August 16, 1869 Earthquake: Masbate Island, Philippines

Reference #414:

1869, August 16, 15:00 [local time], 12.5 N, 123.5 E, magnitude 7. There was a strong earthquake in the southeast of Luzon Island and the east of the Visayan Sea, lasting about 15 minutes [?]. It was the strongest earthquake in living memory on Masbate Island. All the residents ran from their homes in fear. The animals and birds milled about in terror. Various objects shifted. The few brick structures on the island suffered considerable damage or tilted. Large trees fell. Large cracks opened up in the ground on the south of the island. Landslides came down from the hills and the steep bluffs on shore. The arch of a church was damaged at Albay. A more or less strong earthquake was felt on Burias Island, at Naga, Catbalogan, and Tacloban. More than 100 recurrent shocks were felt in two weeks at Masbate. The sea was rough off the coast of Masbate Island. To the north of Ticao Island, one of the little islands supposedly disappeared (Repetti, 1946; Berninghausen, 1969; Cox, 1970).

Reference #1055:

1869, August 16, 7h GMT. Philippines, Masbate Island. Intensity II which corresponds to buildings may be unroofed or shattered and some may fall, the ground may be badly cracked in places and small landslips occur.

Reference #1072:

1869, August 16. Intensity IX. Masbate Island. Disastrous earthquake. Destroyed the few masonry buildings extant on the island and ruined or inclined hundreds of houses of wood or light materials; large trees fell, fissures opened, and vast landslides occurred in the mountains and along the coasts, especially in the south of the island. Countless

repetitions followed, over 100 of the more severe ones having been counted during the first fortnight after the earthquake.

Reference #1058:

1869, August 16. Intensity IX. Masbate, Samar, Leyte. Destructive.

Reference #1187:

1869 August 16, 3:00 p.m. Southeastern Luzon and Eastern Visayas: Masbate - animals were terrified, domesticated birds flew around in an unwonted manner, and the sea was disturbed; the motion of the earth was E - W and so strong that all were frightened and threw themselves out of the houses in spite of the fact that they did not offer any danger as they are built of wood, bamboo and palm thatch. The few masonry buildings were considerably damaged and the others were tilted; the statues in the church turned on their pedestals, and in private houses nearly everything was jolted out of place. Large trees fell; cracks of great

width opened in the south of the island of Masbate, and there were slides in the hills and on the steep sea-coast. A small island, among the many at the north end of Ticao is said to have disappeared...