﻿Il8 
  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  running 
  into 
  he 
  valley, 
  the 
  landslips 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  ridge 
  had 
  

   united 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  sharp 
  edged 
  crest 
  to 
  the 
  ridge 
  ; 
  and 
  at 
  one 
  spot 
  

   on 
  the 
  ridge 
  connecting 
  the 
  Balpakrdm 
  and 
  Pundengru 
  Hills, 
  where 
  

   a 
  narrow 
  strip 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  forest 
  clad 
  summit 
  had 
  been 
  left, 
  the 
  vio- 
  

   lence 
  of 
  the 
  oscillation 
  it 
  had 
  undergone 
  was 
  such 
  that 
  the 
  forest 
  

   had 
  been 
  levelled 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  This 
  was 
  not 
  the 
  only 
  instance 
  of 
  this 
  sort, 
  but 
  wherever 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  sandstone 
  plateau, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  high 
  spur 
  with 
  steep 
  

   sides 
  and 
  a 
  comparatively 
  level 
  forest 
  clad 
  top 
  of 
  a 
  couple 
  of 
  

   hundred 
  feet 
  or 
  less 
  in 
  width, 
  I 
  noticed 
  that 
  the 
  trees 
  had 
  almost 
  

   invariably 
  been 
  uprooted. 
  They 
  were 
  not 
  snapped 
  across, 
  like 
  

   those 
  described 
  in 
  Chapter 
  IX, 
  the 
  conditions 
  which 
  allowed 
  of 
  this 
  

   form 
  of 
  destruction 
  being 
  altogether 
  local, 
  but 
  had 
  been 
  bodily 
  

   up-rooted 
  by 
  the 
  swaying 
  of 
  the 
  trees 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  country 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  boundary 
  of 
  the 
  Garo 
  and 
  

   Khasi 
  Hills 
  Districts 
  landslips 
  are 
  everywhere 
  conspicuous 
  in 
  the 
  

   sandstone 
  country 
  and 
  are 
  decidedly 
  larger 
  and 
  more 
  abundant 
  on 
  

   the 
  southern 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  faces 
  of 
  the 
  hills, 
  but 
  no 
  conclusion 
  

   can 
  be 
  drawn 
  from 
  this, 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  travel 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake 
  

   wave, 
  since 
  the 
  geological 
  and 
  orographical 
  conditions 
  are 
  such 
  as 
  

   to 
  necessitate 
  the 
  highest 
  and 
  steepest 
  slopes 
  facing 
  southwards. 
  

  

  Westwards 
  of 
  the 
  Sameswari 
  (Sumesari) 
  river, 
  the 
  Garo 
  Hills, 
  

   instead 
  of 
  rising 
  in 
  a 
  high 
  scarp 
  from 
  the 
  plains, 
  descend 
  gradually 
  

   by 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  low 
  hills, 
  and 
  the 
  conditions 
  are 
  less 
  favourable 
  for 
  

   the 
  formation 
  of 
  landslips. 
  We 
  find 
  them, 
  accordingly, 
  less 
  con- 
  

   spicuously 
  developed, 
  but 
  wherever 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  high 
  slope, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  

   southern 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  Tura 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  Arbela 
  ridges, 
  landslips 
  are 
  

   numerous, 
  while 
  throughout 
  the 
  Garo 
  Hills 
  small 
  ones 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  

   the 
  steeper 
  slopes. 
  

  

  The 
  eastern 
  limit 
  of 
  landslips 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  Cachar 
  

   Hills, 
  as 
  the 
  reports 
  specially 
  called 
  for 
  state 
  that 
  none 
  were 
  formed 
  

   in 
  Manipur 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  Naga 
  Hills 
  Districts. 
  In 
  the 
  latter 
  district 
  

   cracks 
  in 
  the 
  hillsides, 
  or 
  incipient 
  landslips, 
  were 
  formed 
  near 
  

  

  ( 
  us 
  ) 
  

  

  