﻿54 
  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  telegrams 
  are 
  seldom 
  received 
  or 
  despatched 
  1 
  no 
  great 
  trouble 
  is 
  

   taken 
  to 
  keep 
  accurate 
  time. 
  In 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  small 
  offices 
  it 
  is 
  

   evident 
  that 
  no 
  note 
  was 
  made 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  when 
  the 
  earthquake 
  was 
  

   felt, 
  and 
  the 
  conjunction 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  causes 
  of 
  error 
  has 
  vitiated 
  

   nearly 
  all 
  the 
  returns. 
  In 
  a 
  few 
  cases 
  the 
  time 
  reported 
  is 
  obviously 
  

   in 
  error 
  to 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  several 
  hours, 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  larger 
  and 
  busier 
  offices, 
  where 
  a 
  careful 
  record 
  of 
  time 
  

   is 
  essential 
  to 
  the 
  proper 
  conduct 
  of 
  the 
  business, 
  the 
  returns 
  are 
  of 
  

   greater 
  accuracy 
  and 
  value. 
  In 
  these 
  the 
  signallers 
  have 
  to 
  keep 
  a 
  

   log-book 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  times 
  of 
  receipt 
  and 
  despatch 
  of 
  messages 
  and 
  

   the 
  alteration 
  of 
  the 
  electric 
  circuits 
  are 
  recorded 
  ; 
  and 
  where 
  the 
  

   work 
  is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  office 
  continuously 
  employed, 
  it 
  is 
  

   obvious 
  that 
  a 
  considerable 
  degree 
  of 
  accuracy 
  in 
  timekeeping 
  is 
  

   necessary. 
  But 
  a 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  accuracy, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  standard 
  

   of 
  ordinary 
  life, 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  inaccuracy 
  where 
  even 
  

   fractions 
  of 
  a 
  second 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  into 
  consideration, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   obvious 
  from 
  the 
  returns 
  that, 
  even 
  where 
  accuracy 
  is 
  most 
  to 
  be 
  

   expected, 
  the 
  time 
  is 
  often 
  in 
  error 
  by 
  several 
  minutes. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  railway 
  the 
  same 
  considerations 
  affect 
  the 
  accuracy 
  of 
  the 
  

   returns, 
  but 
  here 
  the 
  constant 
  traverse 
  of 
  trains, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  

   to 
  keep 
  its 
  running 
  sheet 
  in 
  agreement 
  with 
  the 
  times 
  kept 
  by 
  the 
  

   Station 
  Masters, 
  introduces 
  a 
  certain 
  check 
  on 
  the 
  time 
  kept 
  at 
  road- 
  

   side 
  stations. 
  Yet 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  from 
  the 
  returns 
  that 
  the 
  times 
  re- 
  

   corded 
  at 
  large 
  and 
  busy 
  stations, 
  where 
  many 
  trains 
  stop, 
  are, 
  on 
  the 
  

   whole, 
  more 
  accurate 
  than 
  at 
  the 
  roadside 
  stations 
  where 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  

   trains 
  stop. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  noticeable 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  main 
  lines 
  a 
  more 
  accu- 
  

   rate 
  record 
  of 
  time 
  is 
  kept 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  branch 
  lines, 
  or 
  on 
  lines 
  which 
  

   do 
  not 
  carry 
  much 
  through 
  traffic. 
  On 
  the 
  East 
  Indian 
  Railway, 
  the 
  

   busiest, 
  and 
  by 
  common 
  consent 
  best 
  managed, 
  line 
  in 
  India, 
  it 
  has 
  

   been 
  possible 
  to 
  adopt 
  a 
  method 
  of 
  treatment 
  of 
  the 
  records 
  which 
  

   gives 
  a 
  more 
  accurate 
  result 
  than 
  could 
  be 
  obtained 
  by 
  using 
  the 
  

  

  1 
  I 
  have 
  myself 
  had 
  occasion 
  to 
  despatch 
  a 
  telegram 
  from 
  an 
  office 
  where 
  I 
  was 
  

   informed 
  that 
  mine 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  message 
  received 
  or 
  despatched 
  for 
  two 
  months; 
  but 
  

   this 
  it 
  an 
  extreme 
  case. 
  

  

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