﻿226 
  OLDHAM 
  : 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  been 
  possible, 
  for 
  want 
  of 
  a 
  sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  suitable 
  objects, 
  to 
  

   fully 
  test 
  this 
  hypothesis, 
  but 
  the 
  cases 
  of 
  the 
  Gauhati 
  old 
  cemetery 
  

   and 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  pillars 
  at 
  Cherrapunji 
  are 
  explicable 
  by 
  this, 
  and 
  

   by 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  hypotheses. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  consequently 
  an 
  hypothesis 
  which 
  explains— 
  

  

  (1) 
  Why 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  similarly 
  oriented 
  neighbouring 
  objects 
  are 
  

   generally 
  twisted 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  direction. 
  

  

  (2) 
  Why 
  in 
  certain 
  cases 
  we 
  may 
  have 
  an 
  object 
  twisted 
  in 
  one 
  

   direction, 
  while 
  others 
  similarly 
  oriented 
  but 
  of 
  different 
  proportions 
  

   are 
  twisted 
  in 
  the 
  opposite 
  direction. 
  

  

  (3) 
  Why 
  the 
  displacement 
  of 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  displaced 
  portion 
  

   from 
  its 
  original 
  position 
  indicates 
  a 
  centre 
  of 
  revolution 
  which 
  does 
  

   not 
  coincide 
  with 
  the 
  outer 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  displacement. 
  

  

  It 
  explains, 
  in 
  short, 
  all 
  the 
  observed 
  facts, 
  while 
  it 
  involves 
  nothing 
  

   which 
  is 
  inconsistent 
  with 
  them. 
  We 
  may 
  take 
  it, 
  then, 
  that 
  the 
  rotation 
  

   of 
  objects 
  is 
  the 
  consequent 
  of 
  a 
  rotary 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  which 
  

   may 
  take 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  either 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  circular 
  path 
  of 
  the 
  wave 
  

   particle, 
  or 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  backward 
  and 
  forward 
  movements, 
  each 
  of 
  

   which 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  a 
  fresh 
  direction 
  different 
  to 
  the 
  previous 
  one. 
  

  

  Other 
  explanations 
  are 
  not, 
  however, 
  excluded 
  by 
  this. 
  Gray's 
  is 
  

   indubitably 
  a 
  possible 
  cause 
  of 
  twisting, 
  while 
  the 
  statement 
  of 
  Michele 
  

   Sarconi, 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  similar 
  pillars 
  at 
  either 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  facade 
  

   of 
  the 
  Certosa 
  di 
  S. 
  Bruno 
  one 
  was 
  turned 
  from 
  right 
  to 
  left 
  and 
  the 
  

   other 
  from 
  left 
  to 
  right 
  1 
  , 
  points 
  to 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  Mallet's 
  first 
  the 
  

   explanation 
  is 
  good 
  in 
  some 
  cases. 
  All 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  claimed 
  is 
  that 
  

   the 
  existence 
  of 
  a 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  which 
  may 
  k 
  be 
  called 
  

   verticose 
  does 
  exist, 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  rotation 
  of 
  objects 
  

   by 
  earthquakes; 
  probably 
  it 
  is 
  usually 
  the 
  correct 
  explanation, 
  

   though 
  in 
  individual 
  cases 
  the 
  twisting 
  may 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  other 
  causes 
  

   and 
  not 
  inconsistent 
  with 
  a 
  rectilinear 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  wave 
  

   particle. 
  

  

  : 
  Istoria 
  de 
  Fenomeni 
  del 
  Tremoto 
  avvenuto 
  nelle 
  Calabria, 
  &c., 
  Naples 
  1784, 
  page 
  62, 
  

   ( 
  226 
  ) 
  

  

  