April 26, 1916 Earthquake: Almirante, Bocas del Toro, Panama

1916, April 24 2:45 a.m. (08:01:44 UTC). A heavy earthquake was felt at Almirante. In some houses it knocked over glasses, pitchers sitting in bowls turned over, as did a few other articles, but practically no damage resulted. During Monday (April 24) and Tuesday (April 25) many tremors were felt.

On Tuesday night, April 25th, at 9:03 p.m. (02:21:52 UTC, April 26) came the climax--the one of Monday was as nothing in comparison. All merchandise on shelves was thrown to the floors, and eighty-nine houses at Almirante slipped off their pins and sat down on the ground in a more or less graceful position. All the electric lights in town went out and all water-mains were temporarily out of business. The railway track was curiously kinked in several places. No one was injured, but the property damage was between $20,000 and $25,000.

At Bocas a slight tidal wave carried canoes and debris 200m inland. The telephone cable connecting Bocas with the mainland was pulled apart in two places.

Other tremors were felt, the most noticeable being at 3:05 a.m. April 28th.

The earthquake of April 24th was evidently a forerunner of the stronger shock; both of them were felt in the Canal Zone, the former with an intensity of III-IV, the latter with an intensity of V; the second stopped pendulum clocks at Colon and at Balboa Heights. The intensities of the shocks at Almirante were VII and VIII-IX, respectively. The seismographs recorded after-shocks at 05:41:25, 06:26:43, 07:17:20 and 12:41:56, UTC, April 26th. The G.M.T. of the shocks was determined from the seismographic records at Balboa Heights, C.Z., Viequez, P.R., and several observatories in the U.S.

(above from reference #502)

1916, April 25 20:45 local time, 9.2 N, 83.1 W. A severe earthquake [Ms 7.3] caused considerable damage at Bocas del Toro and Almirante [MMI = VIII-IX], disrupting electric and water service. With its epicenter on the Litoral Atlantic [Atlantic seaboard], according to Bermudez Leon, it caused major damage at Sixaola, Costa Rica [9.508 N, -82.615 W]. Houses were shifted from their supports, small buildings tumbled down, and a reinforced three-story building swayed 2 feet [60 cm] from the perpendicular. Fissures opened and closed and fresh water flowed from cracks at Bocas del Toro and at Almirante. (reference #1492)

1916, April 26, 02:30 UTC [9:30 p.m.]. 9.6 N, 82.0 W, 7.0 Ms. This event was located by the Old Dominion Observatory of Ottawa, Canada at 9.5N, 82.6 W. GUENDEL (1986) proposes 9.33 N. 82.00 W as its epicenter. VIQUEZ &

TORAL (1987) propose 9.6 N, 82.0 W as its epicenter.

GUTENBERG & RICHlER (1954) calculated a Ms 7.3 for this event, while ABE & NOGUCHI (1983) calculated a Ms 7.1. (reference #1574)

1916, April 24 08:02, 10 N, 82 W, mag. 6.9 Ms, depth 60 km. (reference #249)

1916, April 26 02:21:14, 9.6 N, 82.1 W, mag. 7.3 Ms, depth 25 km. (reference #249)

1916, April 26 02:21 UTC, 9.2 N, 83.1 W, mag. 6.9 MS, Bocas del Toron, Panama. (reference #273)

1916, April 24. Pronounced shock at Bocas del Toro, being sufficiently violent to overturn glasses. (reference #520)

1916, April 26. All these disturbances were decidedly pronounced at Bocas del Toro and Almirante; considerable damage to property at Almirante; telephone cable connecting Bocas with the mainland torn apart; slight tidal wave at Bocas carried canoes and debris 200m inland; several buildings thrown off their foundations; stopped clock in telephone office at Colon. (reference #520)

1916, April 24 08:02:08 UTC, 10 N, 82 W, shallow depth, mag. 7.6 MS. (reference #88)

1916, April 24 08:02.2 UTC, 11 N, 85 W, mag. 7.3 MS. (reference #130)

1916, April 26 02:21.5 UTC, 10 N, 85 W, mag. 7.3 MS. (reference #130)

1916, April 24 08:02:12 11 N, 85 W, mag. 7.2 Mw, 7.4 Ms, 7.1 mb. (reference #9910)

1916, April 26 02:21:30, 10 N, 85 W, mag. 7.1 Ms, 7.3 mB. (reference #9910)