Story in Nov. 17, 2017,
McMinnville N-R/News-Register mentions, "In 1948, an earthquake in
McMinnville drove people out of the stores..."
Mac News researched the earthquake.
It appears the earthquake was in 1949, not 1948.
"On (Wednesday) April 13, 1949,
Yamhill county residents felt an earthquake that was centered between Olympia
and Tacoma, Washington. In Washington,
this quake caused eight deaths. While Yamhill County was shaken by the quake,
damage was minimal, and no deaths occurred. The quake rocked northwestern
Oregon, extending as far south as Eugene, Coos Bay, and Reedsport, and east as
far as Prineville and La Grande. In downtown Salem, West Salem and in outlying
areas buildings trembled, light fixtures swayed, dishes rattle in cupboards.
Most of those who were outside at the time reported no shock." Source: Yamhill County Natural Hazards Mitigation
Plan.
Linfield Prof. emeritus Edith
“Duffy” Reynolds, Class of 1951, a McMinnville resident, was a Linfield
student eating in the college’s dining room in the ground floor of Pioneer Hall
when the earthquake hit.
“I thought I was getting sick,” Duffy
told Wildcatville in November 2017. “But, then I realized, especially after the (earthquake-savvy)
students from California ran out of the room, that I was getting tossed around”
because of the tremors. Once outside, she watched Pioneer's bell tower swaying.
Her roommate was taking a geology class
in the ground floor (beneath the college President's Office) in Melrose Hall
when the earthquake began.
The class was taught by George
Barnes, physics and geology assistant professor. When things started shaking
the prof exited the room through a ground-level window with students following
him.
Front page story in the Thursday,
April 14, 1949, McMinnville T-R/Telephone-Register had headline "Quake
Jolts McMinnville!"
Headline was over this story:
A series of share earth shocks,
followed by tremblors of decreasing intensity, shook McMinnville along with the
rest of the Northwest Wednesday, causing little else than a rash of 'earthquake
stories.' Damage in the city was confined to cracking plaster and breakage of
small household articles.
The shocks, occurring at 11:55
a.m., rocked the city first with a light shock, followed by a heaver tremor.
Shaking of the earth continued with decreasing intensity for the next three
minutes.
Thousands of residents and offer
workers thronged to the streets following the realization that an earthquake
was in progress. Office staffs in Yamhill County's venerable courthouse made
haste to evacuate the ancient structure as its three-story height swayed and
trembled.
Deputy Sheriff Ford Hagen released
prisoners from the cells and brought them into the clear under guard.
The large water tower at the
Farmers Cooperative Creamery swayed heavily and cross-braces were loosened,
necessitation the employment of a crew to tighten the members of the structure.
Radio station's KMCM's new
210-football tower swayed heavily and workmen, engaged in construction of the
transmitter building and student, reported the heavy guy wirers "sang like
violin strings."
Wall cracks were reported at
Julian Eccles Motors and at the L.A. Courtemanche building.
A report that large cracks had developed at the junior high school were denied
this morning by School Superintendent Frank Fagan. A crack in the driveway at
Macy and Son developed during the quake and cracks were noticed in the new garage
at the rear of West Coast Telephone company.
Slight damage to stock was
reported in some downtown McMinnville stores as the temblor jarred glassware
and other breakables to the floor.
No injuries as a result of the
quake were reported in the McMinnville area, although the first reaction by a
number of the residents was that they were suffering a heart attack or high
blood pressure. Nausea was noticed by a number following the trembling.
The city water and light
department reported no breakages, either in water mains or in power lines.
An issue of the T-R with headline
“Earthquake Damage Reports Varied With Some Failing to Note Shock” and an April
21, 1949, dateline from the Webfoot area south of Dayton (Yamhill County) said,
“The earthquake of last Wednesday was felt in varying degrees of intensity in
this community last week, some not feeling it at all and others reporting quite
severe shaking and some plaster cracking. No major damages reported.”
Other earthquake recollections by Linfielders:
--Ken Rogers, Class of 1951:
He was attending a history class in Melrose Hall ground floor.
It was taught by Prof. Jonas “Stein”
Jonasson. When the earthquake started, a student sitting in front of Rogers
asked him to move his feet from the back of her chair because her chair was
shaking. “I don’t have my feet on your chair,” Ken responded. Meanwhile Prof.
Jonasson started sweating and clutched the podium from which he was delivering
his lecture. Rogers told the professor and fellow students, “we’re having an
earthquake. Let’s get out of here.” They did. Exiting through the classroom
windows.
--Tom Meicho, Class of 1951:
He was in a geology glass in Melrose Hall ground floor. After
the earthquake happened “most of us ran up the stairs. Maybe not the wise
decision,” Tom said. “When I dashed out of the room I looked back and our
professor was trying to help a very large woman out the window. I started laughing
until I saw the pillars in front of the building shake from side to side. Later,
I had the job of cleaning the chapel. A lot of dust and dirt fell.”
POSTSCRIPT:
--By the way, notice that Duffy, Ken and Tom were all
attending class in Melrose. That was because at that time (1951) all, almost
all or many Linfield classes were held in Melrose.
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