Earthquakes!

November 18, 1755

One of the most significant earthquakes in the northeastern region occurred off Cape Ann. At Boston walls and chimneys were thrown down and stone fences were knocked down. Some descriptions mentioned violent movement of the ground, like waves of the sea, making it necessary to cling to something to prevent being thrown to the ground. At Pembroke and Scituate small chasms opened in the earth through which fine sand reached the surface. Large numbers of fish were killed and many people on vessels felt shocks as if the ships were striking bottom. This earthquake was felt from Lake George, New York, to a point at sea 200 miles east of Cape Ann, and from Chesapeake Bay to the Annapolis River, Nova Scotia, about 300,000 square miles.

Nineteen earthquakes have centered in Massachusetts. A number of other earthquakes were centered off the coast of Massachusetts and affected the eastern portion of the State.

Strong earthquakes in the St. Lawrence Valley in 1638, 1661, 1663, and 1732 were felt in Massachusetts. The 1638 and 1663 shocks damaged chimneys at Plymouth, Salem, and Lynn. On June 11, 1643, Newbury, Massachusetts, was strongly shaken. Again in 1727 (November 9) an earthquake described as "tremendous" in one report and "violent" in another caused much damage at Newbury. The shock was felt from the Keenbec to the Delaware River and from ships at sea to the extreme western settlements. Several strong aftershocks were reported from the area through February 1728.

Eastern Massachusetts was shaken moderately on February 17, 1737, and June 24, 1741. Then on June 14, 1744, large numbers of bricks were shaken from tops of chimneys at Boston and other towns and stone walls were shaken down. Many persons in Newbury and Ipswich were alarmed. The earthquake was reported felt severely at Falmouth, Maine.

Source: The Earth Resources Laboratory, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT in Cambridge, MA, USA United States Geological Survey
National Earthquake Information Center