New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-06
CITY WHOSE STREETS ARE MOVABLE,
scRANTON RESIDENTS SUFFER FROM SUBSISTENCE OF
HOUSES BUILT OYER WORKED OUT VEINS.

, 70 re-enter the house they found that the doors
had been damned fast in the twisted walls.
Here Il is Sunday" said Zacharias Transue.
the owner OF the house. and we can't get at our
best clothes. They IN the upstairs. but
! the doors are stuck fast. We have started a fire
IN the woodhouse. and viii live out there until the
| ground gets quiet"
What Is the cause OF the cave-inY" asked
/ Westerner. who first thought he had come
across q runaway California earthquake.
THE Diamond vein caved in" was the indiner
ent reply ITS about $50 feet down 20 the Dia-
niond vein. which worked some thirty years
ago. Underneath the Diamond vein there two
other veins that have been worked. but don't
think it's them. The old Diamond has only had
another squeeze"
While Mr. Transue was talking the rear OF the
house. with ear splitting sound. sank almost
foot, and extension which had been built to
the main structure ripped OF that IT stood
isolated. The foundations were cracked in all
directions that the house seemed as IL IL were
just ready 10 topple over.
ITS the Diamond squeezing some more" said
the miner. sadly
Up and down Eynon-st. for a distance OF two
New-York blocks the houses looked like a lot Of
paper toys that a baby had smashed with its doll.
Some were toppled 10 the right. others 10 the
left. A few had nodded as il at passers by in the
street. while two three had thrown back their
fronts as IL in scorn. Here and there might be
found a porch that had been torn away from the
house. with the roof tottering. strike down
the front steps were lifted high from the ground
that the visitor who ventured 10 climb them might
easily imagine be boarding a railroad train.
OF the twenty more houses in this street whose
tmbers had been Rrenched or broken by the cave-in
none presented sorrier appearance within than
the home OF John Graham The plastering had been
torn from the ceiling Of bedroom and paper
was hanging IN tatters from the parlor walls.
My husband and my son Peter were IN the
mines The morning that the squeeze came" said
Mrs Graham. Il was washing the breakfast dishes
when all the pans went sliding of the kitchen
stove A dozen more pictures tumbled down
with clatter. and some of the doors slammed
shut And such groan the cid house did uakel
oh. didn't know what had happened at arst
when all Of a sudden the house pitched in the
other direction ! Thought every board IN her sides
was cracked. Then looked out in the yard. and
the back fence looked ten feet taller than before
and the ground slOped down from Il as n II was on
the top Of a hill Then knew. 1t was a cave-in.
The Diamond vein had oaved in again"
so the house has been through one cave-in al
ready interrupted a visitor.
Yes. we had q terrible squeeze some twenty
three years ago." said Mrs. Graham 1T tore the
house up badly, too We went down some twenty
feet But we Strengthened things out after a time
My husband had the house lacked up and mended
wherever it was cracked and we had It replastered
And we had it painted over again. And the yard
filed It In myself with ashes and all the loose dirt
could find. But what's the use Of talking about
IL noWF The yard was sunk deeper than ever. and
the house is broken don't know whether Il can
ever be made ~ 20 live IN again"
Across the street from the Grahams lives the
family OF John Piston A water main had burst
and inundated his yard far a huge crack Just
behind his house. into which the poured with
a deep. rumbling sound After the first subsistence
Mr. Piston was out propping up corner OF a sum-
mer house when IL jumped up fully three feet from
the ground
I've lived here the best part OF my life" said |
Mr.. Pistcr, but never the likes OF this
cavern. I don't believe fits the Diamond vein I
believe It's the Rock vein. underneath the Dia-
mond There is a third. stin deeper, known as the