The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-09-29
M SWEPT FROM SIGHT.
Singular Phenomena During the
Earthquake Of July ii, 1897,
Il India.

The Indian government has only
just published the report of the geo.
logical survey on the great earth
quake of July -. 1897, which devas-
tated the entire western portion of
Assam. The report makes n volume
of more than 400 large pages. with
many plates. 1t contains several il
Illustrations of disasters similar to
hat in the Neo valley. Japan, in the
earthquake of 1891. when the earth
opened and swallowed whole houses
and then closed again, leaving no
trace except that the roofs projecting
beyond the walls of the building were
toe wide to fall into the rift and
were left on the surface.
The same explanation of this phe-
nomenon. says the New York Sun.
is made in India as in Japan. The
houses had been built along a straight
line and Under them the earth had
the chasm. Then the opening had
closed and all persons who were in
the houses at the time were buried
in the houses. nc one knows how
deep. No attempt was made to re-
cover their bodies. for there were
many hundreds of wounded who re-
quired attention and the living had
to be thought OF before the dead.
Only the roofs were to be seen, and
on looking under them instead of the
confused heap of rubbish found under
the other wrecked buildings there
was merely the surface of the ground
on the same level inside as outside.
This great Indian earthquake has
been the occasion of other expensive
publications. chiefly by the japanese
government. Japan is keenly alive
to the necessity of adopting methods
of building houses and engineering
constructions that will best with
stand the effects of earthquake
shocks. All Investigations on this
subject are in the hands of the earth
quake investigating committee of ia
pan.
AS soon as the serious nature of the
catastrophe that had overtaken
northeast India was understood a
part of the japanese committee was
at once dispatched to the scene and
the reports they wrote form two
volumes of the committees publica-
tons. Their researches have proved
to be particularly instructive and i'm
por:ant for earthquake countries.
The volumes. for example. contain
many pictures and plans. as well as
much letterpress. contrasting differ
ent forms of concrete flooring. roof
and other timber work. varieties of
joints, types of ~archway and the like,
which failed. with corresponding on
structions which successfully resist
ed the destructive forces. The text
is in Chinese characters, but many
of the pictures show at a glance that
while certain forms of structures
withstood or were only slightly af-
fected by the shocks others entirely
failed.
One interesting fact observed was
that buildings resting upon the earth
or upon stones flush with the earth,
escaped with little damage. while
others near them that were raised
on foundations above the surface
were destroyed or badly damaged.
The general conclusion reached by
the Japanese Investigators was that
building with a light roof and con-
structed entirely of timber. in which
the joints are replaced by iron straps
and east iron shoes. may be made
capable of wi~thstanding a violent