Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-01
A DISAPPEARING TOWN.
NOrthwich. England, Slowly but Sure
~ Sinking Into the Earth.

~ Sinking Into the Earth.
From the Scientific American
Norwich, the center of the salt industry
of Great Britain, is one of the queerest
towns in the country. The whole underly-
ing country is simply one mass of salt
When descending a shaft one passes
through successive thick strata of the min
eral. The mining of the salt constitutes
the staple industry of the district, and from
Northwich alone 100000 tons of salt are
shipped annually. The product Is obtained
by two Notwithstanding and brine
pumping. In the former case, which is the
method generally adopted, shaft is sunk
about 800 feet, and the salt rock blasted
and excavatcd in the usual manner. The
brine-pumping, although it is still contin-
ued upon large scale, is gradually fall
ing into disuse. When the industry was
started it was considered that only one
stratum of salt existed and that was only
a few feet below the surface. Fresh water
found it's way to this extensive salt de-
pcsit, with the result that the salt dis
solved like snow A huge subterranean
lake of water, charged with 20 per cent
OF salt. was thus formed. Pumping en-
gines We're then Installed to convey this
brine to the surface to large evaporatine
pans, in which heavy deposit of salt was
left after the water has evaporated. The
suit of this extensive pumping is that North
W1ch now rests, as it We're, upon a shell
of earth, which ut times proves insufficient
t. support the weight of the houses, with
the inevitable consequence that the build
ings are constantly sliding and collapsing
in every direction. AS the result of sub
sidence one building fell over upon it's back
In the course of a single night and if is
noteworthy that she house, owing to the
care observed in it's construction, fell over
intact, not a crack being produced in the
walls, nor even a zane of glass being bro
ken. This is by no means a single instance
% no lffa
to be observed upon all sides. There is
scarcely a perpendicular wall to be seen; in
numerous cases the doors and window
frames of the houses are awry; the roads
are extremely uneven, and are often closed
owing to the falling in of portions Houses
are being continually condemned as unsafe
for human habitation and demolished The
depreciation of public property is enor-
nous. No matter how substantially a
house may be built, or how great the care
observed to Obviate subsistence, the build
ing is bound to sink sooner later. In
one instance, mouse that cost $4,000 to
erect was shortly afterward sold for 81 800
1t had been so injured by subsding In
some cases the sinking is very gradual
while in others it is unexpected and In
Simultaneous. One of the principal thor
oughfareS took forty years to sink fifteen
feet. while another grew appreciabiy wider
every day. Examination proved that
one side of the street was slipping com
pletely away. In this instance the founda-
tant from the buildings which they oripi-
nally supported. The shop of a dry goods
merchant sank one-fifth of it's height in ten
years, and in the subsequent seven years
subsidized another fifth. Several houses NAV
be seen the windows of the ground floor
of which are level with the roadway 1t
Is no uncommon circumstance for build
ing to be constructed and have to be aban-
dOned shortly after its completion.
The inhabitants, however endeavor to
mitigate the danger of their buildings col
lapSing by constructing them upon the
frame principle, with massive timber beams
securely bolted together. BY this means if
a subsistence occurs the house does not
necessarily collapse, but heels over in toto
In this instance the house is raised to its
normal position once more by means of
jacks, the cavity filled in. and the building
once more rests uLon a firm foundation.
Should another subsistence occur the pro-
cess of lifting is repeated.
fawning chasms are constantly appear
ing in the streets, and in some instances
the cavities are extensive as to necessi-
tate the closing of the thoroughfare.
The area in which these subsidences oc-
cur covers about two square miles. A few
years ago the matter was brought before
the attention of the British parliament and
the result of their investigations showed
that damage had been inflicted upon S92
buildings. of which total CSC comprised
houses and cottages. Some idea of the
extent of the excavations in this area may
be gathered from the fact that as a ton Of
salt represents one cubic yard, and POO 600
tens of salt are produced every year there
fore 1,2Go,Oo0 cubic yards of solid material
underlying the town is removed annually
The water from the river also graduates
toward these subsidences, causing huge
inland lakes, which aggravate the danger
one of these lakes. locally called flashes, :"
covers no less than 100 acres and varies
from forty TO fifty feet in depth.
Notwithstanding the frequency of these
subsidences and that they are often unex-
pected. strange to say not a single life has
been lost. Havoc has been wrought among
cattle, however several animals having
been completely enSulfed. The tall shafts
OF the pumping stations are also another
source of danger, since they are gradually
throwH-out of plumb, the list continuing
until the stack heels over, burying and de-
stroying everything in its path.
Few years ago a compensation board
was founded This corporation levies tax
OF cents upon every ton of brine that is
pumped to the surface. the revenue derived
from this source being devoted to compen-
sating those unfOrtunates whose property
has been damaged by subsistence.
Unr1 ant IL ~,