July 5, 1843 Tsunami: Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Event generated by no plausible cause. Description given by Edmonds (reference #8077), validity 0 (very improbable).

At Portleven in the harbour the sea was moving up and down in a most unaccountable manner, whilst at the mouth it was smooth as usual. The agitation extended about 300 yards from the northern shore of the harbour, but not the least disturbance could be seen in the outer part for 100 yards within the pier-head. The sea rushed inward from the middle of the outer harbour along the western arm, rising about 4 feet, and retired by the eastern arm, occuping between 10 and 15 minutes in the circuit. A fisherman entered the inner basin and one of the influxes curried his boat along with great impetuosity for 100 yards towards the northern shore, and retiring, left it dry on the beach.

At Penzance the agitation was not only in the pier for more than a quarter of mile towards the south and south-west. The agitation continued for long time and within the pier, the sea was observed first to retired suddenly to a considerable distance and, soon afterwards to return, occupying in both movements nearly 20 minutes, and it continued for 2 or 3 hours.

At Newlyn the sea first fell about 4 feet and then returned in the same state of agitation to its former level. This ebbing and flowing was observed 4 times.

At Marazion the sea rushed from the south about 50 yards, to the height of 4 or 5 feet, and then retired to its former level.

At Mousehole there was so great an agitation that one of the large fishing boats parted its hawser and was carried out of the pier.

Further references: Dawson (reference #2853)

(above from reference #4139)

"An Account of an extraordinary Tide at Arbroath," by. Mr. Brown. The ordinary neap tide at Arbroath rises from eight to nine feet, but on July 5th, 1843, an extraordinary phenomenon occurred. The moon was in perihelion at 2 o'clock, and the evening tide was suddenly raised, at the time of high water, to nine and a half or eleven feet-again sunk for about ten minutes, and was raised again, there being a series of fluxes and refluxes. It was not known whether the pbenomenon commenced with a rising or a depression, or with the horizontal length of the wave. The sea was perfectly calm, but vessels which were entering the port perceived a current stronger than usual. In the evening there was a violent thunder storm. Persons who had observed the appearance before, accounted for it on the supposition of a storm in the Atlantic from the suthwest.-Mr. Scott Russell thought the phenomenon at Abroath was not tidal at all. Similar phenomena had been observed elsewhere, on the coast of Scotland, and are described in the same manner. It is supposed by some that they are the consequences of the subsidence or elevation of the coast; others think that they arise from submarine volcanic explosions, and the undulations of the atmosphere which were observed after, would seem to strengthen this opinion. Mr. Hunt called attention to a peculiar condition of the tide on the 5th of July, at Mount's Bay, Cornwall. The tide had receded for about half an hour, when it was observed to flow again, and continued to do so for about ten minutes, when it again receded. This was three times repeated. It was observed that this took place over an extensive line of coast, from Land's End to Port Leaven. (reference #8078)