The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-05
ON THE SLIDE.

soho Going Bown Hin SLOWLY - Fourteen
Houses Observation-Disclosures and HIber-
nianisms.
The Pittsburg Commercial of yesterday has
the following
Mention was made some weeks ago of the
land slide at Soho, which had been for some
time coming down upon the track of the Con-
nells vile Railroad and threatening serious
damage to property in the immediate vicinity.
Since that time the territory of the slide has
been gradually increasing, and although for the
past few days it appears to have been at sort
of standstill, there is no knowing what effect
a rainy time may have upon it. At the present
time fourteen houses have been damaged, and
the property in the vicinity seems to have rather
an unstable hold.
The main slide, where the largest amount of
earth came down upon the track of the Con-
nellsvile Railroad, has extended until it has
reached almost up to the avenue, and comes in
close proximity to the street track, and to
the casual observer this appears to be about the
extent of the damage but an examination of
the land and property in the vicinity will reveal
the fact that the damage is much greater than
appears at first, and that large share of the
entire hill below and considerable territory
above The street car track appear to have a
decided tendency to move down towards the
railroad.
1t is estimated that the area of land affected
by the slide is from thirty to forty acres, and
the property were it not for this late affair
would be exceedingly valuable, lying as 1t does
in such convenient locality for residences for
city. 1t has been built up by men of small
means, who have purchased lots and erected
such buildings as their circumstances afforded
and although there are not many expensive resi-
dences, still the loss of property will be severe
as it falls upon many who nave the savings of
years invested in houses and lots that the
elements seem inclined to sweep away.
Up to the present time fourteen houses have
been more or less damaged the majority of
them to such an extent as to render their occu-
pants anxious as to the stability of their domi-
ellis. One of the houses is occupied by a gentle
man who has expended in the neighborhood of
S20,0 in preparing home, but now he has
had to commence operations with jack-screws,
while large quantity of land in the vicinity
has gone down to the track of the Connellsville
Railroad
OF the remaining houses most of them have
portions of wall displaced, and majority have
been fixed up with new slls, having in view an
accommodation to the shifting quality of the
ground. One small building, few weeks ago,
had to be taken down, as its course down the
hill did not agree with the occupants ideas. 1t
is now reduced to floor, with pile of bricks
lying near by.
One of the most unfortunate sufferers by the
slide and breaking of the water-pipe is an elderly
Irishman named Thomas Fourdon, who came
to this country some twenty-sx years ago and
as a laborer, by the practice of the strictest
economy on the part OF himself and wife,
managed to save money enough to buy a lot,
on which about three years ago he built small
and comfortable house. Since the slide set in
he has had to devote his entire time to saving
his home, and so far he has been successful
but the building looks like complete wreck.
AS the slide came down he, by means
of jack-screws, raised the house as each new
instament OF dirt came down, until he found
he had space enough under his house for an
other story, and he made one, moved in, and
rented the upper part of the building. 1t kept
him shovelling all the time, however, to keep
the earth from crowding him out and he spent
several weeks at work with the wheel
barrow and spade in what to ordinary
man would appear to be the hopeless task of
fighting landslide with single spade and
wheelbarrow. Every night he would hear
the earth crushing against his house, and
early in the morning he would get up and labor
hard all day to repair the injuries of the night
before; and as if to crown all his troubles, the
water pipe broke just above his house and the
water ran through the lower story, rendering it
almost uninhabitable. He still continues at his
labor, however. and to our reporter appeared
like a completely heart-broken man. "Alas !"
he said, "all my little property is rdned, while
the old woman has to take in washing, some
thing she has not had to do for many year, to
support us while work away to keep our house
over our heads"