﻿APPENDIX 
  B. 
  3 
  r 
  9 
  

  

  Appendix 
  B. 
  

  

  Details 
  of 
  fissures, 
  sand-vents 
  and 
  allied 
  phenomena. 
  

   Contains 
  extracts 
  from 
  official 
  reports 
  and 
  replies 
  to 
  letters 
  of 
  

   enquiry. 
  The 
  extracts 
  given 
  in 
  Chapter 
  II, 
  pp. 
  14, 
  15 
  — 
  2 
  3> 
  2 
  5~ 
  2 
  7> 
  

   should 
  be 
  read 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  these. 
  

  

  Letter 
  No. 
  gg8G., 
  dated 
  Rangpur, 
  the 
  13th 
  September 
  1897, 
  from 
  J. 
  D. 
  Car 
  gill, 
  

   Esqr., 
  Offg. 
  Collector 
  of 
  Rangpur 
  y 
  to 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  the 
  Rajshahi 
  

   Division. 
  

  

  In 
  reply 
  to 
  your 
  circular 
  memorandum 
  No. 
  706 
  Mel., 
  dated 
  the 
  23rd 
  ultimo, 
  

   calling 
  for 
  a 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  earthquake 
  of 
  1 
  nh 
  June 
  last, 
  giving 
  information 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  extent 
  to 
  which 
  fissures 
  in 
  the 
  earth, 
  outpourings 
  of 
  sands, 
  etc., 
  have 
  been 
  

   observed, 
  I 
  have 
  the 
  honour 
  to 
  report 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  2. 
  The 
  soil 
  of 
  the 
  District 
  of 
  Rangpur 
  is 
  physically 
  divided 
  into 
  two 
  

   distinct 
  divisions, 
  locally 
  called 
  khiar 
  and 
  pali. 
  Khiar 
  is 
  hard 
  red 
  clay, 
  and 
  com- 
  

   prises 
  about 
  10 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  district. 
  Pali\s 
  alluvial 
  deposit, 
  con- 
  

   sisting 
  mostly 
  of 
  fine 
  sand 
  and 
  containing 
  vegetable 
  mould. 
  In 
  the 
  khiar 
  section, 
  

   which 
  extends 
  over 
  the 
  south-western 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  and 
  comprises 
  parts 
  of 
  

   the 
  jurisdictions 
  of 
  thanas 
  Govindganj, 
  Pirganj, 
  Mithapukhar 
  and 
  Badarganj, 
  

   there 
  have 
  been 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  fissures 
  or 
  outpourings 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water, 
  and 
  no 
  

   contraction 
  or 
  filling 
  up 
  of 
  river 
  channels, 
  tanks 
  and 
  wells. 
  It 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  pali 
  tract, 
  

   which 
  comprises 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  about 
  3,000 
  square 
  miles, 
  that 
  openings 
  in 
  the 
  earth, 
  

   outpourings 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  obstruction 
  and 
  filling 
  up 
  of 
  river 
  channels, 
  

   and 
  filling 
  up 
  and 
  breaking 
  of 
  pucka 
  wells 
  have 
  taken 
  place. 
  The 
  openings 
  

   are 
  of 
  two 
  kinds, 
  viz. 
  (1) 
  longitudinal 
  fissures 
  or 
  cracks 
  in 
  the 
  ground, 
  extending 
  

   in 
  many 
  cases 
  several 
  hundreds 
  of 
  yards 
  in 
  length 
  each, 
  and 
  gaping 
  from 
  

   a 
  few 
  inches 
  to 
  4 
  or 
  5 
  feet 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  width, 
  and 
  (2) 
  circular 
  holes, 
  generally 
  4 
  to 
  5 
  

   feet 
  in 
  diameter, 
  that 
  burst 
  open, 
  throwing 
  the 
  surface 
  earth 
  several 
  yards 
  

   away. 
  Both 
  kinds 
  vomited 
  sand 
  and 
  water. 
  Openings 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  descrip- 
  

   tion 
  are 
  more 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  Kurigram 
  and 
  Gaibanda 
  subdivisions 
  than 
  else- 
  

   where. 
  The 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  longitudinal 
  fissures 
  was 
  usually 
  south 
  and 
  west 
  

   along 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  tanks 
  or 
  rivers. 
  In 
  Saidpur 
  and 
  some 
  neighbouring 
  villages, 
  

   forming 
  the 
  south-west 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  Nilphamari 
  subdivision, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  

   scattered 
  villages, 
  such 
  as 
  Domer 
  Bazar, 
  Pochapukhar, 
  etc., 
  there 
  were 
  no 
  fissures 
  

   or 
  outpourings 
  of 
  sand 
  or 
  water. 
  In 
  some 
  places 
  in 
  Nilphamari 
  subdivision 
  it 
  

   has 
  happened 
  that 
  while 
  one 
  village 
  was 
  visited 
  with 
  these 
  fissures 
  and 
  natural 
  

   fountains 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water, 
  an 
  adjoining 
  village 
  escaped 
  them. 
  In 
  Kurigram 
  

   subdivision 
  there 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  not 
  an 
  acre 
  of 
  land 
  without 
  its 
  fissures 
  and 
  out- 
  

   pourings 
  of 
  sand, 
  more 
  or 
  less, 
  of 
  the 
  description 
  stated 
  above. 
  

  

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  319 
  ) 
  

  

  