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  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Koijuri 
  road, 
  just 
  beyond 
  the 
  ferry 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  

   from 
  Koijuri, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  wide 
  fissures 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  river 
  for 
  about 
  

   200 
  yards. 
  This 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  worst 
  series 
  of 
  fissures. 
  The 
  Belkuchi 
  road 
  is 
  

   fissured 
  about 
  two 
  miles 
  from 
  Sirajganj 
  ; 
  holes 
  in 
  parts 
  2 
  feet 
  wide, 
  further 
  

   south 
  no 
  injury. 
  

  

  Along 
  the 
  bank 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  near 
  Nalka 
  and 
  Poraghatle 
  (the 
  south 
  bank 
  of 
  

   the 
  river) 
  the 
  earth 
  was 
  fissured 
  for 
  about 
  two 
  miles 
  very 
  badly, 
  in 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  

   parallel 
  fissures 
  extending 
  to 
  from 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  yards 
  to 
  40 
  to 
  50 
  from 
  the 
  bank 
  

   of 
  the 
  river, 
  the 
  fissures 
  varying 
  from 
  1 
  to 
  2 
  feet 
  width. 
  

  

  At 
  Chanbaria, 
  there 
  were 
  also 
  fissures 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  at 
  Alukdia, 
  parallel 
  

   to 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  2. 
  Outpouring 
  of 
  sand. 
  — 
  This 
  has 
  been 
  greatest 
  at 
  Sirajganj. 
  Sand 
  was 
  

   emitted 
  in 
  great 
  quantities 
  in 
  the 
  Kutcherry 
  maidan, 
  by 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Pabna 
  road 
  

   beyond 
  Messrs. 
  David 
  and 
  Co's 
  house, 
  in 
  Messrs. 
  Hannah 
  and 
  Co's. 
  compound 
  ; 
  

   also 
  at 
  Sealkole 
  and 
  Bhadraghat. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  noticed 
  it 
  in 
  other 
  places, 
  but 
  have 
  

   been 
  informed 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  great 
  emissions 
  of 
  sand 
  forming 
  temporary 
  

   wells 
  near 
  Kamarkhonda. 
  

  

  3. 
  Filling 
  up 
  of 
  channels,— 
  

  

  (a) 
  The 
  Katakhal, 
  just 
  by 
  the 
  Barakuti, 
  was 
  considerably 
  disturbed 
  by 
  the 
  

   earthquake, 
  and 
  sand 
  poured 
  into 
  it 
  from 
  beneath. 
  

  

  (b) 
  The 
  Dhanbandi, 
  the 
  river 
  which 
  flows 
  through 
  the 
  town, 
  was 
  being 
  excavat- 
  

   ed 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  by 
  the 
  Steamer 
  Company. 
  , 
  Opposite 
  Messrs. 
  Hannah 
  and 
  Co.'s 
  

   Ghat 
  two 
  chars 
  of 
  emitted 
  sand 
  formed 
  in 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  (c) 
  The 
  Telkupi 
  khal, 
  which 
  runs 
  due 
  west 
  from 
  Sirajganj, 
  was 
  half 
  filled 
  with 
  

   sand 
  for 
  about 
  four 
  miles. 
  In 
  an 
  ordinary 
  year 
  it 
  would 
  not 
  have 
  been 
  navigable 
  

   after 
  such 
  a 
  filling 
  up, 
  but 
  this 
  year 
  we 
  have 
  luckily 
  had 
  a 
  record 
  flood. 
  

  

  Letter 
  No. 
  349 
  J. 
  — 
  G., 
  dated 
  Calcutta, 
  the 
  igth 
  October 
  1897, 
  from 
  G. 
  Steven* 
  

   son, 
  Esq., 
  Offg. 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  the 
  Burdvoan 
  Division, 
  to 
  the 
  Chief 
  

   Secretary 
  to 
  the 
  Government 
  of 
  Bengal. 
  

  

  4. 
  In 
  the 
  Raniganj 
  and 
  Sudder 
  Sub-d 
  ; 
  visions 
  of 
  the 
  District, 
  no 
  phenomena 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  kind, 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  the 
  extract 
  from 
  the 
  Director 
  of 
  the 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  

  

  of 
  India's 
  letter 
  No. 
  693, 
  dated 
  26th 
  July 
  1897, 
  are 
  reported 
  to 
  have 
  occurred. 
  

   * 
  * 
  v 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  # 
  

  

  6. 
  In 
  the 
  Katwa 
  Subdivision 
  some 
  fissures 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  caused 
  in 
  

  

  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  Bhagirathi 
  and 
  the 
  Ajai 
  rivers 
  by 
  the 
  earthquake. 
  The 
  greatest 
  

  

  width 
  of 
  a 
  fissure 
  was 
  2 
  feet, 
  or 
  a 
  little 
  above, 
  and 
  sand, 
  water 
  and 
  dark 
  coloured 
  

  

  mud 
  were 
  observed 
  to 
  issue 
  from 
  these 
  openings 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  1 
  to 
  1^ 
  cubits 
  

  

  above 
  water-level. 
  

  

  ******* 
  

   7(a). 
  In 
  the 
  Kalna 
  Stibdivision 
  a 
  small 
  fissure 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  formed 
  in 
  

   the 
  earth 
  near 
  a 
  hill, 
  in 
  village 
  Kobla, 
  in 
  thana 
  Purbast.hali, 
  through 
  which 
  a 
  small 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  issued. 
  The 
  spot 
  being 
  now 
  under 
  water, 
  the 
  fissure 
  

   cannot 
  be 
  measured, 
  but 
  its 
  extent 
  was 
  not 
  great. 
  No 
  other 
  fissure 
  or 
  outpour- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  was 
  observed 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  subdivision. 
  

  

  ******* 
  

  

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  321 
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