November 17, 1849 Tsunami: Central Chile

Reference #415

1849, November (December, mistakenly June) 17 or 18, 16:10. At Coquimbo and La Serena there was an extremely strong earthquake lasting 85 seconds. At Coquimbo, half an hour after the earthquake (according to other sources, 10 minutes after), the sea quickly swirled backwards for some distance, so that two ships almost capsized. Then the water returned with "furious force and speed," destroying two wooden moorages at the copper foundry and flooding eight furnaces, five of which exploded with a terrible roar. The home of the owner of the foundry, the canal supplying the the foundry with water, and two customhouses were also partly or completely destroyed. A public moorage was damaged and one private moorage was half swept away. The water passed 300 m (3 cuadro) beyond the highest flood tide mark and rose 5 m (16 feet) above that mark. There were no victims.

Reference #164

1849, Dec 17, 06:10 UTC. Magnitude 7.5 Tsunami observed in Coquimbo and Calderoa. Generated NW of Coquimbo. Damages of consideration in Coquimbo. Coquimbo 5 meters, Caldera 4.5-5 meters.

Reference #39

1849, Dec 17. Chile. Earthquake felt at Coquimbo, Santiago, and Valparaiso. The wave caused great damage at Coquimbo.

Reference #79

1849, Dec 17 (June ). Source N. Chile, Coquimbo-Valparaiso. Tsunami observed at Coquimbo and La Serena, travel time 0.2 hours.

Reference #3843

1849, November 28. Great quake in La Serena and tsunami in Coquimbo. Letter from the Mayor of La Serena, Mr. Juan Melgarejo, to the Minister of the Interior. In La Serena, strong and prolonged tremor. It destroyed the copper smelter of Mr. Carlos Lambert and a channel that was running for this establishment. The tsunami began from the mouth of the river, and grew to the port until it was 18 feet high. There were no victims. From 8 to 21, there were 19 tremors. It was strong in the department of Coquimbo, but almost did not feel in the one of Elqui. Report of don Juan Caballero, subdelegado maritime of Coquimbo, to the Intendant. On the 18th, at VI. A.M. tremor. Half an hour later, the sea set in motion; refluxing at some distance, with eddies. Two ships threatened to lie down. The sea returned with violent rapidity, taking two wooden piers from the Lambert smelter, and flooding the 8 furnaces, of which 5 burst with great noise. Two customs buildings and a part of the Lambert house were destroyed. The sea damaged the fiscal pier and the water took part of the dock of don Joaquin Edwards. The population was flooded three blocks beyond the point reached by the highest tides.

(El Araucano, n. 1024. Santiago. Nov 29, 1849. Communicado por don Nicanor Molinare).

Having produced the tsunami half an hour after the earthquake, the focus has had to be in the sea.

(El Araucano, n. 1169. Dec 7, 1850. Communicado por don Nicanor Molinare).

Semi-earthquake of Santiago. Santiago. Violent jolt. It lasted more than 1 min. Of two violent jolts, of 6 sec and of 10 to 12 sec respectively. Vibratory. Some shingles have fallen, the stucco has been broken from one exterior to another, and small fractures have been broken in some walls of private houses. Public buildings also suffered from detriment. In the Cathedral, in the flat arc of one of the windows that give the Secretary, the two stones of the middle of said arch, yielded some lines to the weight they hold. From the Prison and the old Government House, almost all the knobs that served as decoration to the upper part of the building were detached, and one of them caused the death of a boy from twelve to thirteen years old. An hour and a half later he trembled feebly again.