Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-02-05
sfRAhcEsr rowN ON EAaTA.
Everything Is Turned Topsy-rurvy In an
Engl nh SnIt- MIninr. Districf.

Everything 10 Turned Topsy-rurvy In an
Engi oh saIt-Mining District.
Assnrcdly the most curious town in
England. and the most upside-down-
looking place, is Northwich. AS the
stranger walks up one of the streets he
wonders whether he is the victim of II
ujsordered imagination or whether an
earthquake has been visiting the local
ity. Here two houses are leaning one
ngninst the other. as il for mutual sup
port; there more are leaning from each
other. us IL in sullen anger; higher up
IRE dwellings, sunken in the center or
Ut the ends. the pavement on oneside
In certain places is higher thnn the
other, while little farther ON 1t is
lower.
In short everything has general ape
pearance CT topsy-turvydom in this
town of what are described as drunk
en- houses" The cause of it all is not
far to seek. Northwich, as everyone
lnows or ought TO know, is the center
of the salt industry, and it is the draw
ing of brine and rock salt for the man.
ufacturc 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-
gines 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 300 feet are
immense submarine lakes of brine, and
us the contents of these are pumped and
pumped away the upper crust of earth
is correspondingly weakened. and the
result in an occasional subsistence. In
some of the mines where the salt is
blasted and cut away one can travel ii
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 in
tie water and the earth falls in, with
all 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 II horse left in stable
over night was found to be missing, and
hole filled with water occupying the
place where the animal should have
hcen. Near Wincham and Marstop.
suburbs of Northwich, lakes acres in eX
tent are now seen where green fields
u.cd to he. and there is n spot where thr
highway takes the form of railway
rmbanlimCnt. 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, aud il is TO be hoped that no
onewill beat that time in the immediate
DeigEborhocd.
All these subsidences have pulling"
rtrect on the nearest buildings. which
are drawn "a!l ways" Such state Of
things is amusing as well rs interest.
ing. This desirable property to let"
is the sign one hay seek check by jowl
road hearing tie legend: This road is
dangerous" One has to be aware of
such roads at night time in this neigh
borhcod. 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 a rapid way out of this world
I'm order TO make all buildings last
II fairly decent length of time all new
crcctions are built in frames of wood,
this style holding the bricks together
Il longer time than if the building wa,
on the ordinary principles. Even under
those conditions, and taking into con-
hidcration the fact that in the town it
rclf the :nbsidenccs are gradual and
rive some warming. living must he rather
exciting in certain portions of North.
wich.--rhiadelPhia Telegraph.