﻿33* 
  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  up 
  continued 
  even 
  24 
  hours 
  after 
  the 
  earthquake 
  was 
  over. 
  In 
  consequence 
  

   there 
  was 
  something 
  like 
  inundation 
  at 
  several 
  places. 
  The 
  fields 
  were 
  flooded 
  

   over 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  reached 
  the 
  houses 
  of 
  several 
  people. 
  The 
  people 
  were 
  

   afraid 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  subsidence 
  of 
  the 
  place. 
  I 
  have 
  heard 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  Gauri- 
  

   pur, 
  Kalipur, 
  Bhowanipur 
  within 
  this 
  Munsifi, 
  actually 
  preparing 
  floats 
  to 
  save 
  

   themselves 
  from 
  drowning. 
  Besides 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  were 
  flying 
  away 
  in 
  wild 
  

   confusion 
  in 
  all 
  direction 
  soon 
  after 
  the 
  shock 
  for 
  the 
  very 
  fear 
  of 
  life. 
  This 
  

   country 
  is 
  high 
  ; 
  the 
  Brahmaputra 
  was 
  long 
  ago 
  silted 
  up 
  ; 
  the 
  people 
  here 
  had 
  

   thus 
  no 
  experience 
  of 
  inundation 
  ; 
  and 
  hence 
  that 
  awful 
  panic. 
  

  

  Another 
  effect 
  was 
  that 
  arable 
  lands 
  were 
  entirely 
  covered 
  over 
  by 
  the 
  layer 
  

   of 
  sand 
  forced 
  up 
  through 
  these 
  springs. 
  So 
  much 
  sand 
  and 
  mud 
  were 
  thrown 
  

   up 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  estimated 
  that 
  about 
  2 
  annas 
  1 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  within 
  this 
  Munsifi, 
  Isvar- 
  

   ganj 
  has 
  been 
  entirely 
  covered 
  over 
  with 
  sand 
  at 
  places 
  3 
  to 
  4 
  feet 
  deep, 
  by 
  

   which 
  these 
  lands 
  have 
  become 
  utterly 
  useless 
  for 
  cultivation. 
  

  

  With 
  reference 
  to 
  these 
  sand 
  springs 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  note 
  here 
  that 
  I 
  had 
  

   occasion 
  to 
  notice 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  subsoil 
  here 
  during 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  excava- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  certain 
  wells. 
  I 
  found 
  that 
  near 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  layer 
  

   about 
  9 
  or 
  10 
  feet 
  deep 
  which 
  is 
  generally 
  composed 
  of 
  loose 
  sands. 
  I 
  found 
  

   both 
  red 
  and 
  white 
  sands 
  in 
  their 
  composition. 
  Below 
  this 
  there 
  is 
  another 
  layer 
  

   of 
  thick 
  mud 
  with 
  sprinkling 
  of 
  sand. 
  This 
  layer 
  is 
  from 
  4 
  to 
  6 
  feet 
  deep. 
  

   Below 
  this 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  semiliquid 
  putrid 
  mud. 
  This 
  layer 
  is 
  very 
  thick. 
  

   A 
  bamboo 
  pole 
  was 
  forced 
  into 
  this 
  layer. 
  It 
  went 
  down 
  some 
  15 
  to 
  20 
  feet 
  

   without 
  much 
  resistance. 
  I 
  believed 
  this 
  layer 
  to 
  be 
  over 
  50 
  feet 
  deep. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  

   appear 
  what 
  is 
  below 
  this 
  layer. 
  This 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  through- 
  

   out 
  this 
  district. 
  Throughout 
  this 
  district 
  the 
  fissures 
  were 
  formed 
  only 
  on 
  the 
  

   upper 
  sandy 
  layer, 
  and 
  were 
  in 
  no 
  place 
  more 
  than 
  9 
  or 
  10 
  feet 
  deep. 
  This 
  also 
  

   explains 
  why 
  everywhere 
  here 
  mud 
  and 
  sand 
  were 
  thrown 
  up 
  in 
  abundance. 
  

  

  Leifer 
  No. 
  1074 
  G., 
  dated 
  Chittagong, 
  the 
  13th 
  October 
  i8q?, 
  from 
  F. 
  R.S. 
  Collier, 
  

   Esq., 
  Officiating 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  the 
  Chittagong 
  Division, 
  to 
  the 
  Chief 
  Secre- 
  

   tary 
  to 
  the 
  Government 
  of 
  Btngal. 
  

  

  With 
  reference 
  to 
  Government 
  letter 
  No. 
  4620J., 
  dated 
  14th 
  August 
  1897, 
  

   calling 
  for 
  certain 
  information 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  earthquake 
  of 
  12th 
  June 
  last, 
  

   I 
  have 
  the 
  honour 
  to 
  submit 
  copies 
  of 
  the 
  reports 
  submitted 
  by 
  the 
  Subdivision 
  al 
  

   Officer 
  of 
  Brahmanbaria 
  and 
  the 
  District 
  Engineer 
  of 
  Tipperah, 
  and 
  to 
  state 
  that 
  

   no 
  other 
  fissures 
  are 
  reported 
  from 
  any 
  other 
  place 
  in 
  this 
  division. 
  No 
  land- 
  

   slips 
  have 
  occurred 
  in 
  any 
  district. 
  

  

  Report 
  of 
  the 
  Subdivisional 
  Officer 
  of 
  the 
  Brahmanbaria, 
  

   Thana 
  Brahmanbaria. 
  

  

  1. 
  A 
  slight 
  fissure 
  about 
  200 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  2 
  inches 
  wide, 
  and 
  about 
  2 
  cubits 
  

   or 
  more 
  deep 
  in 
  Syampur 
  char 
  land, 
  opposite 
  to 
  Akhaura, 
  in 
  thana 
  Kasva. 
  

  

  Thana 
  Nasirnagar. 
  

  

  2. 
  A 
  khal 
  about 
  a 
  mile 
  long 
  has 
  opened 
  at 
  Chatalpur. 
  

  

  1 
  i. 
  e., 
  one-eighth. 
  

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  332 
  ) 
  

  

  