The Darjeeling Disaster

Abstract

UNUSUALLY large seismograms were obtained in the Isle of Wight on September 3, 10, 17, 20 and 23. The first three refer to disturbances originating in Alaska. The fourth refers to disasters in As ia Minor, and the last to an earthquake having an origin as distant as Japan. Since the 23rd in the Isle of Wight, and I believe also at Kew, not the slightest movement has been recorded. The inference is that the great earthquakes reported as having taken place at Darjeeling on the night of September 25–26 are at the most small and local, and are not likely to have been recorded outside the Indian Peninsula. It is extremely likely that the tremors noticed in Darjeeling were due to landslides, and seismic phenomena were entirely absent.