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  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  evidences 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  vertical 
  component 
  of 
  the 
  wave 
  motion 
  which 
  

   were 
  to 
  be 
  observed 
  throughout 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  examined. 
  

  

  In 
  Captain 
  Howell's 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  earthquake 
  in 
  the 
  Garo 
  Hills 
  

   it 
  is 
  mentioned 
  that 
  a 
  stone 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  parade 
  

   ground 
  was 
  thrown 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  three 
  feet, 
  and 
  as, 
  from 
  the 
  de- 
  

   scription, 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  the 
  stone 
  had 
  travelled 
  through 
  the 
  

   air, 
  and 
  not 
  along 
  the 
  ground, 
  from 
  its 
  original 
  to 
  its 
  subsequent 
  

   position, 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  the 
  impulse 
  given 
  to 
  it 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  

   upwards 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  sideways. 
  

  

  Many 
  other 
  cases, 
  similar 
  to 
  this, 
  were 
  observed 
  in 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  

   the 
  Garo 
  Hills, 
  but 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  so 
  conspicuous 
  as 
  they 
  might 
  

   otherwise 
  have 
  been, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  high 
  and 
  rank 
  vegetation 
  which 
  

   covers 
  these 
  hills. 
  It 
  is 
  different 
  on 
  the 
  bare 
  plateau 
  of 
  the 
  Khasi 
  

   Hills, 
  where 
  the 
  combined 
  effects 
  of 
  greater 
  altitude, 
  smaller 
  rainfall 
  

   and 
  annual 
  fires 
  have 
  denuded 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  hillsides 
  of 
  

   all 
  vegetation 
  except 
  grass. 
  Here 
  we 
  have 
  grassy 
  slopes 
  on 
  which 
  

   numerous 
  rounded 
  blocks 
  of 
  weathered 
  crystalline 
  gneiss 
  or 
  granite 
  

   lie 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  imbedded. 
  Of 
  these, 
  many 
  were 
  driven 
  from 
  their 
  

   seats 
  and 
  hurled 
  through 
  the 
  air, 
  leaving 
  a 
  sharply 
  cut 
  mould 
  in 
  the 
  

   soil, 
  slightly 
  broken 
  down 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  towards 
  which 
  the 
  block 
  was 
  

   projected. 
  These 
  moulds 
  are 
  commonly 
  seen 
  on 
  slopes, 
  as 
  those 
  

   in 
  Plate 
  XXXI, 
  but 
  are 
  also 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  level 
  patches 
  of 
  

   ground, 
  while 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  stones 
  were 
  actually 
  projected 
  through 
  

   the 
  air 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  marks 
  of 
  the 
  spot 
  where 
  they 
  fell, 
  at 
  varying 
  

   distances 
  from 
  their 
  original 
  position, 
  and 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  any 
  trace 
  

   in 
  between 
  of 
  their 
  having 
  touched 
  the 
  ground. 
  At 
  Nongstoin 
  I 
  

   noticed 
  that 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  granite, 
  about 
  3 
  ft. 
  long 
  by 
  1 
  ft. 
  broad 
  and 
  9 
  

   inches 
  thick, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  lying 
  flat 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  had 
  been 
  

   thrown 
  upwards 
  into 
  the 
  air 
  to 
  such 
  a 
  height 
  that 
  it 
  broke 
  across 
  

   in 
  falling. 
  

  

  Between 
  Mokersa 
  and 
  Nongstoin, 
  I 
  measured 
  the 
  distances 
  to 
  

   which 
  several 
  of 
  these 
  blocks 
  had 
  been 
  thrown 
  on 
  level 
  ground, 
  and 
  

   found 
  it 
  varied 
  from 
  2 
  ft. 
  to 
  4 
  ft. 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  and 
  these 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  

  

  ( 
  !3° 
  ) 
  

  

  