1906 Meishan earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1906 Meishan earthquake was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake
which occurred on March 17, 1906 and was centred on Meishan, Chiayi
, Jiayi County, Taiwan
. Referred to at the time as the Great Ka-gi earthquake , it is the third-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history, claiming around 1,260 lives.
with a length of 25 kilometres (16 mi) stretching through modern-day Chiayi County
. Aftershocks continued throughout the day, hampering rescue efforts.
summary, the casualties and damage were as follows:
Fusakichi Omori
, a pioneering seismologist from Japan
who arrived shortly after the earthquake believed that the high number of casualties was due to the construction of the local houses. Loosely cemented with mud, the combination of sun-dried mud brick walls and heavy roofing beams was thought to be responsible for many dwellings collapsing, killing or injuring the inhabitants. He also found evidence of soil liquefaction
, and stated that the town of Bishō (Meishan) had been completely destroyed by the quake.
Omori's figures give slightly different casualty rates, and very different statistics for building damage:
wrote concerning the quake:
The Japanese colonial authorities in Taipei sent teams of medical personnel to assist, and Campbell reported that shortly after the earthquake reconstruction efforts were well advanced.
At the time some writers suggested a link between the Meishan quake and the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake
, which occurred a month later, while some religious groups linked it not only with the San Francisco disaster, but also an earlier earthquake in Cambria
, Italy
and other natural disasters as a sign of the end-times.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
which occurred on March 17, 1906 and was centred on Meishan, Chiayi
Meishan, Chiayi
Meishan Township is a subdivision unit of Chiayi County, Taiwan. It is located in the north east of the country, bordering the Yunlin County.- Travel :*Taiping Scenic Area*Rueifong Scenic Area*Taihe Scenic Area...
, Jiayi County, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Referred to at the time as the Great Ka-gi earthquake , it is the third-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history, claiming around 1,260 lives.
Technical data
The earthquake struck at 06:43 local time on March 17, 1906 with a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale and a focal depth of 6 kilometres (4 mi). The event created the Meishan fault, a fault lineFault line
In geology, fault line refers to the surface trace of a fault.Fault line, Fault Line, or faultline may also refer to:* "Faultline", a song from the 2008 studio album Versus by The Haunted...
with a length of 25 kilometres (16 mi) stretching through modern-day Chiayi County
Chiayi County
Chiayi County is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. Its historical name in Taiwanese Hokkien derives from Tsirosen in the Formosan languages...
. Aftershocks continued throughout the day, hampering rescue efforts.
Damage
Reports vary slightly, but according to the official Central Weather BureauCentral Weather Bureau
The Central Weather Bureau is the government meteorological research and forecasting institution of the Republic of China . In addition to meteorology, the Central Weather Bureau also makes astronomical observations, reports on sea conditions, and conducts research into seismology and provides...
summary, the casualties and damage were as follows:
- Deaths: 1,258
- Injuries: 2,385
- Houses destroyed: 6,769
- Houses damaged: 14,218
Fusakichi Omori
Fusakichi Omori
was a pioneer Japanese seismologist, second chairman of seismology at the Imperial University of Tokyo and president of the Japanese Imperial Earthquake Investigation Committee.-Education:...
, a pioneering seismologist from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
who arrived shortly after the earthquake believed that the high number of casualties was due to the construction of the local houses. Loosely cemented with mud, the combination of sun-dried mud brick walls and heavy roofing beams was thought to be responsible for many dwellings collapsing, killing or injuring the inhabitants. He also found evidence of soil liquefaction
Soil liquefaction
Soil liquefaction describes a phenomenon whereby a saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress, usually earthquake shaking or other sudden change in stress condition, causing it to behave like a liquid....
, and stated that the town of Bishō (Meishan) had been completely destroyed by the quake.
Omori's figures give slightly different casualty rates, and very different statistics for building damage:
- Deaths: 1,266
- Injuries: 2,476
- Houses destroyed: 7,284
- Houses damaged: 30,021
Reaction
The veteran missionary William CampbellWilliam Campbell (missionary)
William Campbell was a Scottish missionary to Taiwan. He wrote extensively on topics related to Taiwan and was also responsible for founding the island's first school for the blind. Interested in the early history of the island , his knowledge of the time was such that he was called "without...
wrote concerning the quake:
The Japanese colonial authorities in Taipei sent teams of medical personnel to assist, and Campbell reported that shortly after the earthquake reconstruction efforts were well advanced.
At the time some writers suggested a link between the Meishan quake and the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, which occurred a month later, while some religious groups linked it not only with the San Francisco disaster, but also an earlier earthquake in Cambria
Cambria
Cambria is the classical name for Wales, being the Latinised form of the Welsh name Cymru . The etymology of Cymry "the Welsh", Cimbri, and Cwmry "Cumbria", improbably connected to the Biblical Gomer and the "Cimmerians" by 17th-century celticists, is now known to come from Old Welsh combrog...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and other natural disasters as a sign of the end-times.