বাংলায় পড়ুন
India’s oldest earthquake measuring instrument, the seismograph lie “buried” inside one storey building, currently functioning as a canteen at one of the country’s oldest engineering colleges- the Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology, Shibpur. The seismograph, an original Benioff seismograph-meter, was constructed by Victor Hugo Benioff, the father of earthquake design instruments. The instrument was among the first few built by Benioff and was installed in the 1930s at the ‘office of the institute’s engineer’and sent to the then Bengal Engineering College.
In order to keep the defunct machine hidden from the public eye, a special floor was added over the storage area. Access to the 13-part machine is possible through a small door on the floor of the canteen, and the seismometer was found attached to a specially designed Nalder Brother’s clock, which is also defunct.
Biman Bandyopadhyay, registrar of IIEST, mentioned that it’s quite plausible that the old campus would house “such treasures”. Even if the Benioff machine can’t be repaired, it would be restored and showcased, like the Nalder Clock. The machine, a part of the geophysical laboratory, was a part of the mathematics department of the institute. Initiative is being taken so that more people get to know about this historical equipment.
