Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-08-15
THE CAVE-IN AT STAUNTON.

given out yesterday at Staunton, and
little further caving in is to be expected
As a matter of fact, the only change in
the physical condition is a slight cavine
around the edges. The city officials
expect to begin work today boring in
the neighborhood TO see the character
of the strata beneath. and exploring as
far as is safe the three openings al.
ready there. Nothing so far has been
done to repair the breaks. Crowds OF
sightseers went TO town yesterday, all
local trains being filled with people from
nearby towns.
The following statement was given
out yesterday by the mayor and other
town officials:
The cavern which has occurred on
| Baldwin street at a point near Lewis
creek, just beyond the northwestern
limits of the business section Of Staun-
ton, lies across what some years ago was
known rs 'Stuart's frog pond, small
pond in Mr.. Stuart's meadow, and is
caused by the falling of surface earth
into well defined channel upon bed
rock following the general direction of
Lewis creek. The fall or crave-in
has an extreme length OF two hundred
and tifty-fiye feet and a breath OF 35 feet
at the surface, the channel at the foot
OF the fall having width of some or
feet. The ground in this immediate
locality is what is commonly known as
made earth, being a mari formation
covered with clay, ashes, loan and
debris of various kinds with which the
old pond was filled in. While the ex-
IRENE length OF the fall is 255 feet as
stated, the subsistence is not continuous,
the surface having remained intact at
two intermediate points, leaving bridges
across the channel about 80 feet in
width. The depth from the street to
the stream is from 40 to As feet. The
immediate cause Of the break is very
evident, being merely the caving in Of
the soft material over and around the
underground channel caused by excess
sivc rain falls. This channel, now ex-
posed to view probably is the old chan
mel of the waters which fed Stuart's
frog pond. Immediately beyond the
present limit OF the fall limestone rock
occurs III IS: feet below the surface
and is known to extend downward S02
feet.
Immediately to the north OF the fall,
parallel 10 il and at Il distance of not
exceeding 50fect, is the primary school
building, which is erected on piles
which are supposed TO have been driven
to solid rock. 'The destruction OF
property caused by this slide has not
been very large, owing TO The distance
Of the point where il occurred from the
business centre OF the city. 4 portion
of one Of the city fire stations lies i'm
mediately above the slide and this must
he made secure before any use can be
made Of the station
F. b. Van Horne, of the United
States Geological Survey, reached
Staunton on Saturday to. investigate
the cause Of the recent cave-ins.
In the opinion of Mr.. Van Horne,
the trouble was caused by the drainage
from the surrounding hills. The dis
trict where the caves appeared is in Il
natural basin. under the surface. For
some unaccountablc reason the natural
outlet was stopped, allowing the water
there to accumulate. This, he believes,
softcned the earth, and when the water
was released il left Il crust, which has
gradually crumbled away. Mr. Van
Horne does not credit the theory that
the boring of a well for the Smith Fuel
Company had anything to do with the
trouble. He has suggested boring holes
in both directions in which the cracks
appear to locate the condition of the
soil. II this proves the soil to be mari,
he thinks there is great danger Of more
serious trouble. His advice is not very
comforting to the officials or those liv
ing in the affected district.