Historic seismicity and record of severe storms with coastal flooding for western Newfoundland - volume 2

Abstract

Every available issue in private and public repositories or the Corner Brook, Newfoundland Western Star has been searched tor historic seismic events and possibly related significant coastal flooding events from April 4, 1900 to June 15, 1964 when the seismograph was installed and began operating 10 St. John's, Newfoundland. The Western Star began as a weekly, became a semi-weekly in December, 1948, began to publish rive weekdays a week in September, 1952 and then became a daily (except Sundays) 10 March or 1954. This study, or necessity, has produced the first systematic inventories or the locations or originals and microfilms, of microfilm gaps, or publishing frequency, or missing issues and the volume and issue numbering sequences tor the Western Star. Only eight original issues are missing in the Bruce Stevenson Collection or about 2240 issues or 0.35% from April 4, 1900 to March 27, 1942. The overall interval searched had about 1% missing issues in the circa 5400 issues searched. A total or 387 articles were extracted tor the album or articles. About 83 storm, storm plus storm tide, or high tide events were identified as well as two seiche events on Lake Michigan; none or these 85 events are believed to represent a se1sm1cally-1nduced event except tor a report of a previously-known tsunami from the known Good Friday Alaskan earthquake on March 27, 1964. A total or 124 seismic events were extracted. Of this total, 27 or the events are Canadian or eastern O.S. earthquakes. Seven or the 27 seismic events were eastern O.S. events and one or these in New England may be a new, previously-unknown earthquake on September 7(?), 1926. A previouslyunknown foreshock of the 1250 GMT, December 3, 1929 Att1ca, New York earthquake may also have been defined, along with an eight-tremor, previously-unknown event "at New Yorkmp;gt;" on December 3 (or 5), 1929. Twelve of the 27 Canadian or eastern U.S. events are Canadian events, located outside Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. All these were previously- known. One of the articles on an event felt in the Hamilton-Toronto area greatly expands the felt area of the previously-known event at 0155 GMT on Tuesday, July 22, 1958. This event was known to have been felt in the St. Catherine's area but not in the Toronto area. Two of the 27 Canadian or eastern U.S. events are Nova Scotian events. One of these identified only as a January, 1902 event is a new, previously unknown event that will require more research to pin down. The other was a previously-known aftershock of the November 18, 1929 Laurentian Slope or "Grand Banks" earthquake. Six of the 27 Canadian or eastern U.S. events were Newfoundland events and included a previously-undocumented felt report of the Charlevoix earthquake on February 28, 1925 at Lomand on Bonne Bay in western Newfoundland. A new, previously-unknown, late April to early May, 1916 event in the northern Notre Dame Bay area will require further research. This earthquake was reported by mail to the Western Star and was felt circa April 24 to circa May 1, 1916 at the light station on Gull Island, 11.4 km east of Cape St. John in northern Notre Dame Bay near the town of La Scie, Newfoundland. Some additional felt localities are documented tor the previously-known February 2, 1969 event in the Gander - Grand Falls - southern Notre Dame Bay area of Newfoundland.