December 29, 1915 Earthquake: Gracias, El Salvador, Honduras

December 28, 1915, 23:54 UTC, 14.56 N, 88.76 W, magnitude 6.6 MS. (reference #7896)

December 29, 1915, 02:23 [local time?], Gracias, Honduras, magnitude 6.3, a few killed, 4000 homeless. (reference #1177)

In 1915 at Ahuachapan, Ataco y Apaneca, El Salvador, an earthquake caused the destruction of many great houses and cracks in the land. The Izalco volcano (13.813 N, 89.633 W) also erupted. (reference #1196)

Guatemala, Salvador, and Honduras, December 20 to 30, 1915--A series of disastrous earthquakes occurred in Guatemala, Salvador and Honduras, extending over a period of ten days or more, near the end of December, 1915. The first reports mentioned some twenty shocks at Guatemala from december 20th to 22nd, but no damage was done. Later reports spoke of shocks at Chimaltenango, Escuintla, Amatitlan, and Sacatepequez, all of them in the volcanic region west of the city of Guatemala. On the 27th the town of Gracias in Honduras was partly destroyed, and another shock on the 29th nearly completed its ruin, and four thousand people were left without homes. The village of Talqua, Las Flores and S. Sebastian, all of them near Gracias, were also demolished. But few lives were lost, however. Shocks continued at S. Salvador, on the 30th, but they were less severe.

The following account has been received from our colleague, Dr. V. F. Marsters, who wrote from San Jacinto, Honduras, under date of December 31, 1915.

...On the night of December 27th some nine strong shocks were felt in Gracias, but these were strongest in Las Flores and Talgua. very soon after the shocks of December 26th dense darkness followed with exceedingly heavy rainfall. The latest reports state that a small area in and about Gracias has sunk sufficiently to place a part of the town under water.

Such data as we now have at hand show that the line of maximum intensity extended from Las Flores on the northwest, thence southeast to and through Gracias to La Esperanza: that is, in a southeast-northwest direction. This line is approximately parallel to the range of mountains known under the names Sierra de Atima and Sierra de Opalaca.

(above from reference #7955)