At 9:23PM on Saturday night, the 28th of February, 1925, Columbus- along with the rest of Ohio and most of the Eastern US- experienced an earthquake.. The epicenter wasn’t particularly close, as it was located in the Charlevoix-Kamouraska area along the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec. However, due to the geology of eastern North America, the 6.2 magnitude earthquake’s energy spread out for significant distances.
Around the epicenter, there was moderate damage to buildings, including collapsed chimneys and walls. Further out, the earthquake caused chaos and problems in many eastern US cities. In Detroit, hotel and theater guests ran into the streets, many mistaking the earthquake for a nearby explosion. In New York City, the earthquake’s tremors lasted between 2-3 minutes and were said to be the strongest the city had ever felt up to that time. In Washington DC, the 25-second movement became strong enough to knock the seismograph needle off its track. In Louisville, a telegraph operator’s equipment was shaken loose from its table.
In Columbus, meanwhile, residents were startled to feel their homes and apartment buildings begin moving. Pictures rattled on walls, light fixtures swayed and loose objects tumbled from shelves.
At the State School for the Blind Downtown, the superintendent reported that walls and windows shook for at least 2 minutes. Residents were alarmed by the movement and rushed about in panic in all directions, thinking the building might collapse on top of them.
At the Dennison Hotel, patrons reported that at least 3 separate shocks hit the building. The first lasted between 30-45 seconds, with two additional movements of shorter duration. A woman there reported a “peculiar sound” during the quake, equating it to the sound of “heavy fire trucks” moving past.
Elsewhere in Ohio, a train in Zanesville noticeably trembled while in motion, and passengers had to transfer to other lines as there were unconfirmed reports that tracks had been damaged near Trinway. In Lancaster, pool balls in billiard rooms rolled about on tables and rocking chairs moved about. In Cleveland, the offices of the Cleveland Plain Dealer shook for a least a minute, while in Canton, the 3 distinct shocks swayed buildings several inches.
Despite the movement and relative long duration of the shaking, damage in Columbus- and Ohio in general- was limited to a few broken items that had fallen from cabinets and shelves.
