﻿336 
  OLDHAM: 
  GREAT 
  EARTHQUAKE 
  OF 
  1897. 
  

  

  old 
  logs, 
  and 
  other 
  vegetable 
  substance 
  came 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  springs 
  with 
  the 
  sand 
  and 
  

   water. 
  The 
  springs 
  were 
  more 
  numerous 
  in 
  low 
  lying 
  places 
  than 
  in 
  high 
  tracts 
  

   towards 
  the 
  north 
  near 
  the 
  Bhutan 
  hills. 
  

  

  3. 
  Simultaneously, 
  wi 
  h 
  the 
  springs, 
  the 
  river 
  beds 
  were 
  raised 
  high 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  

   them 
  nearly 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  level 
  with 
  the 
  banks, 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  that 
  the 
  volumes 
  of 
  

   water 
  imbedded 
  hitherto 
  in 
  the 
  rivers, 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  subterranean 
  water 
  thrown 
  out 
  

   of 
  the 
  springs, 
  overflowed 
  all 
  the 
  places; 
  high 
  and 
  low, 
  the 
  flood 
  rising 
  to 
  the 
  

   highest 
  recorded 
  flood 
  level 
  the 
  day 
  after 
  the 
  earthquake. 
  

  

  4. 
  That 
  from 
  the 
  undulations 
  observed, 
  specially 
  in 
  the 
  roads, 
  it 
  is 
  pretty 
  

   certain 
  that 
  the 
  wave 
  of 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake 
  moved 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  

   south-west 
  to 
  north-east. 
  

  

  5. 
  From 
  the 
  subsequent 
  high 
  floods 
  that 
  have 
  inundated 
  the 
  subdivision, 
  there 
  

   could 
  not 
  be 
  much 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  river 
  channels 
  have 
  been 
  raised, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  

   lands 
  near 
  the 
  river 
  banks 
  have 
  generally 
  subsided 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  varying 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  

   7 
  feet 
  or 
  more, 
  while 
  the 
  tracts 
  of 
  the 
  subdivision 
  towards 
  the 
  north 
  nearer 
  the 
  

   Bhutan 
  hills 
  remain 
  higher 
  as 
  before. 
  

  

  I 
  beg 
  to 
  enclose 
  herewith, 
  in 
  original, 
  a 
  detailed 
  report 
  submitted 
  by 
  my 
  Sub- 
  

   Deputy 
  Collector, 
  Babu 
  Abhya 
  Sanker 
  Guha, 
  who 
  was 
  specially 
  deputed 
  to 
  make 
  

   local 
  enquiries 
  and 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  points 
  in 
  question, 
  for 
  your 
  perusal. 
  

  

  Memorandum, 
  dated 
  Barpeta, 
  the 
  igth 
  September 
  i8gy, 
  by 
  Babu 
  Abhya 
  Sanker 
  

   Guha, 
  Sub-Deputy 
  Collector, 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  report 
  is 
  submitted 
  to 
  the 
  Subdivisional 
  Officer, 
  Barpeta, 
  with 
  

   reference 
  to 
  memorandum 
  No. 
  1613, 
  dated 
  the 
  17th 
  August 
  1897, 
  from 
  the 
  

   Deputy 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Kamrup. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  earthquake 
  of 
  12th 
  June 
  occurred 
  I 
  was 
  out 
  on 
  tour 
  in 
  the 
  Paka 
  

   Mauza. 
  The 
  very 
  night 
  of 
  the 
  disturbance 
  I 
  went 
  by 
  boat 
  from 
  Kahikuchi 
  to 
  

   Lachima. 
  Since 
  then 
  I 
  have 
  travelled 
  by 
  land 
  and 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  rural 
  tracts 
  all 
  

   over 
  this 
  subdivision 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  enquiring 
  into 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  

   and 
  crops 
  and 
  damage 
  done 
  by 
  earthquake. 
  I 
  have 
  thus 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  observe 
  

   personally 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  shock 
  over 
  wide 
  areas 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  fissures 
  in 
  

   the 
  earth, 
  outpouring 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  water, 
  and 
  filling 
  up 
  of 
  river 
  channels, 
  etc. 
  

   1 
  have 
  also 
  made 
  enquiries 
  on 
  the 
  subject, 
  from 
  which 
  I 
  learn 
  that 
  the 
  phenomena 
  

   above 
  mentioned 
  have 
  been 
  widespread 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  Barpeta 
  subdivision 
  is 
  

   concerned. 
  

  

  2. 
  The 
  fissures 
  have 
  been 
  of 
  different 
  kinds 
  in 
  different 
  localities. 
  In 
  some 
  

   places 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  many 
  and 
  extensive, 
  tearing 
  up 
  the 
  ground 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  rough 
  

   manner; 
  in 
  others 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  few, 
  and 
  their 
  size 
  small. 
  In 
  several 
  places 
  

   rice-fields 
  and 
  public 
  roads 
  have 
  been 
  badly 
  injured 
  by 
  them, 
  some 
  roads 
  have 
  been 
  

   rent 
  lengthwise, 
  while 
  on 
  some 
  deep 
  gaps 
  have 
  occurred 
  crosswise, 
  letting 
  in 
  strong 
  

   currents 
  of 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  submerged 
  fields. 
  In 
  several 
  places 
  again 
  the 
  earth 
  

   has 
  subsided 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  alongside 
  the 
  rents, 
  and 
  this 
  has 
  been 
  specially 
  marked 
  

   on 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  rivers 
  and 
  streams, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  Kaldia 
  and 
  Singra, 
  the 
  Chaul- 
  

   khoa 
  and 
  ihe 
  Manas. 
  

  

  ( 
  336 
  ) 
  

  

  