July 11, 1890 Earthquake: Tash, Astrabad (Gorgan), Bastam, Shakhrud, Iran

NOTE: The earthquakes on June 28 and July 11, 1890 are probably the same event.July 11, 1890, 07:55 UTC, 36.5 N, 54.9 E, depth 10 km, magnitude 6.5, intensity 9-10, described below:

From the account of the Russian consul in Astrabad, it is known that the earthquake began with three successive tremors, the first of which was the strongest. In Astrabad (now Gorgan) ...all the buildings were damaged so much that the residents found it necessary to abandon them. In spite of the fact that 11 underground tremors occurred the first 3 days, ...not a single building in Astrabad was totally ruined.

According to the information received by the consulate, ...the village of Tash was destroyed by the earthquake; it lies 48 km from Astrabad along the road to Shakhrud. Only one building was left untouched; 150 people died.

In the village of Shaku-i-Bal, several homes were destroyed and 14 people died; 7 died in the village of Mudzhin.

The villages of Siyakh-Mergu of the Astrabad province and Khurnan Shakhrud were also leveled, but none of the residents there died. Many buildings in Kalay-Nou-Kharagan, Kelate-Khan, Kalay-Nou-Pain, and others in the cities of Bastam and Shakhrud were damaged.

The earthquake was accompanied by a large number of aftershocks: 60 tremors were noted through August 31, including one earthquake of intensity 6-7, nine of intensity 6, one of intensity 5-6, ten of intensity 5, nine of intensity 4, and 22 of intensity 3; all of these occurred in the first 20 days.

In Shakhrud, Bestam, Tash, Kalenou, Khuran, and Siyakh-Mergu (12-15 km from the epicenter), the intensity of the earthquake reached 9 on the MSK-64 scale; in the villages of Mudzhin, Kelate-Khan (25 km), Shaku-i-Bal, Shakhkukh-Pain and others, the intensity was 8; in Astrabad (Gorgan) it was 7 (50 km). The epicenter of the earthquake was located between the villages of Tash, Bestam, and Shakhrud at 36.50o N, 54.85o. The intensity at the epicenter according to these reports is rated at 9-10.

(above from reference #223)

July 11, 1890, 00:55 (local time), 36.62 N, 54.64 E, intensity 9, magnitude 7.2. (reference #3437)

July 11, 1890, Tash-Shahmd [36.6 N, 54.6 E, magnitude 7.2]. A destructive earthquake at dawn ruined a large area in the sparsely populated regions of Kuh-i Shangi and Shahvar between Astarabad (Gurgan) and Shahrud. In the village of Tash only one house was left standing and 140 out of its 200 inhabitants were killed. Shahkuh-i Bala and Pa'in, Mujin and other settlements as far as Purdilu in the Aliabad district were destroyed with casualties. Damage extended over a large area as far as Astarabad, Shahrud, Surmeh and Kalateh. In Astarabad almost all the houses were damaged to the extent that they were evacuated, and in Kalateh and Shahrud many houses were ruined. Landslides blocked mountain passes, particularly at Shahkuh, and east of Tash rock masses were shattered. Hundreds of people and many flocks of sheep perished. The shock was felt over a large area, mainly to the northwest, as far as Baku. It was also felt at Duzlyolum to the northeast but not beyond Damavand and Mayamay. The shock caused waves in the Caspian Sea that were reported from all along its southern shores between Anzali and Ashur Ada. Aftershocks continued for at least five months. (reference #1117)

June 28, 1890. Dr.Jellisew, a Russian doctor who, on the evening of the 28th inst., was at a considerable distance from Tehran, on his way from Plashhad to the capital. The centre of the earthquake seemed to be Tesch (Tash), a village on the side of mountain and close to a deep precipice. Many people rushed into the fields; most of those who remained in the houses were killed large blocks of rock are said to have burst asunder. (reference #1217)

June 28, 1890, Persia, between Meshed and Teheran, Tasch, intensity II. (reference #1055)