September 7, 1882 Earthquake: San Blas Archipelago, Panama

1882, Sept. 7, about 3:00 [local time]. There was an earthquake at Panama, stronger than any previously known. Undulating oscillations lasted 40-45 sec; their intensity gradually increased, and then just as gradually decreased. All homes in the capital were more or less destroyed. Thick walls cracked, and some collapsed. Heavy tiles fell down from roofs and the streets were full of rubble. The cathedral was heavily damaged; a crack appeared from top to bottom in the facade; the bell towers collapsed; one of the naves was completely destroyed; the roof sagged dangerously. At the town hall, the facade collapsed and people were killed. The Panama-Colon Railway was damaged. The underwater cable to Jamaica was broken. A loud underground rumbling was heard at Gamboa. Barbacoas Port on the Chagres River, Gatun, Chagres, Cruses1 and other settlements in the interior as far as Colon, suffered damage. At Colon (Aspinwall), the railway depot was destroyed; cracks appeared in the ground; there were dead and injured.

In Venezuela, at Riosucio in the valley of the Atrato River, sand and mud volcanoes appeared. A thermal spring appeared on one of the streets at Turbo and almost flooded the city. The populace of these cities fled their homes in panic. The earthquake extended to San Juan del Norte (Nicaragua), Guayaquil (Ecuador), Maracaibo and Caracas (Venezuela), that is, it was felt along the entire northwestern coast of South America.

It was accompanied by numerous aftershocks.

Fuchs (ref #2226) adds that the earthquake was felt strongly on the islands in the Gulf of Panama. ...the "Honduras", situated in a road 3.5 km (2 miles) from Panama, felt a seaquake, preceded by a rumbling. Although no visible waves appeared on the surface, the sea began to move rapidly. The vessel began to move, as if at full speed, and ran aground on a pebble bed.

Destruction in the city of Panama, several deaths. Also felt on the islands and a tsunami. Cable breaks. Damage suffered the landward towns, even Colon. Felt in Nicaragua to Greytown, North Colombia and Venezuela to Caracas. Seismic wave down to Guayaquil. Numerous, partly final aftershock to 1883. (ref #1576).

Iida (ref #79) surmises, without much evidence, that two earthquakes occurred: one in Panama and Nicaragua, the other in Colombia.

(above from ref #415)

1882, Sept. 7, 07:50UTC. 7.298 N, 77.815 W, depth 40 km, magnitude 8.2 MS, intensity IX. (ref #1219)

1882, Sept. 7. Central America, Panama, Aspinwall, Caracas, Nicaragua, Rivas, Greytown, Colombia, Buenaventura and Cartagena, Ecuador, Guayaquil to Maracaibo. Intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed

towns and devastated districts. (ref #1055)

1882, Oct, [should be Sept.] 7, 1882, 09:20 UTC. 9N, 82 W. Great Panama earthquake felt Ecuador to Nicaragua with intensity VIII plus at Panama and eruption at Atrato duration 60 sec. Cable between Aspinwall and Jamaica broken about 50 miles from isthmus. Felt in Rivas and Greytown. (ref #1199)

From our analysis of the historical data, we conclude that an epicentral location northeast of Colon is more likely. Furthermore, the intensity data indicate that the event may have been a shallow underthrusting earthquake resulting from plate convergence and that its magnitude was significantly greater than 7... The generation of a significant tsunami by the 7 Sept. 1882 earthquake

would suggest that a Modified Mercalli intensity of XI was attained in the epicentral area. This would correspond to a magnitude of 8.3, estimated from the maximum observed MM intensity (Io)... (reference #1575)