Volcanic and seismic activity

[Michael]

01 August 1877
Mejillones, Chile

At 12:40 A.M. felt a decided shock of an earthquake which lasted about seven seconds.

[Michael]

Mejillones, Chile
02 August, 1877

At 12:34 A.M. experienced a light shock of an earthquake, lasting 15 seconds.

[Randi]

[Michael]

16 February 1886
8 PM : Lat 34° 34' 00"N, Long 138° 46' 00"E

Ship heading West.

At 9:00 PM sighted bright red light broad off starboard bow having the appearance of Volcanic eruption on shore.

[Hanibal94]

April 2nd 1867
Shenandoah, enroute to Yokohama
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 07-102.JPG

At noon passed Suwa Island ... and saw smoke issuing from the mouth of the volcano.

[Michael]

Yokohama, Japan
15 January, 1887

At 6:45 A.M. the ship gave evidence of the presence of an earthquake in the vicinity. The first sensations were as if the chains were dragging, or being veered. This was following by a pronounced rising and falling. Barometer rose quite rapidly in the succeeding hour.

[Randi]

Neat to have that description!

[Hanibal94]

Shenandoah briefly mentioned "Kosu volcano smoking" during 1600-1800 watch, on April 4th 1867:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 07-104.JPG

[Michael]

[ggordon]

USS Shenandoah
February 14, 1885 at Valparaiso, Chile

10:15PM

quite a shock from an earth quake to place, passing in a southerly direction

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 36-125.JPG

[Randi]

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 18-109.JPG

March 31, 1874

"passed Sulphur Island an active volcano, the fumes of sulphur were very perceptible at a distance of 5 miles"

[joke_slayer]

Lackawanna, 14 Dec 1878 At anchor off Acapulco

0326 Felt a sharp earthquake shock of about 3 to 5 seconds duration

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 28-091.JPG

[joke_slayer]

Lackawanna, 8 December 1880, Callao

2210 Felt the shock of a heavy earthquake

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 33-027.JPG

[joke_slayer]

19 February 1882, Lackawanna, Valparaiso

2120 Heard a rumbling sound similar to that of an earthquake lasting about one minute; there were apparently two shocks in quick succession, the sound coming from the Ed

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 35-076.JPG

[Michael]

February 14, 1864
Horta Bay, Azores

8 PM to Midnight

At 12 tremulous motion of the ship supposed to caused by a slight shock of an earthquake.

[ggordon]

Shenandoah, October 15, 1886 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California

10:15 PM

About five minutes past ten, two distinct shocks of an earthquake occured.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 39-222.JPG

[joke_slayer]

Tuscarora, 21 June 1874:

0800-1200 An active Volcano on the Yeterop Island was in sight during watch

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 29-186.JPG

[joke_slayer]

Tuscarora, 8 August 1874

0400-0800 An active Volcano on Port quarter

1200-1600 An active volcano in sight on Port quarter

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 30-050.JPG

Without calculating position I can't tell which volcano it is, but I think its on Unimak Island


15 August 1874

0800-1200 During cast summit of active Volcano on Unnaiak Is. bore (pc) NWxN

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 30-057.JPG

[joke_slayer]

Iturup Island makes more sense (Yeterup is an alternative name in the database and the recorded noon position makes more sense).

There are several volcanos on that island and I'm not sure which one it would have been, but possibly Kudryavyy as what little information I could find suggests that there is always some activity which is releasing smoke or steam which maybe would be enough to make the crew report it as active.

[joke_slayer]

I think I see the issue.

On 21st of June, the noon position is 44 59N, 149 37E which is off Iturup Island.

By 8th of August they have sailed up the Kuril Islands and across the Aleutian Islands and have just left port after a stop at Unalaska and are doing some survey work nearby. Noon position on 8th August is reported as 54 08N, 162 56W which is just south of Sanak and Unimak Island

Then on 15th of August they are back at 53 31N 163 49W which is again south of Unimak Island and likely to be the same eruption they reported a few days earlier. This time they report it as being on Unnaiak/Ounaiak Island which I've not been able to find anywhere, but I would think its an alternative name for Unimak Island (they have been pretty creative with some place names). Had a quick look at the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the only eruption reported in 1874 was this one (https://avo.alaska.edu/eruption/veniaminof-1874-7) which is the correct timeframe, but seems to be a bit too far away. (This event was recorded by W.H. Dall who was on board the Yukon while off Port Moller, the previously transcribed logs of the Yukon report being anchored off Port Moller between ~12 and 17 of August 1874 which does match the observations made the Tuscarora crew)


EDIT:

17th August 1874: some more useful position information:

0000-0400 At end of watch land in sight ahead and on Starboard bow, beam & quarter: Summit of active Volcano on Ounimak Island bearing (pc) NExE

2000 Saniak Island bore (pc) N 1/2 E and summit of active Volcano on Ounimak Island (pc) NW 3/4 W

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 30-059.JPG