattle, Nov. 29. -- At 3:21 o'clock this afternoon two shocks of earthquake, lasting about five seconds each, were felt here.	1891
Seattle Post Intelligencer	Seattle	Mon., Nov. 30	THE EARTH QUAKED. TWO DISTINCT SHOCKS DISTURB SUNDAY REPOSE. A Panic in the big buildings. The Tremor Frightens the People Into the Streets-- Many Incidents-- Felt Along the Sound. Two very distinct shocks of earthquake passed over the city at 3:17 1/2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, lasting altogether about half a minute. There is a wide difference of opinion as to the direction of the oscillations, some saying that they were from south to north, while others are equally positive that they were from east to west and others again from southeast to northwest. A little after 3:15 o'clock yesterday afternoon a stream of people, hatless, coatless, some in an even worse state of dishabille, rushed down the stairs or to the elevators of every one of the downtown buildings and onto the streets, their faces showing every sign of terror. They all with one consent stood on the sidewalk and stared in breathless apprehension at the walls of the building they had just left so hastily. Then they looked up and down the street, and the group in front of each building were surprised to see a similar group staring up at the walls of the next and the next and so on to the vanishing point. The scared expression faded from each face and was replaced by one which is to be seen on the countenance of a man on whose mind the solution of a deep problem has suddenly dawned, and they all said: "It was an earthquake." That was the explanation. Some had been reading, some dozing on beds or couches, some smoking and chatting or arguing, others attending to a little business left over from the previous day, some having "a quiet game," when the walls rocked to and fro, the windows rattled, chandeliers swung with a clatter, and dizziness struck them all as though they were reeling to the floor in a faint. A slight tremor came first and then the walls waved to and fro for several seconds as if tottering to their fall. Before the second tremor was fairly over, all had started up and made a rush for the open air, possessed with the one thought: "The building is falling." The fear of those on the top stories of high buildings grew as they neared the ground and met others as frightened as themselves. Only when they had reached the street and saw others like themselves staring up at the walls and saw that those walls stood firm as though incapable of motion, did they become calm and talk the matter over among them selves, comparing notes and sensation. The earthquake disturbed the quiet Sunday afternoon for many but it was a mild affair after all. It just gave the city a gentle rock to knocked a few bits of plaster off the walls, rattled the crockery and glass, and knocked a few articles from insecure places on shelves, but a five dollar bill would probably repair all the damage it has done. Such an earthquake might come along every morning to awaken the people and yet be considered as much a public convenience as sunlight. The weather seemed to change in accord with the earth's tremblings. After a morning of heavy rain and gusty wind the sky had cleared and the sun was casting a gleam of light over the scene, when with remarkable suddenness the clouds gathered again, and as the panicstricken crowds rushed into the open air, a drenching downpour began. It seemed as though earth and sky shook together. There is a radical disagreement among the various accounts as to the direction of the shocks, the time being definitely fixed as 3: 17 1/2 afternoon. Some say that the oscillation was from south to north. M. J. Carkeek, who was in his office on the sixth floor of the Burke building, says that he felt two shooks from south to north, the first only slight, and the second so severe that it rattled the doors and windows, shook his desk, and caused a perceptible swaying of the walls. Colonel S. W. Scott, who was on the fifth floor, makes the same statement as to the direction, and says that the chandelier swung to and fro two feet from the perpendicular. In the Seattle and Montana railroad office, on the same floor, the elevator cage swung to and fro and a letter-box was shaken off the window ledge. The elevator cage swung violently from the south to north in its grooves with a rattling sound. All the occupants of the building rushed to the elevator or the stairs and only felt safe when they reached the open air. By those who witnessed it from the street, the movement of the Bailey building was from south to north, the effect being clearly perceptible in the movement of the glass of the windows opening on Cherry Street. Yet Hancock Neagle, who was in his of office on the third floor, is positive that the motion came from a little south of east, the walls swaying so that he fled along with his fellow-tenants to the street. In the Occidental building there was a veritable panic, the public reading rooms on the fifth floor being quickly emptied, and a terrified crowd fleeing from the building on all three sides. Here the motion was said to be from south to north. The shock was as distinctly felt on the top floor of the Seattle National bank building, and here it is said to have been from southwest to northeast. An amusing incident is related as having happened in the Seattle block. A gentleman who rooms on one of the upper floors heard four men in the adjoining room having a quiet game of draw poker. A little conversation was going on, and they were getting up a big pot, which was the cause of some excitement. At the point the shock came, the walls rocked and all rushed out without coats or hats, leaving the pot on the table, and fled headlong downstairs together with all the other terrified tenants. As they stood on the sidewalk one of the poker party remarked to his companions: "If any of you fellows want my share of that pot you can go after it." In this building Fletcher Coulter says that the oscillation was from southwest to northeast. In the Washington building, on Front street, there are two opinions as to the direction of the waves. A. B. Stewart, of the Stewart & Holmes Drug Company, stating that they were from the south to north, while at the Nevada saloon they were said to be from east to west. In the show window of Stewart & Holmes' was a colored glass globe standing on a bracket which swing on a pivot. It was pointing west and was seen to swing around on the pivot five times. In the Nevada there was a general disturbance of glasses and bottles but no breakages were noticed. Boyd J. Tallman has an office at the top of the Safe Deposit building, and as it is seven stories high he had an exceptionally fine opportunity to experience the effect of the seismic wave. Fortunately he was in his office at the time or he might have missed one of the most interesting incidents of a life time. He was seated in an easy reading chair. When the first tremor struck the building he arose to his feet in astonishment and awaited what was to come next. Immediately afterward his heavy revolving bookcase swayed over, pictures dangled several inches from their places, keeping a plumb-line which marked the deviation of the walls from the perpendicular, plaster cracked and gas fixtures swung. He is more than ever impressed with the susceptibility of his location to seismic disturbances and of its value as an advantageous point for scientific observations. W. J. Clark's gas fixtures are loose and swung violently; pictures on the north wall fell forward, jerking out the supporting nails. he was writing and the pen slid across the sheet. Mr. Clark Nettleton, who was in the same building, said it was his first experience of an earthquake such as he had read about, and he will return to a study of the fall of Lisbon, the overthrow of a Pompeii and the experience of Charleston with a considerably heightened interest. E. F. Blaine, who was in the Boston block talking to C. A. Riddle, remarked that he would run down and see what was the matter. He did not wait for his hat or coat. Dr. A. B. Kibbe was in the Frye building in conversation with Dr. MCCullough, and he confesses that he was taken by surprise and experienced the peculiar fear, followed by a sensation of nausea which usually accompanies and follows those phenomena. Mr. Emil Meyer, of the Grand hotel, who has lived in latitudes within whose lines t(r)emblors are more frequent, said that notwithstanding his familiarity with the signs he experienced the momentary terror and qualm to which most people are subject. One of he worst scenes of terror was the Pacific lodging house at South Second and Washington Street. Dr. E. Buchanan said that he and three others were sitting in Dr. Brengle's office on the second floor when they felt a slight tremor, as if some one were pounding on the floor. Then came a perceptible shake of the whole building from south to north. Then the walls swayed to and fro three distinct times. The party, which was discussing some point in surgery, broke up abruptly and all the lodgers in the building fled in haste. One woman tried to jump out of a window, but was prevented by a cooler headed neighbor. A sick man leaped out of bed and hobbled down stairs in his nightshirt At the Standard theater the afternoon performance was abruptly broken off. Part of the audience fled in one direction and the performers, in their stage costume, wigs and paint, in the other. The audience did not stop to demand their money back, but were glad to get out alive. The Mug saloon, in the Winehill building, at be corner of South Third and Main streets, was crowded with about fifty drinkers, when the first tremor stopped conversation and provoked wonderment. A second and more violent shock caused all to leave their mugs half empty and flee pell-mell like rats escaping from a flooded cellar. The occupants of the two upper floors also fled with screams of terror, amid which the startled cries of an old blind man could be heard as he groped his way blundering alone and called for help. The shocks caused two cracks to open in the Front wall, one beginning near the roof and stretching in a zig-zag down the wall for a distance of ten feet. The other also began at the roof, but was narrower and only about four feet long. The Northern Pacific depot was rocked to and fro on its pile foundation, and badly shaken. The shock was felt very distinctly on the first hill rising from the business district. The Rainier hotel received a slight shaking. Colonel A. N. Hamilton, who lives on Columbia, between Eight and Ninth streets, felt but one shock, and that had the same effect as a team running into the house. Every thing in Providence shook or rattled or swung to and fro, but so slightly that few noticed it. John Simison, at his residence on Eighth street near Columbia, felt eight or ten distinct tremors. They appeared to him to come from the south. The windows rattled, chairs and tables moved and a vase on a mantel toppled and almost fell. Dr. G. A. Rawson, at eleventh and University streets, felt the movement plainly, all the chandeliers shaking. At Otto Ranke's house, on Pike, between Fourth and Fifth streets, the billiard balls rolled to and fro on the table without apparent provocation. L. H. Griffith, who was in Dubb's drugstore at Fifth and Pike streets, felt the motion distinctly from south to north. James Moran says that he is sure he felt an earlier shock as he lay awake in bed at 1,012 Pike Street about 9 o'clock in the morning. Further out in the suburbs everybody felt it. D. W. Cross, the undertaker on First street, in North Seattle, says that there were two distinct shocks from east to west, the first being slight with six waves and the second more severe with five waves. At Welch & Erickson's grocery store, in the Walla Walla addition, a number of candles were rolled off a shelf by the vibrations. At Ballard three shocks were felt from east to west, lasting half a minute in all. The congregation in the Episcopal church was startled by them. C. P. Stone, at Fremont, says that he noticed the shock very plainly. The women in his house all ran out screaming, the dishes rattled and the chandeliers swung. He only noticed one shock, and that was from east to west. About the only persons in town who did not notice the shock were street car motormen, gripmen and conductors and the passengers who happened to be riding at the time. A Post Intelligencer reporter was riding up Front street on the electric road and had just reached the top of the hill at Lenora street when the shock came. By the time the car had reached the foot of the hill the sidewalks on both sides of the street was lined with men and women who had rushed down out of the buildings on either side. Their faces were pale and showed fright, and each one at first thought that something had happened to his own particular building. When the car reached the end of its run in Queen Ann town the men on the car first learned that there had been an earthquake from the people living around, who were still afraid to go into their houses.	1891
Holden, E.S., 1898, A Catalog of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1087	Washington, D.C.		1891. Pysht, Washington, November 29; 3:34 P.M. Duration about ten seconds. Panes of glass broken in the hotel (VI?). (Observer U.S. Weather Bureau, through U. S. Geological Survey.)	1898
Holden, E.S., 1898, A Catalog of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1087	Washington, D.C.		1891. Port Townsend, November 29. A distinct shock of earthquake was felt here at 3:14 this afternoon. The shock continued fully twenty seconds. Buildings shook, windows rattled, and many persons rushed out of their houses. There was no damage done (VII).	1898
Holden, E.S., 1898, A Catalog of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1087	Washington, D.C.		1891. Tacoma, November 29. A slight earthquake was felt all over the city at 3:16 this afternoon. No damage was done. A severe shock but no damage done at Olympia, 15h. 15m., II.__P.	1898
Holden, E.S., 1898, A Catalog of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769-1897, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 1087	Washington, D.C.		1891. November 29; Seattle. At 3:21 o'clock this afternoon two shocks of earthquake, lasting about five seconds each, were felt here. No damage was done. The direction of the vibrations was southeast to northwest. One building swayed so much that the elevator bumped against the side of the shaft and could not move until the shock was over. Lake Washington, on the east side of town, was lashed into a foam, and the water rolled on to the beach 2 feet above the mark of the highest water and 8 feet above the present stage. Reports from Snohomish and Bellingham Bay towns say the shock was plainly felt there.	1898
Leslie M. Scott, Memoranda of the Files of the Oregonian 1850-1910, Oregon Historical Society	Portland, OR	Unpublished index to the Oregonian	at Seattle, Snohomish, Bellingham, Port Townsend, Tacoma, Olympia, Nov. 29, 1891	1910
Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153			1891 November 29; Seattle; at 3:21 o'clock this afternoon two shocks of earthquake, lasting about five seconds each, were felt here. No damage was done. The direction of the vibrations was southeast to northwest. One building swayed so much that the elevator bumped against the side of the shaft and could not move until the shock was over. Lake Washington, on the east side of town, was lashed into a foam and the water rolled on to the beach two feet above the mark of the highest water and eight feet above the present stage. Reports from Snohomish and Bellingham Bay towns say the shock was plainly felt there.	1935
Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153			1891 November 29; VII; Port Townsend; a distinct shock of earthquake was felt here at 3:14 this afternoon. The shock continued fully twenty seconds; buildings shook, windows rattled, and many persons rushed out of their houses. There was no damage done.	1935
Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153			1891 November 29; Tacoma; a slight earthquake was felt all over the city at 3:16 this afternoon; no damage was done; a severe shock but no damage done at Olympia, 15h 15m, II. P.	1935
Bradford, Donald C., 1935, Seismic History of the Puget Sound Basin, BSSA, V. 25, No. 2, pp. 138-153			1891 November 29, 3:34 p.m. Pysht; duration about ten seconds; panes of glass broken in the hotel, VI? Observer United States Weather Bureau, through United States Geological Survey.	1935
Spokesman Review Index	Spokane, WA	Complied by WPA, Olympia, 1938, Available on microfilm at U.W. Library (A696)	Great alarm felt by Coast people when quakes are felt in Sound region SR 8th D 2, 91 6:4	1938
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			1891 November 29. 3:14 p.m. VII. Port Townsend. A distinct shock of earthquake was felt here at 3:14 this afternoon. The shock continued fully twenty seconds. Buildings shook, windows rattled, and many persons rushed out of their houses. There was no damage done. [Probably this and all the other shocks in the following entries for November 29 were one and the same shock.]	1939
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			1891 November 29. 3:16 p.m. Tacoma. A slight earthquake was felt all over the city at 3:16 this afternoon. No damage was done. A severe shock but no damage done at Olym- pia, 15h 15m, II.-P. [In Plummer's published report the place is given as Tacoma and Olympia is not mentioned. He does not say the shock was severe, and of course it could not be if the intensity was only II. See Publications of the Astronomical So- ciety of the Pacific, 8, 79.] Point Wilson Lighthouse, November 29, 3 p.m. Admiralty Head Lighthouse, 2:57 p.m. Point No Point Lighthouse, November 29, 3 p.m., clocks stopped.	1939
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			1891 November 29. 3:34 p.m. Pysht [Clallam Co.]. Duration about ten seconds. Panes of glass broken in the hotel, VI?-Observer U.S. Weather Bureau, through U.S. Geological Survey.	1939
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			1891 November 29. 3:21 p.m. Seattle. At 3:21 o'clock this afternoon two shocks of earth- quake, lasting about five seconds each, were felt here. No damage was done. The direction of the vibrations was southeast to northwest. One building swayed so much that the elevator bumped against the side of the shaft and could not move until the shock was over. Lake Washington, on the east side of town, was lashed ihto a foam, and the water rolled on to the beach two feet above the mark of the highest water and eight feet above the present stage. Reports from Snohomish and Bellingham Bay towns say the shock was felt there.	1939
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			1891 NOVEMBER 29. 3:14 p.m. An earthquake which was quite strong in the lower Puget Sound basin was felt only slightly in Victoria. Col.	1957
Rasmussen, Norman, 1967, Washington state earthquakes 1840 through 1965, BSSA V. 57, No. 3, pp. 463-476			73 1891 Nov. 29 23:21 Port Angeles V-VII 1,4 felt over 4,000 sq. mi.	1967
U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96			1891. November 29. Puget Sound region, Wash. Strong shock. Epicenter uncertain. Strong at Seattle where an elevator jammed in the shaft; waters of Lake Washington were disturbed. Also strong at Port Townsend where people rushed from buildings, and at Pysht where slight damage occurred.	1973
U. S. Dept. of Commerce, 1973, Earthquake History of the United States, V. 41-1, revised ed., pp. 89-96			Nov. 29 15:21 Puget Sound region, Wash - - 4,000 V-VI 3-25,25	1973
Woodward Clyde Consultants, unpublished		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.	189111292321000 48115-123443W VII R 7 01	1981
Tsumanis Affecting the West Coast of the United States, 1806-1992		NGDC Key to Geophysical Records Documentation No. 29, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geophys. Data Center, Boulder, CO	1891, Nov. 29, Puget Sound, WA, Validity 3 (ranked from 0-4; 4 highest RSL) , Cause - Landslide, Comments: Two or more separate waves 1891, November 29. "Water in Lake Washington (vicinity of Seattle) surged onto the beach two feet above the mark of the highest water and eight feet above the lake stage on that date" (Camfield, 1980, p. 217). The Seattle Post Intelligence (Dec. 1, 1891) reports, "The Rev. D.C. Garrett.... said yesterday 'the Flyer had just pulled out from the wharf here when I looked at my watch to see how much later we were starting. The hands showed 03:17 and at that moment the ship careened so far to one side I feared for a moment whe was going to upset..'" This presumably in on the Puget Sound side of Seattle as the Flyer was enroute to Tacoma. The Tacoma Daily Ledger (Nov. 30, 1891) states, "Lake Washington on the east side of town was lashed into foam and the water rolled on the beach two feet above the mark of the highest water and eight feet above the present stage.'" This is repeated in Bradford (1935). The Morming Globe (Tacoma. Nov. 30, 1891, p. 4) reports, "The Earthquake had its effect on the Sound also. Captain Sudlow of the brig Quickstep, which is lying at the end of the Northern Pacific dock being repaired, was at work in the cabin on some carpenter work, when his boat was lifted by a big swell, which broke on the bulkhead of the dock and splashed over the boat. The swell was so unususal that the captain made his way out of the cabin to see what steamboat was so close to shore, sending in swells. He could see no steamers and was puzzled until he heard about the earthquake." This effect was probably independent from the effect described for Seattle. Two shocks of an earthquake lasting about five seconds each were felt. No damage was reported. Seismic waves came from the southeast to northwest. One building swayed so much that the elevator bumped against the side of the shaft. This probably describes three separate events, one on the Puget Sound side of Seattle and a third in the vicinity of Tacoma. These were probably subaerial or submarine landslide-generated tsunamis. Validity 3.	1993

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