Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-02-05

Everything Il Turned ToYsy-rarvy In an
Engi sh Sait-Mining District.

Everything Il Tu-oed To9sy-rarvy In an
Engi sh Sait-Mining District.
ASsurcdly the most curious town in
England. and the most upSide-dowR-
looking place, is Northwich. As the
stranger walks up one OF the streets he
wonders whether he is the victim OF n
Usordered imagination or whether an
earthquake has been visiting the local
ity. Here two houses are leaning one
ngaiDs; the other. as il for mutual sup
port; there more are leaning from each
other, us if in suilen anger; higher up
ere dwellings sunken in the center or
st the ends. the pavement en- one side
In certain places is higher than the
other. while little farther on IL is
lower
In short everything has general ape
pearance CT topsy-turyydom in this
town OF what are described as drunk
en- houses The cause of it all is not
far TO seek. Northwich, as everyone
Enows or ought to know, is the center
OF the salt industry, and il is the draw
ing of brine and rock salt for the man
ufacture of this very necessary COM
modify that is the moving factor in the
mischief. On nearly all sides of the
town are big salt works, with their en-
gincs pumping hundreds of thousands
of gallons of brine every week, while
the extensive mines of rock salt arc
being cut into in all directions.
At depth of some 200 or 800 feet are
immense submarine lakes of brine. and
as the contents of these arc pumped and
pumped away the upper crust of earth
is corrcspondingly weakened, and the
result in an occasional subsistence. In
some of the mines where the salt is
blasted and cut away one can travel d
mile in certain directions. AS the
glistening white or deep red rock is
cut away great pillars of it, some eight
feet square. with large thickness all
along the roof, are left to support the
earth above. Sometimes, however, the
mine is flooded. the pillars dissolve i'm
tie water and the earth falls in, with
al on top of it. Luckily. this kind OF
subsistence generally happens in spots
where houses are not numerous, and
for this reason no lives have been lost
within recent years. One morning
few years ago a horse left in stable
over night was found to be missing, and
hole filed with water occupying the
place where the animal should have
been. Near Wincham and MarstoD,
suburbs of Northwich, lakes acres in ex-
tent are now seen where green fields
IL ell to he. and there is 4 spot where the
highway takes the form of railway
rmbankmCnt. On either sides are big
ponds where the earth had subsidized,
and the road goes through like bridge.
This itself is bound 10 go at some flu
ture time. and il is TO Ice hoped that no
one will bc at that time in the immediate
aeigEborhocd.
All these subsidences have pulling"
Effect on the nearest buildings. which
are drawn "all ways" Such state Of
things is amusing as well us interest
ing. This desirable property TO let"
is the sign one may seek check by jowl
with one ut the beginning of stile
road bearing tic legend: This road is
dangerous" One has to be aware OF
such roads at night time in this neigh
borhcod. y part of the path may have
sunk leo feet or so during the preceding
hour, ard an involuntary drop into the
water, which rises as fast as the earth
falls, is rapid way out Of this world.
In order 10 make all buildings last
a fairly decent length Of time all new
crcctions are built in frames OF wood.
this style holding the bricks together
a longer time than if the building wa,
on the ordinary principles. Even under
those conditions, and taking into con-
ridcration the fact that in the town it
rclf the snbsidences are gradual and
give some warming. living must he rather
exciting in certain portions Of North.
Wich.-Philadelnh ia Telegraph.