Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857 Vol 2.djvu/157

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ST. NICOLE—PRINCE TORELLA'S PALACE.

L shaped in plan, whose front walls run 70° W. of north, shows large fissures, in both the east and west and north and south walls. Two pairs are measurable, and both give a wave-path 33° E. of north from the S.W. The emergence seems very small, (but rather ambiguous from structure,) about 8° from the S.W.

The church of St. Nicole, has its axial line exactly north and south. The south end gable wall, has been split off by a large east and west fissure, upon 1¾ inch open at top, down to the springing of the semi-cylindrical vault of the roof. There is also a long narrow fissure, open about half an inch and extending north and south along the soffit, as far as the chancel. These two, which are the only main contemporaneous fissures, are unfortunately, by structure, not strictly comparable. They afford to "tact," however, an estimate of direction, which cannot be far from 25° to 35° E. of north, and from the S.W.

A large painting which stood upon the top edge of the cornice, beneath the vault-springing, at the west side of the nave, and leaned forward, or towards the east, being kept in position by a cord and nail behind the top of the frame, has been thrown back, and now leans against the vault behind it, having thus been thrown at top westward.

The Palazzo of Prince Torella (Photog. No. 330, Coll. Roy. Soc), is nearly cardinal, and stands on the edge of a deep ravine of tufa to the north of it. It was ruined in the earthquake of 1851, and the fissures then made, which are still visible, show a wave-path for that shock from south to north. There are large fissures from the recent shock, both in north and south, and in east and west walls; and the