﻿gS 
  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  J. 
  W. 
  de 
  Tivoli, 
  agent 
  and 
  manager 
  of 
  the 
  Tezpore-Balipara 
  

   tramway, 
  writes 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  No 
  measurements 
  were 
  taken 
  at 
  the 
  time, 
  excepting 
  of 
  the 
  biggest 
  gap 
  

   between 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  rails 
  where 
  the 
  line 
  was 
  torn 
  apart. 
  This 
  distance 
  was 
  5 
  feet 
  

   6 
  inches 
  between 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  one 
  rail 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  rail 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  fished 
  

   to 
  it. 
  This 
  break 
  occurred 
  73 
  yards^ 
  (measured 
  by 
  pacing) 
  from 
  the 
  bend 
  in 
  the 
  

   rails 
  nearest 
  the 
  camera 
  in 
  the 
  photograph 
  (Plate 
  VI) 
  showing 
  the 
  two 
  bends, 
  

   There 
  were 
  eight 
  other 
  breaks 
  between 
  Sessa 
  and 
  Rangapara 
  (4J 
  miles), 
  the 
  

   break 
  being 
  in 
  all 
  cases 
  from 
  200 
  to 
  600 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  places 
  where 
  the 
  line 
  was 
  

   bent 
  out. 
  In 
  every 
  case 
  of 
  a 
  gap 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  corresponding 
  bend 
  or 
  bulge 
  within 
  

   a 
  few 
  hundred 
  feet 
  as 
  above 
  stated. 
  All 
  the 
  damage 
  done 
  to 
  the 
  line 
  occurred 
  

   where 
  the 
  subsoil 
  was 
  sand, 
  saturated 
  with 
  water. 
  Where 
  the 
  subsoil 
  was 
  compact 
  

   red 
  clay 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  damage 
  whatsoever." 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  authorities 
  of 
  the 
  Eastern 
  Bengal 
  State 
  Railway 
  the 
  

   information 
  received 
  was 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  general 
  tenour. 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  A. 
  

   Anderson, 
  Engineer 
  in 
  Chief, 
  wrote 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  From 
  two 
  sketches 
  I 
  took 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  with 
  measurements, 
  I 
  can 
  state 
  

   that 
  in 
  one 
  case 
  two 
  rails 
  closed 
  up 
  i'8" 
  in 
  48', 
  and 
  in 
  another 
  3 
  rails 
  closed 
  up 
  

   1' 
  4 
  V 
  in 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  72' 
  1 
  in 
  each 
  case, 
  besides 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  pulling 
  out 
  of 
  

   joints, 
  there 
  were 
  sheared 
  fishbolts 
  and 
  gaps 
  of 
  5" 
  to 
  8" 
  at 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  com- 
  

   pressed 
  portion. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  several 
  lesser 
  contortions 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  and 
  I 
  would 
  guess 
  the 
  total 
  

   shortening 
  of 
  rails, 
  including 
  closing 
  up 
  of 
  joints 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  2' 
  6" 
  in 
  240' 
  this 
  

   shortening 
  being 
  equated 
  by 
  the 
  pulling 
  out 
  of 
  some 
  30 
  to 
  40 
  joints 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  

   and 
  the 
  gaps 
  above 
  mentioned 
  of 
  5" 
  to 
  8". 
  

  

  In 
  ordinary 
  line 
  the 
  joints 
  could 
  close 
  up 
  a 
  little 
  less 
  than 
  j-" 
  each, 
  and 
  could 
  

   open 
  out 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  J"." 
  

  

  Mr. 
  G. 
  Moyle, 
  Superintendent 
  of 
  Works, 
  wrote 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  Platelayers 
  had 
  to 
  cut 
  out 
  such 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  bent 
  rails 
  and 
  close 
  up 
  so 
  

   many 
  joints 
  that 
  I 
  am 
  almost 
  certain 
  they 
  kept 
  no 
  record 
  that 
  I 
  can 
  supply 
  s 
  

   with 
  as 
  near 
  an 
  approach 
  to 
  accuracy 
  as 
  possible, 
  the 
  general 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  earth- 
  

   quake 
  on 
  the 
  permanent 
  way. 
  

  

  Cranking 
  of 
  rails 
  and 
  tearing 
  of 
  fished 
  joints 
  was 
  frequent 
  at 
  miles 
  132-133 
  

   (Nilphamari), 
  miles 
  157I 
  to 
  165 
  (Haldibari) 
  ; 
  still 
  more 
  frequent 
  between 
  Rangpur 
  

   and 
  Kaunia, 
  miles 
  126-145 
  ; 
  very 
  frequent 
  throughout 
  the 
  trans-Teesta 
  2' 
  6" 
  

   gauge 
  lines, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  light 
  rails 
  and 
  small 
  gauge. 
  There 
  were 
  only 
  two 
  

   cases 
  of 
  50ft 
  rails 
  cranking 
  — 
  the 
  rails 
  adjacent 
  to 
  Nilphamari 
  up 
  points 
  and 
  

   just 
  beyond 
  Nilphamari 
  down-signal— 
  and 
  no 
  instance 
  of 
  tearing. 
  1 
  only 
  saw 
  

   one 
  instance 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  buckling 
  in 
  one 
  place 
  without 
  tearing 
  open 
  at 
  another 
  

   within 
  a 
  few 
  hundred 
  yards, 
  and 
  that 
  was 
  at 
  Raninagar, 
  where 
  the 
  main 
  line 
  was 
  

   shortened 
  about 
  if". 
  

  

  (98) 
  

  

  