32 MONS. F. M. CORPI ON THE 



2. The Catastrophe o/Kantzorik, Armenia. 

 By Mons. F. M. Corpi. (Eead November 20, 1889.) 



(Communicated by W. H. Hudleston, Esq., F.E.S., Sec. G.S.) 



Kantzorik, a small village of 215 inhabitants in the Caza de Tor- 

 toum, a dependency of the vilayet of Erzeroum, was situated in a 

 narrow valley at an altitude of about 1600 metres. It was at a 

 distance of 60 kilometres from Erzeroum, and of 10 kilometres from 

 Nikhah, the seat of the " Kaimakamlik." 



The inhabitants of Kantzorik having noticed certain subterraneous 

 noises, and that the springs of a great mountain situated at the 

 western opening of their valley had dried up, were alarmed at these 

 phenomena and gave notice to the local authorities, who directed 

 them at once to evacuate their village ; but before they had time to 

 execute this project, towards noon on the 2nd of August, 1889, a 

 frightful noise was heard, a part of the Eastern Mountain burst 

 open, the village was buried under a great muddy mass, and 136 

 villagers perished in it. Such is the account given by the survivors 

 of this terrible catastrophe, who affirm that they saw a red torrent, 

 which would lead one to think that this fluid mud was in a state of 

 ignition. 



His Excellency Samit Pacha, Governor General of the vilayet of 

 Erzeroum, moved by the great misfortune which had happened at 

 Kantzorik, hastened to send assistance to the sufferers ; and to pre- 

 vent fresh disasters to the other villages which seemed to be men- 

 aced with the same fate, he took prompt and intelligent measures, 

 placing their inhabitants in safe places, and did me the honour of 

 entrusting to me the task of going to investigate this phenomenon 

 on the spot from a geological point of view. 



On the 9tli August I proceeded to the locality of the disaster and 

 visited this region, which is so excessively hilly as to present an 

 Alpine configuration. 



In fact, the whole of this part of the Caza de Tortoum had been 

 formed in the Secondary period of Triassic, Jurassic, and Cre- 

 taceous strata, which, in consequence of a Platonic movement, were 

 broken up and lorn by granitic, trachytic, and especially basaltic 

 rocks, now forming great mountains, cones, and lofty peaks without 

 any system, and still presenting numerous traces of the former con- 

 stitution which they overtop, or to which they serve as a base accord- 

 ing to the nature of the dislocation. 



In going from Nikhah towards Kantzorik, I was surprised by the 

 great number of balls of mud which occurred among the rolled peb- 

 bles of the ravine forming the continuation of the great valley of 

 Kantzorik. These balls, varying in diameter between 10 and 40 

 centimetres, and formed of sand and calcareous fragments of very 

 close grain cemented by an ashy material, did not appear until after 

 the disaster of Kantzoiik. 



