Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-08-18
An Immense land Slides

! The town of Stockport, Columbia Co.,
| n. Y, was the scene of considerable excite
ment last week. on account Of a gigantic
| land slide, and thousands have visited the
spot. The place where the phenomenon
| occurred is located on the old post road,
near the confluence Of the Undertook and
Clovernook, about five miles north of Hud-
son. It comprises nearly five acres, and
was on an elevation above dry rayine. A
hill intervenes between the rayine and the
creek on the east and north of q little less
than the altitude of that which caved in.
The crash took place about half past six
o'lock P. NJ. last Monday. The movement
was gradual, and the surface of the earth
undulated like waves of the ocean. No
noise was heard until the moving mass
struck the base of the intervening hill,
when there was dull rumbling sound re-
sembling distant thunder, and % quivering
sensation like slight shock of an earth
quake. The earth caved in to o distance
of over eighty feet, and the surface as in
dicated by fences and trees moved dis
tance of over six hundred feet. So gradual
was the movement that it occupied about
half an hour, and the sight is described rs
sublime in the extreme. Among the most
mar1edincidents of the phenomenon is the
fact that an oak tree which stood by the
roadside was moved with D section of the
fence, to the bottom of the ravine, a dis
tance of six hundred feet and the tree and
fence now stand as firm and uprightas ever
The weaker trees, such as pine and hem
lock, were snapped off as though they were
pipestems; and some trees of this nature
two feet or more in diameter are twisted
like o wisp of straw. The land is clay
founded on quick-sand, with soil surface
of not more than two feet in thickness. Tt
is understood that that the quick sand has
been gradually washing away from beneath,
and passed off into the streams. The
copious showers of last spring left the sur
face q mere shell, and the dry weather
which followed caused the shell to crack
and finally fall into the vacuum below. A
crevasse several inches in width fifty feet
in length, and deep beyond sounding, has
appeared on the land adjoining the sunlzen
portion on the south, and fears are enter
tanned that this tract will soon fall.
The ECLIPSE IN MARKET This morning
a party of sharp urchins congfegated at
the junction of Pearl street with Lower
market, and producing smoked and stained
pieces Of glass, forthwith proceeded to get
up an excitement by taking celestial OBJ
servations. From half dozen the crowd
increased to fifty, thence to hundred, and
finally marketing business about that To-
cality ceased entirely, and all gave them
selves up to curiosity. ''There it is, said
one chap. ''My heyes !" exclaimed another.
''Aint it a beauty p responded third.
While the excitement was high the
shrewdest urchins quietly Withdrew from
the assembly, and made themselves very
familiar with sundry fruit stands; and,
after filling their pockets, very properly de-
camped. One young scamp just after
stufing dozen peaches under the bosom
of his shirt, significantly sung out to an
accomplice-'I Il say, Bill how's the 'clipse
for high?" The swindle was not discovered
in time to cage any Of the young rascals,-
Cincinnati Times, 7th.