Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-29
APART OF LIBBY HILL SINKING.
A Long Crack I'm the Earth and an Up
heavai in Main street.

James river ia not the only thing herea-
bouts that can get on q rise and render the
people in the lower part OF the city a little
anxious.
AT point about ffty yards east of Twen-
ty-eiohth street Main street Is rising, but
in accordance with natures law of compen-
satIon a portion of Libby Hill is sinking.
That section Of the hill between Main
street and the Park road leading mp TO the
Soldiers Monument Is. 1t will be remem-
bered series of irregular natural terraces.
and about half way down these terraces,
are a number of large trees. From about
midway of the old street-car shed and run
ming eastward between the trees and the
Park road is q crack in the earth some
seventv-five yards long and ranging IN
width from two inches IN some places TO
about five or six inches in Others. Along
this crack the ground to the southwark
has sunk or dropped from the normal sur
face level as much as two feet at one
point.
THE STREET UPHEAyED.
The result of this is that for several
yards at the point on Main below twenty
eighth first mentioned the street has
bulged up, and at intervals the street.
paving is upheaved in a chaotic mass.
The movement of depression on the hill
and of upheaval in the street is very slow.
but it is continuous. while the silde IN tne
direction of Main street, as proved by the
failure to slack off guy-wire stretched
from one of the trees to an electric-hght
pole is almost imperceptible.
AN UNDERGROUND wAsHoUT.
When q D1spATcH representative went
over the ground late last night water
seemed to be running from the hill at
hundreds of points. and near where the
street had been most disturbed, when the
paying-stones were struck with the spade
of the Waterman on duty, 1t gave back
hollow sound that seemed to evidence O
washout beneath.
WHEN THE SINK WAS DISCOVERED.
The sink in the hill was first observed
Friday evening, but very little attention
was paid to it until yesterday evening,
throw down an electric-light pole, and
superintendent Thompson, of the Fire
Alarm Telegraph, was summoned TO render
1t secure.
A SUDDEN BURsT-UP.
The Waterman referred to showed the
DISPATCH man pile of paylng-stones
which he said had suddenly burst" up
in the street not long before tlB latter's
arrival on the scene. The hill depression
is some distance from the monument site,
and careful examination OF the ground
by lantern light failed to disclose any dis
turbance beyond the crack line.
WHAT THE FORMATION INDICATES.
The formation here indicates that such
slides or drops have been of frequent oc-
currence, but most of them have probably
been so gradual as not to have been no.
freed. Several years ago similar phe-
nomenon, if such it can be called, occurred
on Chimborazo Hill. where the geological
conditions are the same az those at Libby
Hill, and last night gentleman stated
that he remembered two or three slips on
I Libby.
The street-car tracks and the telegraph
poles from Twenty-eighth street east for {,
block are being carefully watched, and it
Is apprehended that should the bad wea-
ther of the past week continue there will
be serious trouble.