Not surprised that the tree is reported to have shattered when it fell.
Signs in the Sequoia National Park report that the mighty trees were saved from the logger’s axes in the 19th century because wood from the tree is too brittle for use as either construction lumber or in making furniture.
Tons of outdoor furniture was made from Redwood. Insect and Rot resistant. Owned some myself.
I wonder if it made a sound?
True. When Sequoia trees are felled, the fallers make up a thick bed of limbs and branches for the tree to fall on. This is to try and limit the log from shattering on impact.