THE JAMAICA EARTHQUAKE 



39 1 



West Indies. When the town was for the most part submerged by 

 the earthquake of 1692, this favorite site was abandoned for the 

 Liguanea plain just across the harbor, and Kingston was founded on 

 the largest of the fringing plains of loosely compacted sands and 

 gravels. And here in this closely built city of 60,000 (and at Buff 

 Bay opposite on the north shore) the destruction by the last earthquake 

 was felt most keenly. Eighty-five per cent, of the buildings were in- 

 jured or destroyed. Then came Kingston's old enemy, fire, and swept 

 over ten or fifteen blocks of the business and warehouse section. (Figs. 

 4 and 5.) 



The earthquake shock that brought disaster to the island of Jamaica 

 began, according to the regulator of Mr. J. A. Soulette, at 3 :33 p.m. 

 Others record its arrival two or three minutes earlier. In various 





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■'* •■*■!' in 





Fig. 5. In Burned District; the Narrow Harbour Street, lookirg ea9t. 



places on the island, as reported by local times, its occurrence varied 

 from 3 :20 to 3 :45 p.m. In the investigation it was found impossible 

 to plot any coseismal lines, for the reason that no accurate coordinated 

 time exists in the island. Since the shock, however, there has been a 

 movement on foot in Kingston to establish a system of accurate time- 

 keeping throughout Jamaica. The shock lasted about thirty-five 

 seconds, varying in length with the location and geological position of 

 the observer. At the east end of the island some noted a duration of 

 sixty seconds; on the north shore a length of ninety seconds, while at 

 other points near by the duration reported was anywhere from five to 

 forty seconds. The slight preliminary tremors were felt immediately 

 before the main shock, and the noise and roar was heard slightly before 

 the coming of the major vibrations. One man, used to earthquake 



