44 OLDHAM: THE CACHAIt EARTHQUAKE OP 10TH JANUARY 1869. 



5 feet by 7 and by 9 which belonged to the tower, and now lies 

 in one solid mass under a tree to the north-west, unbroken and 

 without a crack, showing* how excellent the masonry was. This mass 

 fell and completely rolled over, for there are in it the remains of 

 the top of a small window now upside down. The position of the 

 ruins of the church tower, viz., to the north-west, shows that the shock 

 must have came from that quarter. The base of the tower would be 

 evidently and abruptly carried towards the south-east, and, so to speak, 

 leave the top to itself to fall over towards the quarter from which the 

 shock came. In fact, a gentleman who saw it fall states that he saw 

 it lean over to the north-west, a large crack occurring on the opposite 

 side, that the crack collapsed, and then on a second wave coming 

 the upper part of the tower, thus previously loosened from the lower 

 part, fell over in ruins. Pieces of the tower fell on the chancel roof 

 and the east end of the nave roof, and broke them both through. The 

 roof is not of an expensive kind and can be replaced at a small cost. 

 The Archdeacon has applied to Government to repair the two roofs, 

 clear away the ruins at the base of the tower, and build a vestry in 

 its place. He pronounces it to be the most elegant church he has seen 

 in Bengal, and admirably built. Its walls are solid, lofty, and well 

 buttressed ; not a crack is to be found throughout them. The roof 

 is of bamboo thatch, supported by elegant trusses, and is very lofty. In 

 the older burial-ground, the gate and a new marble tomb have been 

 completely thrown down. In the new cemetery, a most picturesque 

 spot, no damage has been done. 



The most striking permanent marks which the earthquake has left 

 of its violence, besides the church tower, are to be seen near the river 

 where the ground on being divided by the undulation into large parallel 

 masses separated by cracks and ravines, did not resume its position from 

 want of pressure on the river side to carry it back. The ravines still 

 stand open. There is a tract called the Peninsula, round three sides of 

 which, two longer and one shorter, the river flows. Here the ground is 

 cut up excessively in this way. The line of ravines is north-east and 

 ( 44 ) 



