﻿4 
  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  nature 
  of 
  the 
  shock 
  at 
  different 
  places, 
  and 
  to 
  some 
  degree 
  its 
  extent, 
  

   and 
  shall 
  then 
  devote 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  chapters 
  to 
  considering 
  the 
  special 
  

   aspects 
  of 
  the 
  data 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  collected. 
  The 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  

   investigation 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  headings 
  of 
  the 
  successive 
  

   chapters, 
  but 
  before 
  proceeding 
  to 
  its 
  description 
  I 
  must 
  take 
  this 
  

   opportunity 
  of 
  expressing 
  my 
  obligation 
  to 
  the 
  numerous 
  correspond- 
  

   ents 
  whose 
  names 
  are 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  succeeding 
  pages, 
  and 
  to 
  

   those 
  many 
  others 
  whom 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  possible 
  to 
  name 
  indivi- 
  

   dually. 
  The 
  information 
  that 
  each 
  could 
  give 
  naturally 
  varied 
  much 
  

   in 
  value 
  and 
  importance, 
  but, 
  such 
  as 
  it 
  was, 
  it 
  was 
  willingly 
  given, 
  

   and 
  what 
  is 
  more, 
  subsequent 
  correspondence 
  and 
  questions 
  were 
  

   freely 
  answered 
  in 
  some 
  cases, 
  I 
  fear, 
  not 
  without 
  considerable 
  

   trouble. 
  But 
  for 
  this 
  assistance 
  readily 
  rendered 
  the 
  information 
  

   regarding 
  the 
  earthquake 
  would 
  necessarily 
  have 
  been 
  very 
  

   incomplete. 
  

  

  Chapter 
  II.— 
  NARRATIVE 
  ACCOUNTS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATURE 
  

   OF 
  THE 
  SHOCK. 
  

  

  In 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  scheme 
  of 
  description 
  proposed 
  

   in 
  the 
  last 
  chapter, 
  we 
  commence 
  with 
  the 
  descriptions 
  of 
  the 
  earth- 
  

   quake 
  at 
  Shillong, 
  and 
  of 
  these 
  I 
  will 
  first 
  reproduce 
  that 
  of 
  Mr. 
  

   F. 
  H. 
  Smith, 
  of 
  the 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  of 
  India, 
  who 
  writes 
  : 
  

  

  " 
  Some 
  tremors 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  noticed 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  previously 
  by 
  

   sensitive 
  persons 
  ; 
  but 
  if 
  actually 
  perceived 
  they 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  very 
  slight 
  

   indeed. 
  On 
  June 
  12th 
  the 
  severe 
  shock 
  commenced 
  without 
  any 
  warning 
  what- 
  

   soever 
  (some 
  people 
  say 
  they 
  noticed 
  a 
  rumbling 
  sound 
  for 
  10 
  or 
  15 
  seconds 
  before 
  

   the 
  shock). 
  

  

  * 
  ; 
  I 
  was 
  out 
  for 
  a 
  walk 
  at 
  the 
  time, 
  and 
  was 
  standing 
  on 
  the 
  road 
  which 
  passes 
  

  

  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  filtering 
  tank 
  of 
  the 
  Shillong 
  

  

  Personal 
  experience. 
  waterworks, 
  near 
  the 
  school. 
  At 
  5-15 
  (according 
  to 
  the 
  

  

  ordinary 
  Shillong 
  time, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  known 
  how 
  this 
  

  

  compares 
  with 
  absolute 
  Calcutta 
  or 
  Madras 
  time) 
  a 
  deep 
  rumbling 
  sound, 
  like 
  

  

  near 
  thunder, 
  commenced, 
  apparently 
  coming 
  from 
  the 
  south 
  or 
  south-west, 
  

  

  followed 
  immediately 
  by 
  the 
  shock. 
  The 
  rumbling 
  preceded 
  the 
  shock 
  by 
  about 
  

  

  two 
  seconds 
  where 
  I 
  stood, 
  and 
  the 
  shock 
  reached 
  its 
  maximum 
  violence 
  almost 
  

  

  at 
  once, 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  seconds. 
  The 
  ground 
  began 
  to 
  

  

  rock 
  violently, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  seconds 
  it 
  was 
  impossible 
  to 
  stand 
  upright, 
  and 
  I 
  had 
  

  

  ( 
  4 
  ) 
  

  

  