Lighthouses and the Great Shake of 1886: Part 2
On Tuesday, August 31, 1886, the Great Charleston Earthquake rocked the East Coast at 9:51 p.m., creating shocks that were felt from Toronto to Key West. It was estimated to have been a 7.3 magnitude quake on the modern Richter scale, with an intensity of X on the Modified Mercalli scale, which ranges from I (barely felt) through XII (total desutrction). This was possibly the most powerful earthquake ever to strike east of the Mississippi River. It hit the village of Summerville, South Carolina, full force, leaving every house uninhabitable.