Wales’ wobble – 70 days after San Francisco ’quake
YESTERDAY’S earthquake is by no means the first major tremor to hit Wales.
Over a century ago, the same area was devastated by the Great Swansea Quake. When it struck back in 1906, locals ran as far as Merthyr Tydfil, fearing for their lives.
On June 27, 1906, just 70 days after the earthquake disaster in San Francisco, one of the largest British earthquakes of the 20th century literally rocked South Wales to its foundations.
Giant pit wheels spun as miners were quickly raised to the surface across Wales, children were evacuated from schools and the famous Mumbles lighthouse was seen to “wobble”. However, the South Wales event was a much smaller earthquake and had around 3,000 times less energy than the San Francisco event, which killed more than 3,000 and turned buildings into rubble.
The epicentre of the Swansea quake was very close to what was then the town centre of Swansea, and The Cambrian Daily Leader reported “terror in the homes, panic in the schools”.
The newspaper dispelled a rumour that “half of Fishguard had been destroyed”. The newspaper said: “We wired the local vicar and he wired back ‘earthquake struck at 9.45am but no damage’.”
Fortunately, the 1906 earthquake in Wales resulted in only a few injures.
In Swansea, Tom Westbury, a man in his 20s, and Thomas Lewis, three, were injured when they were hit by falling bricks, and in Cwmavon, Port Talbot, a girl working at the tinworks was badly injured when a stack of tinplate fell onto her.
In Swansea, there was damage to St Andrew’s Church, Swansea Prison, Board of Trade offices and gasworks.
Elsewhere, the area of damage extended as far as Kidwelly, Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil.
In Llanelli the town hall clock stopped and people in Ammanford were convinced there had been a huge pit explosion.
The earthquake was felt throughout Wales, much of England and the east coast of Ireland.