MEMOIRS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

Volume XIX, Part 3, 1883

A Catalogue of Indian Earthquakes from the earliest time to the end of AD 1869

by the late THOMAS OLDHAM

March 23rd, 1839 Burma

During my visit to Amarapoora in company with Colonel A. Phayre, and the

mission to the Court of Burma in 1855, I had the opportunity of seeing the
abundant evidences of the fearful destruction caused by the earthquake, which
were even then very marked although sixteen years after its occurrence. In the
wonderfully truthful and interesting narrative of that mission, published by Colonel
Yule, most remarkable illustrations of this destruction will be found. And in the
appendix (page 349) a detailed account is given by myself from the notes of Mr
Spears, who was in Amarapoora at the time of the occurrence. I was,
unfortunately, not then aware of the importance of such careful measurements of
bearings and angles as would now be sought for. And I allowed the splendid
opportunity to pass, which the study of the stupendous mass of brick-work in the
temple of Mengoon would have afforded to determine the direction and probably
the velocity of the shocks. This, “doubtless one of the hugest masses of solid
brick-work in the world”, has been rent and shattered in the most wondrous way,
and yet was just in the condition favourable for such investigations. I still have
hopes of obtaining careful measurements of it. Mr. Spears, in reply to queries,
asking his experience during the shock, and directing his attention specially to
certain points, favoured me with the following brief narrative, which I have given
in full, as illustrative of one of the most destructive earthquakes within Burmese
limits. The same account has been already given in the Appendix to Yule’s
Narrative. Mr. Spears says:

On Saturday morning, 23rd March 1839, at about 4 o’clock AM, Amarapoora was
visited by an earthquake that surprised the oldest inhabitants by its strength.
Burman history mentions nothing of the kind having taken place before. I was in
bed and asleep at the time, but was soon awoke by a tremendous roar, and the
tiles from the roof of the house coming down about my ears; the motion so great
that I had some difficulty in finding the door, but whether vertical or horizontal, I
had not presence of mind sufficient to judge at the time. I did not even know it
was an earthquake until it was finished. The shock may have taken up about 30
seconds in all.

When I did get into the open air, I found the heavens without a cloud, and
although there was not a breath of wind, the trees shook as if it were blowing a
gale. The dust rising all round from the destroyed houses gave the sky a peculiar
appearance, not easily to be forgotten.

From the appearance the ruins presented in the morning, I have little doubt the
motion was from north to south. The river did rise a little, as if its bed had been
obstructed, but did no damage to the boats, even to those that were deeply
laden. I never heard of a wave, but the banks of the river between Amarapoora
and Ava were rent in many places, presenting chasms of from 5 to 20 feet in
wdith, from which large quantities of water and sand of a blakish appearance had
been ejected. The earthquake was not accompanied by any perceptible smell.

Judging from the appearance the city walls of Amarapoora and Ava presented
the next morning after the great shock, I am decidedly of opinion that it must
have been felt stronger in the latter than in former city.

At Tsagaing, I will not say that it was not stronger than at Ava, either on the hill
tops or on the river side. My reason for supporting this is, that the pagodas on
both sides of the river presented the same appearance; that is, they were all
deprived of their ‘heets’, and the same quantity of brick-work from the top.

This earthquake was felt at Bamo and Rangoon; in fact, all over the Burman
territory. In Rangoon, the time observed was very nearly the same here; it did no
damage, but was strong enough to ring pagoda and some house bells, and alarm
the inhabitants.

From all I have been able to learn, I think Ava must have been about the center.

After the great quake, we had strong shocks all day every five or twenty minutes,
but none coming up to the first in violence. They were, almost invariably,
preceded a second or two by a sound resembling a cannon fired at a distance; or
at other times, as if a number of carriages were passing over a rough bridge
under ground. There are two distinct kinds of earthquakes: that preceded by the
cannon-like sound had little or no rolling motion, but more resembled some
thumping up from it were: it made the houses ‘dirrl’ and set the slates and
glasses a dancing. The other came like the wave of the sea, with a motion
generally from east to west; at least that was my impression at the time.

The underground sounds seemed to come always from the eastwards.

For four or five days we had nothing but earthquakes every fifteen to thirty
minutes; and for six months after, scarcely a day passed without one. In fact it is
only the last three years that we have been tolerably free from them.

The impression left on the people was, that it was very unsafe to live in brick
buildings, unless a wooden frame work is put up inside of them, which is always
done now by any Burman wishing to have a pucca house.
There never was a correct list of the number of people killed; but there must have
been from three to four hundred. Ava suffered most from having some brick
Kyoungs, where a great number of Poongyis were destroyed – Amarapoora, 24th
September,1855.

In a MS. Journal of Captain McLeod, in the Foreign Office, Calcutta, there is a

brief and very uncircumstantial notice of the same earthquake.

At about half-past one this morning, we were suddenly roused from our sleep by
two terrible shocks of an earthquake. Though numerous concussions continued
to take place, none were so severe as the two first. In the morning, not a pagoda
was to be seen standing whole. Every brick building in the town had either been
thrown down burying in their ruins numbers of people, or rent and damaged so
as to render their being taken down necessary.

The pagodas crowning the height of Tsagaing shared the fate of those at
Amarapoora. In the neighbourhood of the Residency, extensive and deep
fissures had spread out from which large quantities of water had been
discharged, and the earth in many places hove up with water springing up from
the center. The wells were choked up and dry. MS. Journal of Captain McLeod
for 1839.

Again he notices a shock of earthquake which occurred on March 25th, during his
visit to the King.

He states that ‘the King of Burma informed him that their religious treatises told
him that earthquakes occurred every twenty or thirty years, and were severe on
the sea coast than inland. The Burmese attributed earthquakes to the movement
of some animal in the earth, but that foreigners maintained that they proceeded
from sudden union of certain matters in the bowels of the earth, and as a proof of
this hypothesis, that they buried certain preparations in the earth, which after a
few days would cause the same sensation as an earthquake, and throw open the
earth, &c. That during earthquakes eyesight grew dim, and oppression in the
chest was also felt.’

I do not find any further notices of any earthquake in Burma, although, probably,
the form in which phenomena attending the death of kings are stated by padre
San Germano to be recorded in the Royal Chronicle, may be taken as proof of
their not unfrequent occurrence.

The large lake called Endan-gyi, west of Mogoung, is said to cover the site of a
large Shan town called Tumansye. The Natives affirm that it was destroyed by an
earthquake—Yule’s Narrative, App., p.349.
Ava, Burmah, Amarapoora, &c.—Two very severe shocks at the hour mentioned,
succeeded by a series of minor ones up to 8 o’clock, and almost daily shocks
afterwards for many months. Scarcely a brick building in the town was left
standing. The current of the Irawadi was reversed at a time. In several places
great earth-fissures were produced 10 to 20 feet wide, from which large
quantities of water and grey earth were thrown out, emitting a sulphureous smell.
Ava and Tsagain were destroyed, 200 to 300 persons killed, not a temple left.
Felt also at Moulmein and for more than 1000 miles north and south. The
direction of shocks said to be from north to south.—Asiat. Jour., xxx, 194; xxxii,
118 (1839).

A letter from Revd. E. Kincaid, Baptist Missionary in Burmah, published in

Silliman’s Journal, gives a forcible account of this violent and destructive
earthquake. He says the earth reeled ‘from east to west. Everything built of brick,
houses, monasteries, temples, pagodas, and city walls, all crumbled down’.
Letters up to the 11th of April stated, that ‘the noise has not yet ceased, and that
shocks of considerable force were felt day and night, with seldom so much as an
hour’s intermission. Prome to south of Ava and Bamo to the north are said to
have been entirely overthrown’. Silliman’s Jour., xxxviii, 385.

At Kyouk Phyoo a smart shock of an earthquake, immediately followed by a

magnificent burst of fire from the range of volcanic hills to the southwest of the
station, which continued to rise and fall in huge jets for half an hour,
accompanied by reports resembling discharge of distant artillery.—Asiatic Jour.,
1839, xxix, 289.

THE ASIATIC JOURNAL AND MONTHLY REGISTER; VOLUME XXXII—

NEW SERIES, MAY- AUGUST 1840; LONDON 1840; PAGE 118

We understand that shocks of earthquake continue to be felt to this day in the

neighbourhood of Ava. This is, indeed, a most extraordinary circumstance, and
highly calculated to act on the superstitious minds of the Burmese. It is a pity the
subject cannot be investigated by men of science; for though occasional shocks
are often felt there, yet none have ever been known of such violence and)
constant occurrence as within the last few months. It was on the 23d March last,
that the first and most severe shock was felt, which in one sense shook the
empire to its foundation; for scarce a brick edifice within it was left uninjured.
Since that, almost daily tremblings have, we learn, been felt, of greater or less
violence, though none approaching to that of the first shock, which also has been
the only one that extended as far as these provinces.—Maulmain Chron., Feb.
20.
THE ASIATIC JOURNAL AND MONTHLY REGISTER; VOLUME XXIX—
NEW SERIES, MAY- AUGUST 1839; LONDON 1839; PAGE 288-289; 293

The following is an account of a severe earthquake at Amerapoora, by a

resident:—" On the morning of the 23d of March, at about two A. M., we were
awoke by an awful unearthly found. Our houses rocked in a most terrifying
manner; tables and chairs were overturned glasses and bottles broken, and it
was with the greatest difficulty that we could keep our legs and reel out of doors.
Two severe shocks caused all this, but we had a succession of shocks till eight
o'clock. In the morning we found the plain between us and the river under water;
large fissures in every direction, which had thrown out the water that flooded the
plains, and earth forced up in many places. Not a pagoda was to be seen whole;
all are more or less broken down. All brick houses, three or four excepted, are
thrown down, and many unfortunate persons crushed under their ruins. A large
house that stood as a kind of land-mark is down, and twelve persons buried
under the ruins. Two were dug out unhurt two much injured, and the rest dead.
Amongst the house* tint stood were those of Messrs. Spiers and of Mr. Sarkies,
though much injured. The town of Ava has suffered more than this city. The old
palace is nearly destroyed, as is every brick house, and several large fissures in
the ground are still open. At Tsagain, not a pagoda is standing entire. Mr.
Harabut, an Armenian merchant, when dug out from under the ruins of his house,
was found with his legs and arms broken, and chest crushed in."

Letters from Arracan state, that on the 23d of March, a smart shock of an
earthquake was felt Bt Kyouk Phyoo, which was immediately followed by a
niHgnifirent burst of fire from the range of volcanic hills to the southward of that
station, which continued to rise and fall in huge jets for half an hour. It was
accompanied by reports resembling the discharge of distant artillery.

At the end of March, there was a fearful earthquake in the Burmese empire, the
effects of which appear to have been felt, both at Umerapore and in Arracan. In
the capital it was so severe, that tables were moved from their position. Every
brick-built house was thrown down, and the King's palace is a heap of ruins. It
was a!so severely felt in the chain of mountains which forms the boundary
between our territories in Arracan and the Burmese, and there were several
volcanic eruptions.
Captain Hannay’s Route from Ava to the Frontier of Assam

Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal; Volume 6, Part 1, No 64 April 1837;

Page 273-274

[This account is given to indicate that similar large earthquake (s) might have
occurred prior to the 1839 event, along the Shan- Sagaing Fault and also that the
Engdau-gyi Lake (now spelt as Indawgyi) must be of tectonic origin- author of the
site/ page]

"A line drawn from Mogaung in a direction of N. 55 W. and another from

Meingkhwon N. 25 W. will give the position of the serpentine mine district. The
Chinese frequently proceed to the mines by water for two days' journey up the
Mogaung river, to a yillage called Kammein, at which place a small stream called
Engdau-khyoung, falls into the Mogaung river. From thence a road leads along
the Engdaukhyoung to a lake several miles in circumference called Engdau-gyi,
and to the north of this lake eight or nine miles distant are the serpentine mines.
The tract of country in which the serpentine is found extending 18 or 20 miles."
There is, however, another more direct route from Kam-mien which runs in a
north-westerly direction. The whole tract of country is hilly, and several hot and
salt springs are reported to exist near the Engdau-gyi lake, which is said to
cover what was once the site of a large Shan town called Tumansye. The
natives affirm that it was destroyed by an earthquake, and from the
description given of a hill in the vicinity, the catastrophe may have been
produced by the immediate agency of volcanic action.

On the 21st of March {1836}, Captain HANNAY visited the amber mines, and his
description is the first that has ever been given of the locality from whence the
Burmans obtain this mineral.