96 OOGGIN BROWH : THE BURMA EARTHQUAKES OF MAY L918. 



Accounts of the damage in other places can be found in the 

 first part of this report. 



(2) CllAKACTKR OK THE $HOCK. 



The preliminary tremors which precede a great earthquake seem 

 to have been absent or of unusually short duration. The shock 

 itself is described as very severe by most observers, and the dura- 

 tion is given gencrallv as 1-1?, minutes. Some witnesses state 

 that the Bhoek was divided into three distinct periods, but others 

 do not mention this peculiarity. 



The following are among the more characteristic descriptions of 



the shock : — 



(1) Appeared to be a shaking underfoot rather than a distinct 



wave motion. 



(2) Like the sensation experienced in a big building in which a 



high speed engine is running. 



(3) Like°a child's cradle being roughly pushed backwards and 



forwards. 



(4) Like a ship at sea. 



(5) The earth seemed to be in ripples as if disturbed by waves 



of great frequency. 



(6) It required a considerable muscular efTort to stand : women 



were thrown to the ground. 



(7) Saw the earth moving towards him in waves about 1 foot 



high and 2 feet distant from each other. 



(8) Unstable articles like lamp-glasses and wine glasses over- 



turned ; hanging lamps thrown out of their supports ; 

 brick chimneys clashed through ceilings. Windows rat- 

 tled backwards and forwards. 



(9) Clocks jerked forwards ; bottles and ornaments thrown down ; 



books shot out of book cases. 



(10) Ground rose and fell like the waves of the sea ; pagodas 



crumbled as though sliced with a knife ; trees swayed 

 and ground cracked. 

 Sounds were very generally heard throughout the area both 

 before and during the shock, and are compared to low rumblings 

 and to distant thunder. 



Although there is much contradiction, general opinion places the 



direction of the shock in Mandalay and Taunggyi 



Conclusion. &g approximate i y nort h and south. In Maymyo 



there is evidence of motion at right angles to this. 



