66th Congress-1st Session, House of Representative, Document No.269. The Porto Rico Earthquake of 1918 with descriptions of earlier earthquakes. Report of the Earthquake Investigation Commission by Harry Fielding Reid and Stephen Taber USGPO Washington DC 1919, 8vo, 74p. Illus-photos, maps Disbound (no Covers) but in Very Good Condition This was one of the most violent earthquakes felt on Puerto Rico.. Immediately following the shock a tsunami broke upon the shore, drowning many persons and destroying many local dwellings. Property damage was estimated at about $4,000,000 and 116 lives were lost. Most extensive property damage reports were received from Aguada and Anasco, both located on alluvium in Western Puerto Rico. In Aguada, masonry buildings were largely demolished. Some walls, severely cracked by the main shock, were thrown down by the aftershock on Oct. 24. The church, built prior to 1876, was entirely destroyed. Some concrete walls and foundations without reinforcement were wrecked. A one-story reinforced concrete school was practically undamaged, and frame buildings were not damaged appreciably. At Anasco, all brick buildings were destroyed or condemned. Several concrete structures with no reinforcement were generally wrecked during aftershocks, but those which were well reinforced sustained little damage. Wood frame buildings were not damaged except where timbers had rotted. North of Aguada at Aguadilla, most of the buildings on the alluvium were badly damaged or destroyed. As a rule, masonry structures were badly cracked. At Mayaguez, south of Anasco, the brick Catholic Church had to be razed, but the brick Presbyterian Church was only slightly damaged. Several persons were killed in the collapse of a two-story, poorly built concrete cigar factory. Many bridges were damaged; railroad tracks were bent and displaced; pipelines and flumes were wrecked; and tall brick chimmneys were thrown down. Two cable links were broken in Mona Passage. Before the tsunami arrived, the ocean withdrew and exposed reefs and stretches of seafloor never visible during low tide. When the water returned, it reached heights that were equally high above normal, perhaps 9.5 feet. (source: US Geological Survey Pub 41-1 revised ed.) Also included in this document are short reports for Charlotte Amalia; St. Matrins; Saba and Haiti Photos 6: include: Church at Isabella; Church at Mayaguez; Mayaguez City Hall (Casa de Alcade); Escuela Presbyteriana Mayaguez; House at Palya de Mayaguez; House floated off by wave-Mayaguez Folding Maps: 2 A unique report for one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to strike Puerto Rico. Affected municipalities and towns are listed along with the damages caused by the quake and tsunami. Some towns with populations: Aguadilla pop 6,000; Mayaguez 17,000; Ponce 35,000; San Juan 49,000; Fajardo 6,000;
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 12:05:46 +0000