There are a system of fault lines in Wyoming and Genesee Counties, known as the Clarendon-Linden Faults. They run from near Arcade, northward through Attica and Batavia, to Lake Ontario. To the west, is the Tonawanda Creek Fault. Scientists have determined that Western New York is crisscrossed with numerous faults. Most of them only periodically have activity, so there’s no need to rush off in a panic. However, the potential of a large trembler is definitely present, and would likely cause more damage than a California quake simply because the area is not as prepared for it.
Many of the earthquakes occurring here are barely felt, if at all. Likewise, much of the seismic activity can be traced to the constant thundering of water hammering the bedrock as it plunges over the crest of Niagara Falls. The remnants of the last Ice Age still have lasting impacts on the area. Sometimes the moving of the earth here has to do with post-glacial rebound (glacial isostatic adjustment). The weight of the ice on the land depressed the land beneath it. After the glaciers retreated, the land bounced back. This rebound is still happening, resulting in some of the quakes in the area.
While there have only been occasional earthquakes on the Niagara Frontier, there are several examples of tremors striking here. One of the earliest records of an earthquake in Niagara County comes from the Niagara Sentinel on July 25, 1823:
A shock of an earthquake was
felt in this village on the 23rd, instant, about 11 o’clock in the
evening. The concussion seemed to be undulatory and continue for about five or
six seconds with considerable violence, causing much jarring of crockery and
furniture, and was followed by a rumbling noise similar to that of a wheeled
carriage driving with great speed over a log bridge or causeway.
A larger quake struck in August 1879 when the Lockport Journal reported that moving earth could be felt “perceptibly on Pioneer Hill and along the heights.” Houses built on the bedrock here shook, and some of the residents feared that their homes could have toppled.
The year of 1897 was especially active seismically with several occurrences throughout the year. At 10pm on March 5th, 1897, Niagara Falls was shaken “severely by a well defined earthquake.” Lockport and Tonawanda did not feel it, but “the country for miles about between here and Lake Ontario was startled by the sudden shock. Below the Mountain Ridge it was felt worst. On the Indian Reservation the Indians were all alarmed.”
At the end of May, the whole area
felt another shock. This time, it was felt as far away as Vermont and
Montreal. The Niagara Gazette from May 28th reported:
The quake was distinguishable here in Niagara Falls, though
the shock was slight. At LaSalle the residents report feeling the shock quite
plainly, even more so, according to all accounts, than was felt here. The shock
seemed to increase in violence as the reports reached closer to Buffalo, and
there in the theaters the audience seemed to notice the trembling swaying
motion with startling distinctiveness, while in the large flats and business
blocks the people were quite alarmed.
The Lockport Daily Journal of the same date reported the quake from that city’s point of view, including a reader’s eyewitness report of the effects at his home:
Lockport’s boast has been that she is free from tornados,
cyclones, and earthquakes. But Lockport cannot make that boast in its entirety
any longer. The city was visited last night about 10:18 by an earthquake, the
slight seismic disturbance lasting about 30 seconds. Few people noticed the
succession of shocks which were severe enough in one instance, at least to waken
a sleeper by the trembling of the bed. One who noticed the earthquake last
night said:
“The phenomenon began with a slight tremor which increased
in intensity until the building shook. The windows in my room shook and the
inside blinds rattled. My wife and I were reading when the vibrations of the
bed under us called our attention to the earth’s disturbance. The sensation was
decidedly eerie for the successive jars were distinctly felt. It seemed that
the foundations of the house were vibrating and moving quite violently. The
blinds continued to rattle for what seemed over a minute but in reality the
time could not have been over 30 seconds. We were both not a little alarmed.”
Craig Bacon is the Niagara County Deputy Historian and the City of Lockport Historian. He can be reached at the Niagara County Historians Office: craig.bacon@niagaracounty.com (716)439-7324
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