August 19, 1869 Tsunami: S. Peru

1869, August 19, "dead of night". 16 S, 73.5 W, erroneous tsunami. A terrible earthquake occurred at Arequipa. It shook the whole city and lasted 70-80 seconds. Shocks had not been felt in the city in the two preceding weeks. Immediately after this earthquake, and at least until September 8 (letter dated September 10), shocks were frequent; eight were noted in one night. At

Arica there were more than 40 more or less strong shocks in a day. They were also felt at Tacna. Strong shocks were recorded at Ica on the same day. Fearing a tsunami, the inhabitants of Arica went to Tacna. In other reports, apparently due to misinterpretation of the text cited, it is incorrectly asserted that the earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami. (reference #415)

1869, August 19. 16 S, 73.5 W, magnitude 6.5, Peru. (reference #552)

1869, August 19. Chile and Peru. Earthquake felt at Ica and Arica. Sea wave; no data. (reference #39)

1869, August 19. Peru at Ica, and Chile at Arica. Tsunami intensity I. (reference #132)

1869, August 19 (possibly 20). Tsunami source Arica or Ica, N. Chile or S. Peru. Tsunami observed Iquique, Pisagua, Arica, Callao. The number and date of Peru--N. Chile tsunami occurring in August 1869 is uncertain. Berninghausen, citing Heck, Milne and Montessus de Ballore lists tsunamis accompanying a quake Aug. 19 at Ica and Arica and a quake (quakes? ) on Aug. 20 and 24 at Tacna, Arica, Iquique, and Pica. Heck lists the same tsunami, not clarifying that the places were those at which the quakes, and not necessarily waves, were observed, citing Milne. Milne listed a quake at Arica and Ica on 19 Aug., accompanied by sea waves, citing an unidentified Montessus de Ballore report, and quakes Aug. 20-24 strongest at Arica, Iquique, and Pica, of which one at least was accompanied by sea waves, citing Fuchs, Montessus de Ballore, and Hope-Jones. Rudolph initially (1887) reported a quake at Tacna on Aug. 24 at 13:10 with which was associated the tsunami behavior at Pisagua noted above. Later, however, he quoted a ship captain's report from Pisagua on the same date that "..the inhabitants cleared out to the mountains leaving another sea wave." The earlier tsunami thus implied might have occurred on one of the earlier dates shown in Aug. 1869 or might easily have been the tsunami of 1868 Aug. 13. Montessus de Ballore included in his provisional lists (1910-llb) a quake at Arica and Ica on Aug. 19 that was accompanied by a tsunami, but later (19lla) in detailed account omitted this date and described a Peru-N. Chile quake on Aug. 24 accompanied by a tsunami at Arica and Iquique. Fuchs (1870) mentions a tsunami only on Aug. 24 accompanying a quake at Iquique and Arica. It is considered probable that there was only one tsunami in Aug. 1869, that on the 24th, but possible that there was an additional one on the 19th. (reference #79)