August 16, 1868 Earthquake: San Pablo, Guayaquil,ibarra, Colombia, Ecuador

Aug 16, 1868, 06:30UTC, 0.31N, 78.18W, magnitude 7.7, intensity X, casualties. (ref #1207)Aug 16, 1868, 06:30UTC, 0.31N, 78.18W, mag 7-8, intensity X. (ref #1175)

Aug 16, 1868, 06:15UTC, 0.303N, 78.163W, magnitude 6.4, intensity IX, depth 20 km. (ref #1220)

Aug 16, 1868, 06:30UTC, 0.31N, 78.18W, intensity X, mag 9-10. (ref #1175)

Aug 16, 1868, Ecuador, Colombia, Guayaquil, province of (Pinchincha) Imbabura, Ibarra, San Pablo, Atuntaqui, Quito, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. In Ecuador 40,000 and in Colombia 30,0000 lives were lost. (ref #1055)

Aug. 13-15, 1868. The cities of Arequipa, Iquique, Tacna, and Chencha, and many small towns in Peru and Ecuador destroyed; about 25,000 lives lost and 30,000 rendered homeless; loss of property estimated at £60,000,000. (reference #1073)

Aug 16, 1868. Some Japanese sources mention that on this day a small tsunami was noticed on all the Ryukyu Islands, and surmise that it was caused by the earthquake in

Ecuador, or by one of the aftershocks of the Arica earthquake of Aug 13, 1868. A catastrophic earthquake in Ecuador and southwestern Colombia occurred on the 16th at 1:15 [local time]. The cities Otavalo, Catocachi, Ibarra, Atuntaqui [situated 10 km west of Ibarra] and San Pablo were destroyed. An estimated 40,000 people died in Ecuador and 30,000 in Colombia. The source of the earthquake was apparently situated 100 km east of Quito, in the region of the western spurs of the Andes, that is, quite far from the coast. [There are no data at all on the occurrence of the tsunami off the coast of Ecuador, Colombia or Peru or in the central part of the Pacific. Most likely it was a reflection of the Arica tsunami.] (reference #415)

1868. The city of Ibarra was sleeping quiet and boastful during the night of the unfortunate Aug 16th when at lh:15m, the most violent earthquake among the spaniard anales in America. In less than 3 sec transformed the city in a big and gloomy burying ground... It is necessary to recall that the catastrophe of 16th was preceding at 15th by a movement which was softly perceived a few leguas to the North, in which it ruined the town of El Angel: - Took a long relation of this earthquake, made by P. Federico C. Aguilar S.J., member of a government investigative commission; this relation is on his book "Memoria sobre las oscilaciones de la brujula - Anadese breve resumen de los fenomenos que a companaron al "terremoto del 16 de Agosto de 1868" - 1868.

About the great damages and numerous victims only we will make reference to a few words of the governor of Imbabura when he communicated the news to the Central Government: "Among the consternation of the few persons which were still alive surrounded by these country ruins, I am writing you to inform that on Sunday at one o'clock A.M., the city of Ibarra was shaken by an earthquake. There are only ruins and perhaps one sixth of the population" Reference of "Elenco Histarico ..."

Concerning the effects of the earthquake of Ibarra in Quito, P. Aguilar express; "In appearance all foreboded one placid and clear tropical night as there are at July and August; but, suddenly at 1h:40m, a dull and remote noise was perveiving, which was quickly approximating and increasing like a thunder repeated by echo; there was a soft ondulatory movement, but, suddenly the soil was shaking furiously, mixing the shakes with the ondulations. Fortunately that shake durated only 15 seconds, but on the contrary, no one stone above a stone was resting in Quito. When finally cleared we became stupefied when we saw the mark of the earthquake printed upon all the buildings of the city, specially the public buildings. The temples of Sn. Agustin, the two Carmenes and Sta. Clara became almost completely ruined. The other churches and convents suffered great damages such as the Campania which suffered the new tower shrinkage.

(above from reference #1106)