December 14, 1797 Earthquake: Cumana, Cariaco, Venezuela

1797, Dec 14, 23:30 UTC. 10.6 N, 64.1 W, intensity IX. (reference #1209)

1797, Dec 14, 19h. Major earthquake in Cumana, many houses and buildings damaged and numerous victims. It was witnessed by A. v. Humboldt. (reference #1502)

1797, Dec 14. Cumana, Venezuela. (reference #1002)

1797, Dec 4 and 14. Venezuela, Cumana, Cariaco and the surrounding country; 16,000 lives lost. Intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)

1797, Dec 14. Venezuela (IX). In Cumana many houses and other buildings were destroyed and many killed. (reference #364)

1797, Dec. Earthquake in Cumana with large underground noises. They suffered many houses and buildings and casualties. The eruption of the volcano of the isla of Guadalupe was the September 27, 1797. "In eastern Antilles eight months before the eruption of this volcano they felt a series of subterranean noises tremors. (reference #492)

1797, Dec 14. Cumana. (reference #410)

1797, Dec 14. The town of Cumana, S. America and the surrounding country. A violent earthquake. Preceded by a slight wave-like motion. Then came violent perpendicular shocks from beneath upwards. The town of Cumana was ruined, and terrible devastation produced in its neighborhood. The state of the surface of the ground was changed in some places. Half an hour before the violent shocks a smell of sulphur was observed. On the bank of the Manzanares and in the bay of Cariaco near Maraquitas flames came up from the earth, followed by a subterranean noise like bubbling, and then by the shocks. The latter were like the springing of a mine at a great depth, and laid four-fifths of the city in ruins. (reference #497)

1797, Dec 14, 19:00 local time. 10.6 N, 64.1 W. this earthquake occurred shortly before the arrival of Baron von Humboldt, German naturalist, to the coast of Venezuela. Humboldt (1842) refers to this earthquake and the September 10, 1794 which, according to Perrey (1858), was intense. According to Humboldt tremors were felt along the southern coast of the Gulf of Cariaco to the town of that name, while the peninsula of Araya, the ground did not participate in such vibrations. (reference #124)