KANGRA-KULU EPICENTRAL AREA. 17 



were just getting ready to go out. They must have rushed towards the doors and 

 been thrown back by the shock, and then been buried as the wails and roofs fell 

 in. There is soarcely any case of men being found killed on their beds. 



As many of the 7th Gurkhas were in the 1897 earthquake in Assam, 

 they had had experience of what a great earthquake shock was like. 



According to Subadar Khial Sing Gurung (who gave me the 

 following evidence in the presence of Major Hatch, 2nd Battalion, 1st 

 Gurkha Rifles) and who was an eye-witness of the earthquake, standing 

 at the time on the magazine spur, — 



there was a certain order observed in the effects of the shock on the surrounding 

 buildings and bazars. He said the old British Barracks and thd 1st Gurkha 

 mess fell first and practically together. These were followed by McLeodganj bazar 

 and then by the Kotwali bazar (both on the Civil hill opposite). Next fell the 

 bazar at the S. W. end of the Cantonment spur, and lastly in the far distance 

 he saw Kangra in a dust cloud. 



That the shock w T hich upset houses and bazars could be followed by 

 the eye has independent testimony, and seems quite credible, but it should 

 not be forgotten that the above order very nearly coincides with his 

 range of vision as it would sweep round from left to right. Furthermore 

 in the case of distant positions., the dust cloud, started by falling mud- 

 built dwellings, would take some few seconds to ascend and materialise 

 in suflicieDt volume to be visible from the position he was occupying. 

 The following notes are based on my own observations : — 

 The barracks occupied by the 2nd Battalion, 1st Gurkhas, were situ- 



Gurkha lines 2nd ate( * 0n *^ e ^* ^' s ^°P eS an( * s ^ e s P lirs of the main 



Battalion, 1st Gur- cantonment spur, and not far from the crest of the 

 1 es ' latter. They consisted of long, single-storied build- 



ings, the principal walls being built of sun-dried bricks, and the two 

 end walls of cut stone. They were roofed with thick, slates. They 

 were arranged on slightly excavated sites as shown in the diagram (fig. 4.) 



o. 4 — End wall and slope. 



