﻿NARRATIVS 
  ACCOUNTS. 
  33 
  

  

  other 
  accounts. 
  The 
  fact 
  is 
  that 
  buildings 
  constructed 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  

   Calcutta 
  can 
  only 
  swing 
  in 
  two 
  directions, 
  and 
  the 
  local 
  varia- 
  

   tions 
  in 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake 
  motion, 
  which 
  are 
  now 
  suffi- 
  

   ciently 
  well 
  established, 
  combined 
  with 
  small 
  variations 
  in 
  the 
  orienta- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  different 
  houses, 
  would 
  be 
  sufficient 
  to 
  account 
  for 
  either 
  of 
  

   these 
  taking 
  precedence 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  in 
  different 
  localities. 
  

  

  The 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  motion 
  at 
  Calcutta 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  ex- 
  

   clusively 
  undulatory 
  with 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  between 
  one 
  and 
  two 
  seconds. 
  

   Though 
  destructive 
  to 
  buildings 
  and 
  distinctly 
  felt 
  by 
  persons 
  walk- 
  

   ing 
  or 
  standing 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  it 
  was 
  quite 
  unnoticed 
  by 
  those 
  who 
  

   were 
  driving 
  at 
  the 
  time, 
  their 
  first 
  intimation 
  of 
  anything 
  unusual 
  

   being 
  the 
  sight 
  of 
  cracking 
  buildings 
  and 
  oi 
  people 
  rushing 
  from 
  their 
  

   houses, 
  unmindful 
  of 
  their 
  attire 
  in 
  their 
  anxiety 
  to 
  reach 
  a 
  place 
  of 
  

   safety. 
  The 
  undulation 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  though 
  apparently 
  unnoticed 
  

   by 
  horses 
  in 
  motion, 
  was 
  very 
  distinctly 
  noticed 
  by 
  bicyclists, 
  who 
  

   were 
  unable 
  to 
  preserve 
  their 
  balance 
  and 
  found 
  themselves 
  com- 
  

   pelled 
  to 
  dismount 
  from 
  their 
  machines. 
  

  

  At 
  Saugor 
  Island, 
  the 
  experience 
  was 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  at 
  Calcutta. 
  

   According 
  to 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  Gilbert, 
  Telegraph 
  Master, 
  an 
  unusual 
  disturb- 
  

   ance 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  preceded 
  the 
  first 
  vibration, 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  which 
  

   was 
  from 
  south-south-west 
  to 
  north-north-east, 
  for 
  about 
  i 
  minute 
  

   and 
  30 
  seconds 
  ; 
  this 
  was 
  followed 
  by 
  a 
  stillness 
  for 
  about 
  5 
  seconds, 
  

   after 
  which 
  a 
  reaction 
  set 
  in 
  from 
  south-east 
  to 
  north-west, 
  lasting 
  

   with 
  extreme 
  severity 
  for 
  4 
  minutes, 
  and 
  diminishing 
  in 
  force 
  gra- 
  

   dually 
  till 
  it 
  stopped 
  55 
  seconds 
  later. 
  

  

  The 
  swaying 
  of 
  the 
  lighthouse 
  from 
  zenith 
  to 
  north-west 
  was 
  

   noticed 
  to 
  be 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  opposite 
  direction. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  Panchkura, 
  in 
  the 
  Midnapur 
  District, 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  received 
  an 
  important 
  account 
  by 
  Mr, 
  S. 
  M. 
  I. 
  Williams 
  

  

  Assistant 
  Engineer 
  on 
  the 
  Midnapur-Calcutta 
  Railway, 
  which 
  is 
  

  

  interesting 
  as 
  giving 
  some 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  undula- 
  

  

  ' 
  tion 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  way 
  in 
  which 
  these 
  surface 
  waves 
  

  

  (33) 
  

  

  