﻿KJ2 
  OLDHAM 
  : 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  that 
  the 
  earthquake 
  movement, 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  felt, 
  

   is 
  comparatively 
  superficial, 
  and 
  that, 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  epicentre, 
  it 
  

   rapidly 
  diminishes 
  in 
  amount, 
  even 
  at 
  small 
  depths. 
  That 
  the 
  sound 
  

   was 
  heard 
  underground, 
  though 
  the 
  movements 
  were 
  insensible, 
  seems 
  

   to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  small 
  and 
  rapid 
  vibrations 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  due, 
  were 
  

   not 
  the 
  result, 
  direct 
  or 
  indirect, 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  undulations, 
  but 
  travel- 
  

   led 
  directly 
  through 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  earth. 
  

  

  Apart 
  from 
  this, 
  the 
  observations 
  are 
  neither 
  sufficiently 
  numerous 
  

   nor 
  concordant 
  to 
  lead 
  to 
  any 
  results 
  of 
  value. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  impos- 
  

   sible 
  even 
  to 
  determine, 
  in 
  many 
  places, 
  whether 
  the 
  sound 
  did 
  or 
  

   did 
  not 
  precede 
  the 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  ; 
  from 
  one 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  

   place 
  I 
  have 
  received 
  accounts 
  stating 
  that 
  the 
  earthquake 
  was 
  

   preceded 
  by 
  a 
  loud 
  roar, 
  and 
  others 
  which 
  are 
  positive 
  that 
  no 
  sound 
  

   of 
  any 
  kind 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  heard 
  till 
  the 
  earthquake 
  had 
  become 
  severe. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  loudness 
  of 
  the 
  sounds 
  in 
  the 
  epicentral 
  tract 
  we 
  have 
  

   already 
  had 
  evidence 
  in 
  the 
  account 
  of 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  G. 
  Morgan, 
  Assistant 
  

   Superintendent 
  of 
  Telegraphs 
  at 
  Shillong, 
  1 
  who 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  crash 
  

   of 
  houses, 
  falling 
  within 
  thirty 
  yards 
  of 
  him, 
  was 
  completely 
  drowned 
  

   by 
  the 
  roar 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake, 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  accounts 
  from 
  the 
  epicentre 
  

   and 
  its 
  neighbourhood 
  speak 
  of 
  the 
  loudness 
  of 
  the 
  sounds 
  heard 
  at 
  

   the 
  time 
  of, 
  and 
  immediately 
  after, 
  the 
  earthquake. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  loudness 
  of 
  the 
  sounds 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  over 
  which 
  

   they 
  were 
  heard 
  was 
  unusually 
  large. 
  Throughout 
  northern 
  Bengal 
  

   and 
  the 
  Gangetic 
  delta 
  many 
  reports 
  mention 
  a 
  rumbling 
  sound 
  as 
  

   preceding, 
  accompanying, 
  or 
  following 
  the 
  earthquake. 
  In 
  Calcutta 
  

   the 
  accounts 
  of 
  different 
  observers 
  are 
  contradictory 
  on 
  this 
  point, 
  

   some 
  asserting 
  that 
  the 
  earthquake 
  was 
  preceded 
  by 
  a 
  rumbling 
  

   noise 
  others 
  being 
  equally 
  positive 
  that 
  the 
  only 
  noise 
  to 
  be 
  heard 
  

   was 
  that 
  due 
  to 
  falling 
  buildings 
  and 
  furniture. 
  As 
  there 
  is 
  good 
  

   evidence 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  rumbling 
  sounds 
  were 
  very 
  generally 
  

   heard 
  round 
  about 
  Calcutta 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  in 
  Midnapur, 
  Balasor, 
  

  

  1 
  See 
  p. 
  6. 
  

   ( 
  192 
  ) 
  

  

  