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About 2 o'clock this afternoon a distinct earthquake shock was felt throughout the city, lasting, all told, including several tremors, about three seconds. Reports were received from offices in tall buildings that the shock was pronounced and there were thrills experienced by many. The alarm system in the public safety department was temporarily thrown out of commission and in various parts of the city clocks stopped and dishes rattled in the cupboards. No damage of a material nature has been reported.
In Provo the shock was felt distinctly, word from that city stating that many people rushed out of office buildings into the streets, where excitement prevailed for several minutes.
At the University of Utah the tremors were felt and a rush was made for the seismograph. Dr. Frederick J. Pack was not at the institution, but Prof. Charles E. Forsberg, who was first to inspect the instrument, said the shock was apparently of local origin, in connection with the great Wasatch fault. Dr. Pack was notified and he began a study of the disturbance from a scientific standpoint. In the top floor of the Templeton building, in the Utah Conservatory of Music, the shock was apparent and also in the top floor of The Deseret News building, when the types rattled and some of the men stopped work.
Provo, July 15--An earthquake shock which lasted several seconds, apparently, was felt here about 1:50 o'clock this afternoon. The taller buildings in the city were shaken, the earthquake being felt mostly on the upper floors. The shake caused many persons to rush out of their homes. No damage was reported from the shock.
[Deseret Evening News; July 15, 1915]
Reports from various towns in Utah county indicate that the earthquake of yesterday afternoon was felt in a marked degree throughout that section. It is an interesting fact in this connection that some of the towns in that county lie close to the mountains, which are very high and precipitous, and that near their base is the line of the great Wasatch fault plane, so well known to geologists who have studied the formations of this region.
At Provo the shaking was so severe as to throw an old gentleman from a couch on which he was lying. The citizens generally noticed a disturbance of the earth. At American Fork buildings swayed and their inmates rushed out of doors, but more wonder than alarm was felt.
At Alpine, a village which nestles close to the foot of the mountain, the shaking of the earth was so severe that a few chimneys toppled over, but no great damage was done. At Pleasant Grove the telephone operator was almost thrown from her seat, and the wall of the build was cracked. Pleasant Grove is also near the mountain.
At Spring Dell, which is close to the mouth of Provo canyon and consequently close to the mountain, the shaking of the earth was felt with considerable severity. Rock slides from the side of the mountain into the canyon were caused, and the road in the canyon was thereby blockaded. There was some alarm among summer campers in the canyon lest rocks should roll down upon their tents, but no causalities are reported.
In this part of the state this earthquake seems to afford interesting phenomena for scientific study.
[Deseret Evening News; July 16, 1915]
DROVE PEOPLE TO STREETS
While Provo felt the earthquake yesterday, the shake was general all through Salt Lake and Utah counties and extended far into the south, was probably felt more severely in Provo canyon than any other place. When the shock first came rocks came tumbling off the cliffs at points all through the canyon from North Fork to Springdell and at Upper Falls great boulders weighing tons came crashing down off the high peaks and were reduced to hundreds of small rocks before reaching the bottom, so that no damage was done. At several places here in the city bricks fell from the chimneys and in a number of cases walls were cracked. At the court house the vault to the building was cracked loose from the main portion and the two walls stand about an inch apart.
The fault in the Wasatch range is said to be responsible for the quake and scientists claim that it was caused by a shifting of mountains of rocks.
At 2 minutes to 2 yesterday afternoon Provo suffered the hardest earthquake shock in the history of the city and within a very few seconds people in all parts of town were out on the streets wondering what had happened, and it was more than an hour before the city resumed its normal business condition. When the shock first came it shook some of the taller buildings very severely and then subsided slightly when a second shock much harder than the first took place. In the second dishes were rattled, pans were shaken from walls and in many houses the paper was cracked and loose plaster fell to the floor. In the grocery stores cans and packages were shaken from the shelves and scattered over the floors.
At the court house upper stories the wall paper was split over the doors and over the vault door in the clerk's office plaster over half an inch thick was cracked and shaken loose. Even the post office which is considered the most solidly built building in the city was badly shaken and employees rushed out of the building. At the telephone office a number of the operators were frightened away from the switch board and for a few moments telephoning was at a standstill. Even down on the Utah lake the shock was very noticeable by an upheaval of the water like a small tidal wave.
The damage done to buildings, however, was slight and no one was injured; but it has been the main topic of conversation ever since it happened.
At American Fork the earthquake shock was felt and lasted for one and one-half or two seconds. Buildings swayed perceptibly and in a number of houses the inmates rushed out to see what had happened.
At Alpine a number of chimneys were shaken off and dishes and crockery rattled.
At Pleasant Grove the telephone building was cracked and the operator was thrown almost from her seat.
[Provo Post; July 16, 1915]
Tremors Lasting About Three Seconds Are Felt West Of Wasatch Mountains
No Damage Is Reported
Dr. Fred J. Pack Of University Says Shock Was Caused By Crustal Displacement
An earthquake shock, caused scientists say, by crustal displacement, was felt throughout Salt Lake, Bear River and Utah valleys at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The tremors were generally noticed, although no damage was reported and they lasted about three seconds. Windows were rattled as also were the chandeliers in the business blocks of Salt Lake, more especially in the upper stories of some of the higher buildings. It was particularly noticed in the Henry apartments in Third East.
According to reports the heaviest tremors were felt at Midvale. At the Midvale State bank and the post office and theatre, everybody seemed to notice the shock. Rocking chairs rocked in the homes there and the trembling seemed stronger than elsewhere, although no damage was reported. At Riverton the shock also was strong comparatively. Windows rattled and in some cases furniture was knocked over.
Dr. Fred J. Pack, professor of geology at the University of Utah, reported that the shock was caused by crustal displacement, occurred at 2 p.m. and lasted about three seconds.
"Of course, since this fracture occurred there has been a movement of several thousand feet. In recent geological time, meaning within the last few thousand years, there has been a movement of about 100 feet at one time. The movement today is the result of a slight settling and was very slight. To give one not familiar with the situation an idea of the movement, I would say that a movement of one sixteenth of an inch is sufficient to shake down chimneys."
At Park City the shock was felt distinctly. Persons who were employed nights there and were sleeping, say that the trembling was so strong that it awakened them. At Spanish Fork the trembling was felt distinctly in the homes, although many did not understand what it meant. A report from Murray was to the effect that the shock was so severe that many left their buildings and ran into the street. A similar condition was reported at Provo. Other places where the shock was reported were Payson, Springville, Tooele, and the headquarters of L. Schricker in Parley's canyon.
[Salt Lake Herald-Republican; July 16, 1915]
Chimneys Shaken From Building At Alpine And
Rock Slides In Provo Canyon Block Road
American Fork, July 15--A distinct earthquake shock was felt here this afternoon at 2:01 o'clock and lasting for one and one-half or two seconds. Buildings swayed perceptibly and in a number of houses the inmates rushed outdoors to see what had happened.
At Alpine, six miles northeast of here and near the foot of the mountain, a number of chimneys were shaken off and dishes and crockery rattled.
At Pleasant Grove the telephone building was cracked and the operator was thrown almost from her seat. Pleasant Grove and Alpine are close to the foot of the mountain.
At Spring Dell, a short distance up from the mouth of Provo canyon, the shock was very severe, causing rock slides into the main canyon, blocking the road. Some summer campers became excited and moved out, fearing rocks might come down on their tents and houses.
[Salt Lake Herald-Republican; July 16, 1915]
Salt Lake City And Other Utah Communities Disturbed By Slight Tremor
A slight earthquake shock disturbed Salt Lake and other communities lying along the western fault plane of the Wasatch mountain yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock. It was recorded by the seismograph at the University of Utah, and, in [?] caused by a slipping of the crustal blocks along the fault.
No damage was reported, though the disturbance was felt also in Provo, Springville, American Fork and Alpine. In the Utah county towns it was so severe that many persons hurried out of doors when buildings began rocking. The quake lasted about three seconds.
At Provo the students at the B. Y. U. summer school rushed out of the building, as did also most of those who were in the courtroom of the Fourth district court, where Judge A. B. Morgan was in the act of sentencing John Dokos. The judge, the defendant, District Attorney J. H. McDonald and Attorney S. A. King only remained in the courtroom.
The shock was felt in most of the business blocks of Salt Lake, though some persons failed to experience it. Miss Inez Wetzel did not notice the shock as she was at work in the office of the state dairy and food bureau on the fifth floor of the Walker Bank building, where she is a stenographer. Shortly after its occurrence she was called on the telephone from her home, Sixth South and Second West streets, and told that it was distinctly felt by the members of the family there.
The alarm system in the public safety building was considerably disturbed during the quake, as was also apparatus in the office of the weather bureau on the eleventh floor of the Boston building.
[Salt Lake Tribune; July 16, 1915]
Return to Provo Earthquake Summary.
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