Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857.djvu/378

300 top, and falling not due north, but some points to the east of north, upon the brow of the bank below, have rolled down into the dry bed of the river, and are seen lying about under $$c$$. The cornice blocks tailed in upon the wall, but a short distance, and were not far from being balanced over the front arris of the entablature, on which they were bedded. The force that overthrew them, therefore, was one emergent from the north towards the south, a few points to the east of north; and from the position of the centre of gravity of the course of stones, it could not have been of steeper emergence than 70° to overthrow them, a line from that centre, at that angle, cutting the entablature arris. The roof had fallen almost completely in, and its debris of tiles and short timber, lay chiefly towards the north end of the interior.

Referring to Photog. No. 174 of the west side, where the wall was much more uniform, as to aperture, &c., the great line of fissure will be observed, inclining at top towards the north, and crossing through the arch lintel of the doorway about the centre. The angles of these fissures were 30° to 34° with the quoin, giving an emergence of 60° to 56° from the northward. The cornice was all perfect on the south end, as also on the east and west sides, except where fractured over the window at the east side, thus corroborating all the other proofs of steep emergence from the northward.

A number of the entablature stones, laid with wretchedly shallow beds, (only veneered upon the face of the rubble hearting,) on the centre part of this west side, are seen fallen out. They were lying very near the base of the wall, on the roadway that is seen here, passing over the