The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-11
IS BUTTE SLIDING DOWN?
A Portion of the City Has Moved
Southwark.
Is SHOWN BY THE CRACKS
Left in the Buildings Along the Line of
Cleavage-The Court House and
Residences Exhibit the
Marks.
Is the city of Butte sliding down hill?

There is evidence that causes some
people to form the opinion that it is
Within the last two weeks that por-
ton of the city lying below line run
ming from Alaska street, just east of
of the court house, southwest to the
northeast corner of Broadway and
Washington street and westward, has
moved southwark to a very perceptble
extent. The movement is shown by the
cracks left in buildings that chance to
be located on what is evidently the
line of separation or cleavage, along
which is the slide is taking place.
The first evidence of the movement
was observed in the court house about
two weeks ago, when a large crack
appeared in the heavy brick walls on
both sides of the corridors, and the
plastering in big patches fell off the
ceiling. AT the time it was supposed
to be due to blasting done in the Leg
gat shaft on the Thomas lode on the
lot adjoining the court house on the
west, and the county commissioners
caused injunction proceedings to be
commenced against Mr.. Leggat, which
put a stop to the blasting. Since then
however, it has been discovered that
other brick buildings to the west and
southwest of the court house have also
been cracking in the same way.
The most notable instance is that of
the big, handsome residence of United
States Senator w. A. Clark at the
northwest corner of Granite and Idaho
streets. The house is cracked clear
through from east to west and almost
in the CENTER On the west side the
assure runs from the roof through the
| three stories down to the ground in the
| foundation. and on the east side the
crack extends from some distance
above the foundation down to the
ground. On the west side the separa-
ton in the brick wall and foundation
is fully an inch or more in width. The
plastering, stucco work and decorative
moulding on the inside of the residence
is similarly cracked. showing that the
| assures We're not due to any common
or ordinary settling of the house, but
to a general slide or movement of the
ground upon which the southern half
of the building rests.
The handsome new structure of the
First Presbyterian church at Broadway
and Idaho street, Block south of the
Clark residence, was also affected by
the general southerly slide, and within
the past few weeks the brick walls and
the heavy stone foundation have
cracked, though ONLY slightly when
compared with the damage to the
buildings on Granite street. About
eight months ago the walls of the
church also cracked considerably, but
that was thought to be due to a set
ting, of some of the heavy pillars and
was repaired at the time.
On the west side Of Idaho street, a
short distance north of the church, a
two-story brick. owned by John r.
Bordeaux, also suffered slightly from
the movement, and on the north side
of Broadway, west of Idaho street. sew
eral brick residences bear evidence of
it, and it all occurred within the past
two weeks or so.
1t is claimed that the damage to the
buildings can not be due to any sinking
caused by mining, because no mining
has been done under that part of the
city. Several mining experts and geol-
ogsts who had their arrenton directed
to the phenomenon have advanced sew
| eral theories to account for it, One
| is the general theory Of a cleavage
| or separation of one formation from
| another along regular plane, or pos
| sibly a mineral vein. Another theory
| is that the buildings affected are To-
| Gated on a solid granite bed which runs
| northeast and southwest through that
| part of the city and through the Leg
| gat shaft, and that they have been
Jared by the blasting. This last
| theory, however, is advanced only as
| possible and remote cause.
| While some of the buildings have
| been damaged considerably, none of
| them have been made at all dangerous,
and unless the sliding continues the
damage already done can easily be re-
| paired.