Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
88
II. Introduction to Geologic Hazards
TABLE 6.2 Impact of the 1949 Earthquake in Western Washington at Various Sites.
Aberdeen
One death. Scores of chimneys tumbled at roof level. Broken dishes and windows.
Bellingham
Hanging objects swung. Swaying of buildings. Pendulum clocks stopped or ran fast or slow.
Bremerton
One death. Considerable falls of plaster. Elevator counterweights pulled out of guides. Swaying of build-
ings. Trees shaken moderately to strongly.
Buckley
Part of high school building fell. Most chimneys in town toppled at roofline. Cracked plaster and ground.
Centralia
One death; 10 persons hospitalized. Very heavy damage. Collapse of building walls and many chimneys.
Water mains broken; Water and sand spouted from ground. Violent swaying of buildings and trees. Many
objects moved, including pianos. Objects fell from shelves. Pendulums swinging east-west stopped. Many
persons panic-stricken. Four miles southwest of town, water spouted 18 in. high in middle of field, leaving
a very fine sand formation around each hole (1-3 in. in diameter). Gas or air boiling up through river.
Cle Elum
Pendulum clocks stopped. Small objects and furnishings shifted. Trees and bushes shaken moderately.
Eatonville
Chimneys toppled. Plaster fell in large pieces in schoolhouse. People had difficulty in maintaining
balance.
Hyak
Few windows broke. Trees and bushes shaken moderately. Furnishings shifted.
Longview
Two minor injuries. Gable of community church fell. Water main broke, beams cracked in school. Extensive
but scattered damage to business buildings, industrial properties, and residences. Considerable damage to
irrigation ditches. Landslides on cuts along highway. Objects fell in all directions. Some heavy furniture
overturned. Glass figurine on mantle thrown 12 ft.
Olympia
Two deaths; many persons injured. Conspicuous cracks in ground and damage in masonry structures. Capi-
tol buildings damaged. Nearly all large buildings had cracked or fallen walls and plaster. Two large smoke-
stacks and many chimneys fell. Streets damaged extensively; many water and gas mains broken. Portion of
a sandy spit in Puget Sound disappeared during the earthquake.
Port Townsend
Pendulum clocks facing northeast stopped. Hanging objects swung. Slight damage in poorly built build-
ings. Subterranean sounds heard. Bells rang in a small church.
Puyallup
Many injured. High school stage collapsed. Nearly every house chimney toppled at roof line. Several houses
were jarred off foundations. Minor landslides blocked roads. Water mains broke. Multiple-story brick build-
ings most severely damaged. Some basement floors raised several feet, driving supports through floor
above. Plaster badly damaged. Water spouted in fields, bringing up sand.
Randle
Twisting and falling of chimneys; about one-fourth of all chimneys fell. Damage considerable. Water spilled
from containers and tanks. Plaster and walls fell; dishes and windows broke. Lights went out.
Satsop
Cracked ground. Pendulum clocks stopped. Trees and bushes shaken strongly. Furnishings overturned.
Seattle
One death; many seriously injured with scores reporting shock, bruises, and cuts. Many houses on filled
ground demolished; many old buildings on soft ground damaged considerably. Collapse of top of one
radio tower and one wooden water tank with damage to many tanks on weak buildings. Many chimneys
toppled. Heavy damage to docks (fractures in decayed pilings). Several bridges damaged; many water
mains in soft ground broken. Telephone and power service interrupted. Large cracks in filled ground; some
cracking of pavement. Water spouted 6 ft or more from ground cracks. At the federal office building,
bookcases thrown face down. Very heavy furniture overturned. Plaster badly cracked and broken with
pieces 1-3 ft square thrown from walls. Pictures on north-south walls canted; those on east-west walls—
little cant. Some doors did not fit after shock. Many old brick buildings partially destroyed.
Snoqualmie
Most damage confined to brick chimneys, windows, and plaster. Overturned vases and floor lamps. Coffee
shaken out of cups. Rockslides on Mt. Si. Trees and bushes shaken strongly.
Tacoma
One death. Many buildings damaged and parts fell. Many chimneys toppled. Several houses slid into Puget
Sound. One smokestack fell. One 23-ton cable saddle was thrown from the top of tower at Tacoma Narrows
Bridge, causing considerable loss. Railroad bridges thrown out of line. Tremendous rockslide, a half-mile section
of a 300-ft cliff, into Puget Sound. Considerable damage to brick; plaster, windows, walls, and ground cracked.
(Modified from Murphy and Ulrich. 1951)
