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By Associated Press
An earthquake shook most of Montana early Sunday, but apparently caused little damage.
The tremor was reported strongest at Butte, where Professor Stephen W. Nile of the Montana School of Mines faculty said the first shock was recorded at 2:46 1-2 a.m. Nile said he had reported to the geodetic survey office in San Francisco that there was no damage. The severest tremor lasted about 10 seconds, Nile said. Some Butte householders reported plaster cracks, but no major damage.
Nile said the quake was the strongest recorded in Butte in the past four years. It was the first time since 1936 that a tremor had touched off the "heavy duty" seismograph one of two at the college, he said.
The quake was Helena's 2,877th since 1935, according to the U.S. weather bureau. Helena observers timed a faint shock at 2:46 a.m., and a larger one a minute later. They said the earth motion was east to west and classified the two tremors as "weak" and "moderate."
Police had no reports of injury or property damage.
At Great Falls, tremors reported as "very light" shook houses, but there was no report of property damage.
Similar reports came from Billings, Missoula, Lewistown, Livingston, Harlowton, Malta, Havre, Glasgow, Kalispell and Bozeman.
The Montana State college coast and geodetic survey seismograph showed the heaviest tremor had a four-second buildup, a four-second maximum and a 60-second tapering off period. The beginning of the quake was timed at 2:45:26 a.m. by Dr. A. J. M. Johnson, who said it was of "very very moderate intensity."
The plastered ceiling of a Main street cafe in Hamilton collapsed about 3 a.m., it was reported.
J. M. Mjolsness of Helena, Red Cross relations officer, said no damage reports had been made to him.
The shock tripped the alarm on the sealed seismograph, also a heavy-duty instrument, at Carroll college in Helena.
At most points, the shock rocked buildings. The weather station at Helena said the motion was "long and easy."
Icicles rattling off roofs alarmed sleeping residents as the shock traveled across the state, and lights flashed on as householders checked for damage.
[Daily Missoulian; November 24, 1947]
Missoula residents felt an earthquake Sunday morning at 2:46, many persons being roused from their slumbers, and even late party-goers thought they were "seeing things" as light fixtures started to sway.
As far as could be learned Sunday night, no damage was reported in the Missoula area, but in some homes people were awakened. One woman, roused from sleep, went to investigate some rattling dishes to find a piece of china had fallen and broken on the floor.
One other Missoula woman, late in getting home, was about ready for bed when she feared someone was endeavoring to enter her second story window, and said she was "frozen to the spot" until she heard other residents of the apartment house shouting "earthquake." She said curtains and venetian blinds were moving as if someone was endeavoring to enter the room.
A south side housewife said the quake, which awakened her, "felt like the floor was sliding." There were various reports of those who thought someone was under their beds.
Pets in households made commotions after the first tremors and aroused sleeping residents, who were able to feel the second.
In a Main street cafe, officers investigating what was thought to be a prowler commotion, found sections of ceiling and plaster on the floor, and other places reported slight damage. By 9 o'clock Sunday morning the earthquake topic was uppermost everywhere. One high school wag--"Yeah , but it wasn't near as bad as that last touchdown Whitefish made." The week end activities had a tally of two upsets, what with loss of the western division football championship, and the bad behavior of old terra firma.
Every community reported distinct quake shocks, seemingly from north to south.
Some local residents report being awakened by the quake and some report various noises in the house as a result of shaking but early reports are that there was no major damage done.
[Daily Missoulian; November 24, 1947]
Denver, Nov. 23 (AP)--A "major earthquake" lasting about one and one-half hours was recorded at 2:45 a.m., mountain standard time, Sunday by the Regis college seismograph here.
Father Joseph Downey estimated the upheaval was about 2,000 miles to the south, probably a little east of Mexico City.
A shock was felt in Montana about the same time but Father Downey said the other quake was so severe it almost obliterated the recording of the Montana disturbance.
[Daily Missoulian; November 24, 1947]
Early-Morning Shock Awakens Thousands; Little Damage Results
BUTTE, Mont. (UP)--Montana's strongest earthquake in more than a decade shook up a score of mining towns through the Rocky mountains early Saturday but only minor damage was inflicted.
Thousands of persons were awakened by the shock rumbling across western and central Montana at 2:36 a.m. (MST), and many fled their homes in panic, fearing a repetition of the disastrous 1935 temblor that caused widespread destruction throughout the state.
Dr. S. W. Nile, seismologist at the Montana university school of mines here, said the main shock lasted 10 seconds, although his sensitive instruments continued to register feeble tremors for nearly an hour.
"This was a strong earthquake, however," Dr. Nile said. "It was the first one strong enough to trip the 'strong-motion' seismograph installed at the school of mines four years ago."
Police and radio station telephone switchboards were jammed with calls from anxious Montanans reporting damage and inquiring about possible casualties.
[Idaho Daily Statesman; November 24, 1947]
IDAHO FALLS (INS)--An earthquake that aroused many residents from sound sleep but which caused no property damage shook the upper Snake river valley of eastern Idaho Sunday.
Center of the disturbance officially recorded by the Idaho Falls weather bureau at 2:45 a.m. was believed to have been in the vicinity of St. Anthony.
A similar temblor was recorded three weeks ago at the West Yellowstone, Mont., entrance to Yellowstone National park.
Residents recalled that a quake rocked the same area in 1925. It caused property damage in eastern Idaho and a landslide blocked the Gros Ventre river in western Wyoming for two years. The natural dam was washed out and the entire town of Kelly, Wyo., destroyed with several lives lost.
[Idaho Daily Statesman; November 24, 1947]
Several hundred dollars damage was done by an earthquake which shook Virginia City shortly after 2:45 a.m. Sunday. Brick fell out of chimneys, plaster was shaken off walls and ceilings, and a number of window panes were shattered. The damaged included:
Courthouse, 13 window panes broken, cracked and fallen plaster in several rooms, chimneys slightly damaged.
City hall, cracked front wall, damaged chimneys. Brick were shaken out of belfry, landing on sidewalk. City authorities roped off area to protect pedestrians.
Plastered walls in the Masonic temple and the Virginia City school were slightly damaged. Several homes sustained damage to chimneys and plastered walls.
Sleeping Virginia City residents were abruptly awakened by the early morning quake which shook dishes out of cupboards and pictures off walls. Several reported feeling another slight quake about 5 a.m. Sunday.
The tremor was felt generally throughout this part of Montana, and was classed officially as "very moderate." Only minor damage was reported and there were no casualties.
[Madisonian; November 28, 1947]
Dr. E. S. Perry and Prof. Stephen W. Nile, collaborator in seismology U. S. coast and geodetic survey, Montana School of Mines, Butte, were in town Sunday checking damage done by the earthquake here Nov. 23. They were seeking information on the direction and intensity of shock.
[Madisonian; December 5, 1947]
Return to Virginia City Earthquake Summary.
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