Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-13

suspended only by the rails. Every bridge
except one, in alluvial soil was thus dam
aged, the one proving the exception show
Ing not a crack in all the commissions that
terrified the stricken region for days.
Earthquake as Seen in a Runaway.
Sir Henry Cotton was at the head of the
Assam government at the time of the earth
quake. On the afternoon of the disaster he
was preparing to start for a pleasure drive
with his wife when without warning and
with no premonitory rumble. which is the
ordinary precursor of earthquake, L
heard q Gathering on the roof 1 felt
swaying of the earth. and the pony / was
driving dashed off at full gallop. Amid
roar of indescribable elements We tore away
and missed by hairs breadth the wooden
railing along the winding drive. We saw
the ground yawn open into cracks beneath
our feet, the pine trees overhead shook and
trembled as though under the influence of a
vast storm and the pine cones showered an
avalanche on our heads. The Goorkha
guard were ready for the salute, and we
saw the guard house crumble like pack of
cards as we approached it,
Eventually Sir Henry and Lady Cotton
were rescued from their extra precarious
position, and during the weeks that fol-
lowed, when he directed the work of re-
storing order and distributing relief in the
PROSTATE region, he became acquainted
with many phenomena.
While not a stone of the government
house was left standing on another, the
flagstaff was not touched, and the British
flag continued to wave over the scene of
desolation. A lawn tennis court crumbled
under the feet of the players. Many rivers
were silted up. others had their beds raised
almost to level with the surrounding
country; Sir Henry walked dryshod across
a spot where good fishing pool. forty feet
deep, had been the afternoon of the first
shock.
Two cases were recorded of persons be-
ing swallowed up by the earth opening I'M
der Them las in the earthquakes which
swallowed up korah, Dathan and Abiram."
AS result of the river beds being raised
there were extensive floods everywhere, and
when Sir Henry went to visit the town OF
Barpeta he found the police guard of honor
drawn up to receive him on the roof of a
boat serving as treasury, jail and guard
room, while the magistrates court and res
idence were up TO their caves in water.
Though mat and matched huts had been
destroyed by the tens of thousands in ia
pan six years before, very few mat huts
were affected in Assam, masonry houses
mostly being destroyed.
Sir Henry remained in Assam until April
of 1902: in the interim following the first
and most disastrous shock the country ex-
perienced between 5000 and 1900 shocks
But we never minded them much" says
Sir Henry. and they became an accus-
toned element In the routine of life."
A Villages Sudden Journey.
III ope'H' WHICH, aSeoiuihs ~ Duchie,
more earthquakes occur than in all other
parts of Europe put together Italy except
ed. shocks also occur in series extending
I over months, but 1t is doubtful whether
Spain has a record that can equal that of
Assam for the years 1S97-1902.
One of the most curious manifestations
OF the great Spanish earthquake of twenty
years ago was noted in the province of
Granada where a certain village was
moved bodily sixty feet in a northerly d.
rection. a deep semi-circlular crevasse APP
pearing on its former site. At the same
| time the little river nearby was blocked up
and transformed into a lake; but despite
| these sudden changes in nature the village
| itself was damaged very slightly, and only
| few lives were lost during It's unlocked
| for journey toward the north pole. Around
| about numerous villages were laid in ruins
| and lives crushed out by the score. The