PART !. 
Record of Observations. 
CHAPTER T 
THE EPICENTRAL AREA. 
The epiceutral area is that of the BaUsera valley and part of the 
Doloi valley. 
With few exceptions all brick buildings were found to be des- 
troyed wihin this area. Coolie lines on t\e tea estates, built mostly 
of sundried mud, and thatched roofs, were levelled to the ground. 
The usual type of planter's bungalow built of poorly burnt bricks, 
and very thick, exceedingly heavy, thatched roofs, also collapsed 
in almost every case. Tea factories and certain bungalows having 
steel girder frames were left standing, but the brickwork in them 
was either thrown down or left in a shattered and tottering condition 
in almost every case. The tea estates visited by me in the Balisera 
valley were the Phulchara, Kalighat, Laldiaichara, Kajurichara, 
Raj ghat, Puttiachara, and Sisal Baria. At the Phulchara estate 
the Manager's bungalow was levelled to the ground, practically 
every leaf-house was down. The Assistant's bungalow had only 
one shattered room standing, and the factory, which had a steel 
girder frame, was left in a tottering condition. The factory boiler 
shifted, owing to the fracturing of its brickwork foundations, and 
two of the heavy drying machines were loosened from their beds. 
The general direction of fall was towards the south, and is shown 
on the plan given below on which I have marked all the general 
directions of fall over the epicentral area. 
In addition to the earthquake effects described above, water 
and sand spouted up out of vents in the ground in various places. 
Mr. Lauder, the Manager of the Phulchara estate, informed me 
that when the earthquake occurred he was outside and just in front 
of his bungalow. He began to run to the bungalow and was met at 
( 7 ) 
