From the March 6, 1925 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

All that part of the United States lying between the New Brunswick border, Detroit on the west and Louisville, Ky., was violently shaken at 9:22 o’clock last Saturday night by an earthquake, the major tremor of which last about two minutes.

Towns on Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Nantucket, and all through this section of the State, came in for the general experience, and most people had the thrills which an earthquake usually engenders.

No serious damage has been reported from any section of the Vineyard. Beyond the swaying of buildings, breaking of dishes and glassware, stopping of clocks, moving of chairs, tables, etc., and the dizzy feeling which attacks many at such times, the earthquake of March 1, 1925, locally, was a thriller without disastrous results to life or property, for which fortunate ending all should be duly grateful.

Vessels approaching the coast on Saturday evening, which arrived in on Sunday, are said to have encountered no tremor or shock as a result of the earthquake. Capt. Mathers of the United Fruit Company’s steamship, San Gil, at Boston Sunday noon from the tropics, said he felt no disturbance and knew nothing of the quake until he reached port.

Experts on earthquakes have been busy this week in explaining the why and wherefore of the occurrence of Saturday evening. From the columns that have been published in this connection, we reprint the following from the Boston Globe of Monday evening:

“The earthquake of Saturday night was probably the climax of a series of readjustments along the northern portion of the Continental shelf,” declared Thomas S. Woods, Boston mining man, when asked his opinion about the shock which startled New England. Mr. Wood, as a result of observations while following his profession, has become much interested in all matters relating to earthquakes. He said he did not believe the fact that there have been two local quakes within two months points to danger in the future.

“The beginning of this readjustment,” continued Mr. Woods, “was on Sept. 30 when an earthquake occurred which was felt most strongly between Eastport, Me., and the Sanguenay River in Quebec. Then came the earthquake of Jan. 1 which affected most of the Eastern parts of Massachusetts, the New Hampshire shore line and threw out spearheads from Lawrence as far north as Manchester, N.H., and west nearly as far as Worcester.

“Now comes a more serious earthquake. These three earthquakes should have a settling effect on the whole district. I do not believe that the fact that we have had two within less than two months points to the coming of more serious disturbances. The New England formation is old, and relatively undisturbed for ages. It is not of the type in which serious earthquakes occur,

“As a matter of fact earthquakes in New Engand have been frequent as far back as our records go. Not even the worst one in 1755 was what the inhabitants of real earthquake areas, such as parts of the Pacific Coast and the West Indies, would call serious. There is no record of any lives having been lost and the damage to buildings was relatively slight.

“No doubt we will have other diminishing earthquake shocks, but I do not believe there is any reason to fear that they will be attended by serious damage to property or loss of life.”

The earthquake was felt by many in Edgartown, while others were oblivious to the fact that anything unusual had happened until the next day. Quite a number in the audience at the Elm Theatre experienced dizziness and a feeling of nausea, but felt none of the tremors. The operator, however, noticed that for a short while his machine acted very erratic. In Mellen’s market, however, various canned goods fell to the floor, which at first was attributed to the antics of a couple of kittens who hang out there. In Cottle’s store on the corner the tremors were said to have been so perceptible in the rear room that one excited young man called to the proprietor in the front part, “Cottle, your roof is coming in!”

In all parts of the town some felt the tremors quite perceptibly and the inmates of other houses noted nothing. Near the large Fisher house on North Water street various slight fissures or cracks in the ground on the northeast side of the house were noticeable next day, attributed to the quake. A number of houses in other parts of the village showed a cracked brick or two, indicating that the foundations had been put to an usual strain.

Many recitals of swaying lamps, moving chairs, stopped clocks, faint feelings, etc., caused by this earthquake, have come to hand, the principal fact being that all should be grateful that here and elsewhere the area affected emerged from the experience without serious damage being don to property or injury to person.

Compiled by Hilary Wall
library@mvgazette.com