﻿8 
  OLDHAM: 
  GRE^T 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  former 
  and 
  the 
  lowest 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  values 
  are 
  nearest 
  the 
  truth, 
  and 
  

   we 
  may 
  take 
  it 
  that 
  the 
  waves 
  were 
  about 
  30 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  1 
  foot 
  

   high 
  on 
  the 
  average, 
  but 
  that 
  many 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  both 
  shorter 
  and 
  

   higher. 
  All 
  the 
  accounts 
  also 
  agree 
  in 
  showing 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  very 
  

   considerable 
  vertical 
  component 
  in 
  the 
  shock, 
  loose 
  stones 
  lying 
  on 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  roads 
  being 
  tossed 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  u 
  like 
  peas 
  on 
  a 
  

   drum," 
  this 
  vertical 
  movement 
  being 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  more 
  marked 
  

   backward 
  and 
  forward 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  the 
  sensa- 
  

   tion 
  produced 
  being 
  generally 
  expressed 
  as 
  being 
  " 
  shaken 
  like 
  a 
  rat 
  

   by 
  a 
  terrier." 
  As 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  Chapter 
  V, 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  this 
  

   motion 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  at 
  least 
  8 
  or 
  9 
  inches. 
  As 
  to 
  the 
  period, 
  or 
  

   rate 
  of 
  repetition, 
  I 
  wa9 
  unable 
  to 
  obtain 
  any 
  really 
  satisfactory 
  

   evidence 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  so 
  great 
  and 
  so 
  unexpected 
  a 
  catastrophe, 
  it 
  

   could 
  not 
  be 
  expected 
  that 
  attention 
  would 
  be 
  paid 
  to 
  a 
  matter 
  which 
  

   would 
  not 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  important, 
  but, 
  by 
  asking 
  people 
  to 
  try 
  and 
  

   recollect 
  their 
  sensations 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  and 
  to 
  indicate 
  the 
  rate 
  and 
  

   extent 
  of 
  the 
  movement, 
  I 
  found 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  very 
  substantial 
  

   agreement 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  first, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  rate 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  approxi- 
  

   mately 
  one 
  second 
  for 
  the 
  double 
  movement 
  forwards 
  and 
  back- 
  

   wards. 
  It 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  rapid, 
  but 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  think 
  it 
  

   would 
  possibly 
  have 
  exceeded 
  i| 
  second. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  accounts 
  from 
  the 
  station 
  of 
  Shillong 
  agree 
  in 
  stat- 
  

   ing 
  that 
  the 
  first 
  indication 
  that 
  was 
  noticed 
  was 
  a 
  rumbling 
  

   sound, 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  rapidly 
  moving 
  cart 
  ; 
  but 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  S. 
  Strachey, 
  

   who 
  was 
  riding 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  on 
  the 
  Peak, 
  some 
  1.400 
  feet 
  above 
  

   Shillong, 
  states 
  that 
  his 
  attention 
  was 
  first 
  attracted 
  by 
  the 
  rustling 
  

   of 
  the 
  leaves 
  on 
  the 
  trees, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  tremulous 
  movement 
  which 
  

   caused 
  this 
  lasted 
  for 
  several 
  seconds 
  before 
  he 
  heard 
  any 
  other 
  

   sound. 
  

  

  Passing 
  westwards, 
  we 
  have 
  the 
  very 
  interesting 
  report 
  by 
  Captain 
  

   A. 
  A. 
  Howell, 
  Deputy 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  the 
  Garo 
  Hills, 
  of 
  the 
  earth- 
  

   quake 
  as 
  felt 
  at 
  Tura, 
  of 
  its 
  effects, 
  and 
  also 
  of 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  administration 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  after 
  the 
  shock. 
  

   ( 
  8 
  ) 
  

  

  