﻿RATE 
  OF 
  PROPAGATION, 
  73 
  

  

  along 
  the 
  surface, 
  at 
  a 
  tolerable 
  uniform 
  rate 
  of 
  about 
  120 
  miles 
  

   an 
  hour. 
  

  

  A 
  point 
  of 
  some 
  importance 
  to 
  determine 
  is 
  the 
  exact 
  time 
  of 
  

   origin 
  of 
  the 
  shock 
  or 
  rather 
  that 
  at 
  which 
  it 
  first 
  reached 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   face. 
  In 
  doing 
  this, 
  we 
  may 
  take 
  the 
  records 
  of 
  places 
  within 
  the 
  

   central 
  area, 
  such 
  asShillong, 
  and 
  deduce 
  the 
  time 
  directly; 
  or 
  obtain 
  

   it 
  by 
  calculating 
  back 
  from 
  the 
  observations 
  at 
  places 
  outside 
  that 
  

   area. 
  Of 
  these 
  two 
  methods 
  the 
  latter 
  gives 
  the 
  best 
  results, 
  at 
  any 
  

   rate 
  in 
  this 
  case, 
  but 
  before 
  discussing 
  the 
  result 
  so 
  obtained, 
  

   the 
  few 
  observations 
  that 
  were 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  central 
  area 
  may 
  be 
  

   noticed. 
  

  

  At 
  Shillong 
  the 
  exact 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  commencement 
  of 
  the 
  shock 
  

   is 
  given 
  by 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  C. 
  Arbuthnott, 
  CLE., 
  Deputy 
  Commissioner, 
  as 
  

   5-1 
  1 
  or 
  5-12 
  P.M.; 
  the 
  Assistant 
  Superintendent 
  of 
  Telegraphs, 
  

   Shillong 
  division, 
  in 
  his 
  official 
  report 
  says 
  — 
  " 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  shaking 
  

   was 
  over, 
  I 
  looked 
  at 
  my 
  watch, 
  and 
  allowing 
  for 
  the 
  error 
  of 
  

   my 
  watch 
  by 
  that 
  day's 
  time, 
  found 
  the 
  time 
  was 
  5-16 
  P.M. 
  I 
  esti- 
  

   mated 
  the 
  duration 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  earthquake 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  ih 
  minutes.' 
  7 
  

   This 
  would 
  place 
  the 
  commencement 
  at 
  from 
  5-14 
  to 
  5-14^ 
  p.m, 
  

   Babu 
  Nishi 
  Kumar 
  Ghose, 
  Agent 
  of 
  the 
  Oriental 
  Life 
  Office, 
  writes 
  

   that 
  his 
  time-piece, 
  which 
  was 
  regulated 
  with 
  the 
  gun 
  at 
  1 
  P.M., 
  was 
  

   stopped 
  by 
  the 
  earthquake 
  at 
  5-13 
  P.M. 
  Other 
  clocks 
  dug 
  out 
  of 
  

   the 
  ruins 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  ha.ve 
  shown 
  times 
  varying 
  from 
  10 
  to 
  15 
  minutes 
  

   past 
  5. 
  Taking 
  5-13 
  P.M. 
  local 
  time 
  as 
  a 
  probable 
  mean, 
  and 
  de- 
  

   ducting 
  47m., 
  the 
  correction 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  Telegraph 
  Guide, 
  we 
  obtain 
  

   i6h. 
  27m. 
  as 
  the 
  probable 
  Madras 
  time 
  of 
  origin, 
  with 
  a 
  possible 
  varia- 
  

   tion 
  between 
  i6h. 
  25m. 
  and 
  i6h. 
  29m. 
  

  

  This 
  estimate 
  can 
  be 
  checked 
  by 
  the 
  returns 
  from 
  other 
  places 
  

   situated 
  within 
  the 
  central 
  area, 
  or 
  close 
  to 
  its 
  borders. 
  The 
  Tele- 
  

   graph 
  Master 
  of 
  Goalpara 
  reports 
  the 
  commencement 
  as 
  5I1. 
  9m, 
  

   p.m., 
  or 
  i6h. 
  27m., 
  Madras. 
  From 
  other 
  telegraph 
  offices 
  there 
  are 
  

   •either 
  no 
  returns 
  or 
  the 
  times 
  given 
  are 
  evidently 
  mere 
  approxima- 
  

   tions. 
  At 
  Kuch 
  Bihar, 
  which, 
  as 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  chapter 
  X, 
  was 
  

  

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  75 
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