Electronic Supplement to
Reverberations on the Watery Element: A Significant, Tsunamigenic Historical Earthquake Offshore the Carolina Coast

by Susan E. Hough, Jeffrey Munsey, and Steven N. Ward

Table S3. Ship reports of later earthquakes.

Sacramento Daily Union, 6/18/1858 (Sacramento, CA)

EARTHQUAKE FELT AT SEA—The Danish ship Himalaya, which arrived in port yesterday from Valparaiso, reports that, on 24 April, in latitude 28 south and 75 west—about 800 miles from land—at 7 A.M., while the passengers were at breakfast, a severe shock was felt, which lasted about twenty seconds. The ship trembled as if large casks were rolling over the decks. The passengers all left the table, very much frightened.

Daily National Intelligencer, 4/26/1858 (Washington, DC)

EARTHQUAKE AT SEA. Capt. Ladd, of the ship Pacific, at New York from New Orleans reports: which left New Orleans April 6th, and arrived at New York on Friday, reports, “April 17th, at (unintelligble), at lat. 27 28, long 79 28, with sea perfectly smooth, she felt severe shocks of an earthquake. It commenced with a noise like distant thunder, and kept increasing until it sounded like a heavy cannonale some four miles away. About the fourth or fifth shock it was so heavy that it shock the ship all over, as if she had struck the bottom, causing all the window- panes and glasses to rattle and shake, and it seemed as if some one was rolling a large empty cask about the deck. The shocks lasted about twelve to fifteen minutes, but there was one heavy one. The day had been very sultry, and the sky had a very strange appearance at sunset. The earthquake, or rather the sound of it was in the north and east direction from the ship. There was no swell after the shocks, but, on the contrary, the sea remained perfectly smooth.

New York Commercial Advertiser,1859 (New York, NY)

Earthquake at Sea – Singular Phenomena. Captain Green, of the whaleship Sheffield, of Cold Spring, which arrived at this port this morning in one hundred and fifty days from Honolulu, reports that on the 26th of April while in latitude 29 55, longitude 69 10, he experienced three severe shocks of an earthquake, the first of which was the most severe, occurring at 4 25 A M; the subsequent ones at 5 40 and 6 10 A.M. Captain Green, who on several occasions has met with similar phenomena at sea, says that these, in time of continuance, and also in loudness of accompanying noise and the peculiar trembling motion communicated to the ship, far exceeded all others he ever felt. The mate on duty at the time of the first shock reported that the sea, for some time previous, presented the appearance of a tide rip. The time occupied by the first shock was variously estimated from three fourths to one and a half minutes. The noise might be aptly compared to that of a heavily loaded wagon or cart driven rapidly over a plank road. All the sleepers on board were started from their slumber.

New York Commercial Advertiser,1859 (New York, NY)

Memoranda. Capt. Hillard, of sch. Miranda, at New York, reports that on March 27, from 11 AM to 12 1⁄2 PM, in lat 32 16, long 70 25, he felt four shocks of an earthquake, two of which caused the vessel to move as if struck on a reef.

Boston Evening Transcript, 5/7/1859 (Boston, MA)

SHOCKS OF AN EARTHQUAKE AT SEA. The barque Winona arrived at New York from Rio Janero experienced three shocks of an earthquake on the 27th April, in about latitude 32,longitude 70 25, Bermuda bearing about W. 1/2N nearly 6 degrees. Mr. B.A. Cox, a passenger, states that they were suddenly awakened from their sleep at 3 A.M. by the trembling of the vessel, as though she was rubbing over a coral reef. The shock lasted about twenty seconds. In about two seconds after another shock stronger than the first was felt, and at 5 1⁄2 A.M. a third much stronger than the preceding ones, and lasting from twenty to thirty seconds.

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