February 20, 1871 Earthquake: Mambajao,catarman, Camiguin Island, Philippines

Reference #414: 1871, Feb 21. On Camiguin Is there was a destructive earthquake, which devastated the extreme N part of the island and which was felt on the islands of Mindanao, Bohoi, Cebu and others. Many wooden homes were destroyed and massive stone walls collapsed at Mambajao and Catarman; many avalanches occurred in the mountains. More shocks were registered almost daily until Apr 30. Four of these were strong.

On Apr 30, the Hibokhibok Volcano (Camiguin Is), which had been considered extinct, exploded and a new crater was formed at its foot. Maso describes the events as follows.

On Apr 30, at 7:00, a new volcano exploded with a terrifying roar on the N-NE tip of the island. A column of steam, stones and ash rose into the air; the ash fell for a distance of up to 200 km from the volcano. Everything was destroyed in a radius of 2-3 km from the new crater. There were no victims, since the residents of the nearest settlement, Catarman, frightened by the earthquakes, had left their homes before the eruption. The underground shocks stopped almost completely for several days after the eruption.

Fuchs describes the eruption somewhat differently.

On Apr 30 (or May l), the plain at Catarman settlement began to subside gradually, so that the roofs of the homes were soon at ground level. While many residents were observing this phenomenon, suddenly, at 17:00, a terrible roar pealed out, cracks appeared in the ground, and an eruption began from the small crater which had newly appeared in place of the village. A large cloud of smoke rose into the air. Flows of lava and water issued. The explosions, like shots from a large cannon, continued uninterrupted for several hours. Then a brief pause ensued, after which the explosions began again and new subsidences occurred, and lava again flowed from the crater, flooding the huts in its path and falling with a terrible hiss into the sea. A dense cloud of ash hung over the island. Shafts of flame from the volcano burst through the dark ash. The eruption lasted a long time.

The population of 26,000 people fled the island; it was inundated by a wave from the sea.

Perrey gives a fuller description of the eruption, but says nothing about a tsunami.

Reference #1055: 1871, Feb 21, 20h GMT. Philippines, Camiguin Is, Mambajao, Catarman. Intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts.

Reference #1187:1871 Feb 21 4:00 a.m. Mindanao: A violent earthquake shook the island, causing considerable damage to the stone buildings. On the flank of the mountain, the sight was dreadful. The rolling masses of stone were destroying trees and plantations, while the opening of fissures caused a noise like that of a great storm. The inhabitants of the town were terrified and from this moment began to escape in their boats.

Reference #1072: 1871 Feb 21, 04h, Intensity IX. Camiguin Is. Destructive earthquake which affected only the extreme N of the island, where subsequently, on the 30th of Apr, a volcano which had been believed extinct, burst forth again near its base. This great earthquake was the first of a series of shocks which preceded the eruption. It ruined many buildings constructed of wood, and rent asunder the massive walls of the churches at Manibajao and Catarman, while in the mountains it caused many landslides. Between Feb 21 and Apr 30, the date of the volcanic eruption, four violent earthquakes were felt on Camiguin and the neighboring Islands of Mindanao, Cebu, Bohol, etc., aside from countless shocks of less intensity. With the eruption, the earthquakes ceased completely.