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Ch. XXIX.] EFFECTS OF CALABRIAN EAETHQUATvE. 



125 



In tlie vicinity of Oppido, the central point where the 

 shocks of the earthquake Avere most violent, many houses 

 were swallowed up by the yawning earthy which closed 

 immediately over them. In the adjacent district, also, of 

 Cannamaria four farm-honses, several oil-stores, and some 

 spacious dwelling-houses were so completely engulphed in 

 one chasm, that not a vestige of them was afterwards dis- 

 cernible. The same phenomenon occurred at Terranuova, 

 S. Christina, and Sinopoli. The Academicians state parti- 

 cularly, that when deep abysses had opened in the argillaceous 

 strata of Terranuova, and houses had sunk into them, the 

 sides of the chasms closed with such violence, that, on 

 excavating afterwards to recover articles of value, the work- 

 men found the contents and detached parts of the buildings 

 jammed together so as to become one compact mass. 



Sir W. Hamilton was shown several deep fissures in the 

 vicinity of Mile to, Avhich, although not one of them was 

 above a foot in breadth, had opened so wide during the 

 earthqua.ke as to swallow an ox and nearly one hundred 

 goats. The Academicians also found, on their return through 

 districts which they had passed at the commencement of 

 their tour, that many rents had, in that short interval, 

 gradually closed in, so that their width had diminished 

 several feet, and the op230site walls had sometimes nearly 

 met. It is natural that this should happen in argillaceous 

 strata, while, in more solid rocks, we may expect that fissures 

 will remain open for ages. Should this be ascertained to be 

 a general fact in countries convulsed by earthquakes, it may 

 afford a satisfactory explanation of a common phenomenon in 

 mineral veins. Such veins often retain their full size so long 

 as the rocks consist of limestone, granite, or other indurated 

 materials ; but they contract their dimensions, become mere 

 threads, or are even entirely cut off, where masses of an 

 argillaceous nature are interposed. If we suppose the 

 filling up of fissures with metallic and other ingredients to 

 be a process requiring ages for its completion, it is obvious 

 that the opposite walls of rents, where strata consist of 

 yielding materials, must collapse or approach very near to 

 each other before sufacient time is allowed for the accretion 

 of a large quantity of veinstone. 



