June, 1920] 



The Great Mageik Landslide 



347 



Sir William M. Conway* in describing this event says: "In 

 this last phase of the catastrophe 10,000,000 cubic meters of 

 rock fell down a depth (or an average) of 450 meters, shot 

 across the valley and up on the opposite slope to a height of 

 100 meters, where they were bent 25° out of their first direction 

 and poured, almost like a liquid, over a horizontal plain cov- 

 ering it uniformly throughout a distance of 1500 meters and 



Photograph by Robert F. Griggs 

 IN PLACES THE SLIDE IS COMPOSED OF SHARP ANGULAR BOWLDERS. 



That a mass made up exclusively of such materials could by any means have been 

 made to behave like a liquid seems incredible, yet the 

 evidence that it did so is unequivocal. 



over an area of about 900,000 square meters to a depth of 10-20 

 meters. The internal friction of the mass and the friction 

 between it and the ground were insignificant forces compared 

 with the tremendous momentum that was generated by the 

 fall. The stuff flowed Hke a Hquid." 



*Conway, Sir Wm. Martin. 

 as quoted by Howe. op. cit. 



The Alps from End to End. 1900. pp. 176-183. 



