The Great Sound Earthquake
A violent, multi-shock tremor sends Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett residents into the streets, rattling buildings and nerves across the Puget Sound region.
An earthquake of unusual violence was felt throughout the Puget Sound region at 8:20 last evening. In Tacoma, three shocks were felt, the third being the most severe. The first was slight, but the third was accompanied by a low rumbling sound and was of such violence that buildings swayed, doors were burst open, and windows rattled as though affected by a strong wind. The city hall swayed and trembled from the foundations up, while downtown hotel guests were so badly frightened they fled their rooms. Reports from Seattle, Everett, Port Townsend, and Snohomish mirror the experience, with residents rushing into the streets in alarm. While dishes were shattered and door frames sprung, no serious structural damage was reported.
“The third seemed to sway the tall structure, and imparted to the upper floors a motion like that of the deck of a ship in a storm.”
Earthquakes remain a constant, looming reality for Puget Sound residents. This 1904 report highlights how little the fundamental experience of seismic uncertainty has changed in the century since.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.