The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-23
.CH|MBORAzO IS
AGAIN SINKING.
Strange Collapse Of Apparently
Solid Ground Along the
Roadways.
GROUND SANK FOR FIVE FEET
,-- ------------
GROUND SANK FOR FIVE FEET
The Subterrancan ConvulsionI
Wrenchcd Paving, Roadbcd
! and Bank.

Tho unexpected development Of
yawning tissues In tho earth and the
sinking In night Of largo areas OF
land on tho eastern slope OF Chin
borazo Park have attracted largo
crowds of people to tho park recently,
and tho strange subterrnnean changes
have been viewed with wondcs. For q
space of fully nifty yards along tf>
roadway directly in front Of tho grcat
spring on the eastern slope Of the hill
the ground has sunk to q depth of
from two to five feet Beginning just
north OF tho spring, the roadway ap-
pears to have collapsed. yArccklng the
small gutter and the franoithic paw
ing down with It, In some places near
vtrified brick this has been wrenched
downward curi9usly, milking 1t appear
that the brilts were laid on n hillside.
and at such an anglo as to gradually
reach the lower level.
X AT both ends Of tho sunkcn section
of the roadway and the embankmcnt
which flanks 1t, burricades have been
erected and lights placed to prevent
any ono driving into tho hole thus
created. At the northern point of the
strnnge underground collapse the work
of filling to tho old level has been
commenced and cart loads of earth are
being dumped. At various places alond
tho road where tho assures are widest,
branches Of trees have been stuck into
them to warn pedestrians away. The
sunken section extends directly across
tho road at right angles and then for a
distance OF fifty yards, but tho fls-
sures, some of them six to twelve
inches wide extend along the roadway
longitudinally.
Tho precise cause of this sudden slip
ping Of the underground strata Is at
tributed to the peculiar geoloElcai
formation of blue mari or OF fuller,s
earth as some call 1t. Many are OF
opinion that there is subterranean
water course beneath tho spot. but SO
far as known this is purely conjecture.
It is noteworthy that the sunken
section extents for some distance along
| tho roadway each side of the
spring and that this is true OF
all these slidings of the earth. Wheth-
or the hidden basin and vein OF the
| spring extents under the Roadway ana
contributes in any way to the strange
phenomenon cannot be positivelS
stated. Four or five years ago when
tho most serious sinking Of the ground
lin this vicinity occurred, the drop
was worst near the spring and In al
4 most the Identical spot now affected.
4 At that time the National Cemetery
4 Road, which runs northeasterly from
the park sank in large section also,
and was rendered impossible. the OLD
!, break was even more serious In the
! injury wrought to the park roadway
and paths and paved cutters than this
5 ono, and considerable expense was IN
, Cured in replacing the sunken road.
The City Council has passed 4 reso-
t Iutdon [appropriating $4,000 for. the
, construction Of a retaining wall tc
, prevent a recurrence. of these damng-
], ling slides and to insure the solidity
, Of tho roadbed. The excavation for 6
foundation will disclose the precise
/ nature Of the lower strata of earth
: and verify or explode the popular
i theories as to the cause OF the sink
; ing spells. The phenomenon is mos
curious one, and after these slide:
or sinkings the ground around looks
Q much as If an earthquake had opened
: tho assures.