﻿104 
  OLDHAM 
  : 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  is 
  also 
  correct 
  if 
  taken 
  literally, 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  interpretation 
  

   which 
  would 
  naturally 
  be 
  put 
  on 
  it 
  that 
  the 
  well 
  cover 
  was 
  hurled 
  

   through 
  the 
  air 
  to 
  its 
  present 
  position 
  ; 
  while 
  the 
  true 
  facts 
  are, 
  in 
  a 
  

   way, 
  even 
  more 
  remarkable 
  than 
  Colonel 
  Maxwell's 
  description 
  

   would 
  indicate. 
  

  

  The 
  well 
  in 
  question 
  was 
  a 
  brick 
  well 
  surrounded 
  by 
  four 
  brick 
  

   pillars 
  5 
  feet 
  high 
  by 
  l 
  feet 
  3 
  inches 
  square, 
  which 
  supported 
  a 
  wooden 
  

   framework 
  carrying 
  pulleys 
  for 
  convenience 
  in 
  drawing 
  water. 
  Of 
  

   these 
  three 
  remain 
  standing, 
  though 
  cracked, 
  while 
  the 
  fourth 
  is 
  

   missing. 
  The 
  well 
  stands 
  just 
  on 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  fissures 
  

   which 
  opened 
  in 
  the 
  Goalpara 
  bazar, 
  and 
  from 
  which 
  large 
  quantities 
  

   of 
  sand 
  were 
  poured 
  forth. 
  This 
  issue 
  of 
  sand 
  was 
  naturally 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  abundant 
  at 
  the 
  well, 
  and 
  the 
  flood 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  picked 
  

   up 
  the 
  broken 
  pillar 
  and 
  floated 
  it 
  65 
  feet 
  to 
  N. 
  50 
  E., 
  from 
  its 
  

   original 
  position 
  to 
  the 
  spot 
  where 
  it 
  now 
  lies. 
  The 
  wooden 
  well- 
  

   cover 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  see, 
  as 
  it 
  had 
  probably 
  been 
  removed 
  before 
  my 
  

  

  visit. 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  this 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  not 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  an 
  actual 
  

   projection 
  of 
  the 
  masonry, 
  and 
  probably 
  not 
  of 
  the 
  wooden 
  well- 
  

   cover 
  either, 
  but 
  still 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  the 
  rush 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  must 
  

   have 
  been 
  great 
  to 
  enable 
  it 
  to 
  pick 
  up 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  brick-work 
  of 
  about 
  

   6 
  cubic 
  feet 
  in 
  volume 
  and 
  carry 
  it 
  65 
  feet 
  from 
  its 
  original 
  position. 
  

  

  Closely 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  sand 
  vents 
  was 
  the 
  

   filling 
  up 
  of 
  river 
  channels, 
  tanks, 
  wells, 
  and 
  all 
  other 
  depressions 
  or 
  

   excavations, 
  over 
  a 
  large 
  area. 
  In 
  part 
  this 
  was 
  due 
  to 
  an 
  actual 
  

   outpouring 
  of 
  sand, 
  but 
  to 
  a 
  far 
  greater 
  extent 
  to 
  the 
  forcing 
  up 
  

   of 
  the 
  bottoms 
  of 
  the 
  excavations. 
  That 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  true 
  explanation 
  

   especially 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  light, 
  bamboo 
  structures, 
  is 
  clearly 
  shown 
  

   by 
  many 
  bridges 
  crossing 
  small 
  streams 
  or 
  canals, 
  these 
  have 
  in 
  

   innumerable 
  instances 
  been 
  forced 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  (see 
  Plate 
  XXVI) 
  

   and 
  the 
  roadway, 
  which 
  was 
  once 
  horizontal 
  or 
  neaily 
  so, 
  rose 
  after 
  

   the 
  earthquake 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  steep 
  slope 
  from 
  either 
  side. 
  This 
  

   ( 
  104 
  ) 
  

  

  