﻿FISSURES 
  AND 
  VENTS. 
  97 
  

  

  A 
  very 
  striking 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  displacement 
  of 
  the 
  alluvium, 
  whether 
  

   by 
  throwing 
  off 
  at 
  the 
  free 
  surfaces 
  of 
  river 
  channels 
  or 
  tanks 
  

   or 
  otherwise, 
  was 
  the 
  bending 
  of 
  rails. 
  This 
  has 
  been 
  reported 
  and 
  

   illustrated 
  before, 
  especialty 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  Charleston 
  earthquake 
  

   of 
  1886, 
  and 
  the 
  great 
  Japanese 
  earthquake 
  of 
  189.1, 
  but 
  never 
  has 
  it 
  

   been 
  exhibited 
  on 
  sa 
  large 
  a 
  scale, 
  or 
  over 
  so 
  large 
  an 
  area 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   earthquake 
  of 
  1897. 
  The 
  splendid 
  series 
  of 
  photographs 
  taken 
  by 
  

   Messrs. 
  Kapp 
  & 
  Co., 
  of 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake 
  on 
  the 
  Assam 
  

   Bengal 
  and 
  Eastern 
  Bengal 
  Railways, 
  show 
  many 
  instances 
  of 
  this, 
  

   but 
  none 
  so 
  striking 
  as 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  Tezpore-Balipara 
  tramway 
  

   reproduced 
  on 
  Plate 
  VI 
  from 
  a 
  photograph 
  for 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  indebted 
  

   to 
  Mr. 
  Kemlo. 
  

  

  This 
  bending 
  of 
  the 
  rails 
  is 
  uncontestible 
  proof 
  of 
  compression, 
  

   as 
  it 
  means 
  that 
  the 
  two 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  rail 
  are 
  closer 
  together 
  than 
  

   they 
  were 
  before 
  the 
  earthquake, 
  and 
  here 
  again 
  there 
  was 
  an 
  

   opportunity 
  of 
  determining 
  whether 
  there 
  had 
  been 
  any 
  general 
  

   compression 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  or 
  not. 
  If 
  the 
  compression 
  of 
  the 
  rails 
  

   was 
  only 
  a 
  local 
  manifestation 
  of 
  a 
  general 
  compression 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  

   unaccompanied 
  by 
  a 
  corresponding 
  expansion, 
  whereas 
  if 
  the 
  com- 
  

   pression 
  were 
  only 
  local 
  and 
  due 
  to 
  displacements 
  of 
  the 
  alluvium 
  

   by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake 
  wave 
  there 
  should 
  be, 
  for 
  each 
  case 
  

   of 
  compression, 
  a 
  corresponding 
  stretching 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  elsewhere 
  in 
  

   the 
  neighbourhood. 
  

  

  With 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  ascertaining* 
  whether 
  this 
  was 
  the 
  case 
  or 
  not 
  

   special 
  enquiries 
  were 
  instituted, 
  of 
  the 
  managers 
  of 
  the 
  Eastern 
  

   Bengal 
  Railway 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  Tezpore-Balipara 
  tramway, 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  

   each 
  case 
  of 
  compression 
  was 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  corresponding 
  

   extension 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  near 
  by, 
  or 
  whether 
  any 
  general 
  shortening 
  was 
  

   noticed. 
  Unfortunately 
  repairs 
  had 
  already 
  been 
  carried 
  out 
  and. 
  

   detailed 
  measurements 
  could 
  no 
  longer 
  be 
  made, 
  but 
  the 
  replies 
  

   distinctly 
  point 
  to 
  each 
  case 
  of 
  compression 
  being, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  

   breaks 
  in 
  the 
  line 
  indicating 
  an 
  expansion 
  which 
  was, 
  at 
  any 
  rate- 
  

   approximately, 
  equal 
  in 
  amount. 
  

  

  H 
  ( 
  97 
  y 
  

  

  