Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-08-19
GREAT DISASTER
VISITS STAUNTON

| morning, lHc PeoPio VIM "0ic t"'
ing apples for Mr.. John Landes on IN
Baldwin street, heard a crash as if
under their feet and suddenly build
ings shook and the pavement sank
about four feet. The alarm be-
came general there about and in a
moment or two, persons began to
gather. The boys at the fire house
just by ran out, the chief of police
arrived shortly after, and persons
living in a house just over the
break which proved to be the faml-
ly of Mr.. Horsley an employee of
the Gas Co., got quickly out. 1t
was observable that cave in had
begun, the depth of which could
not be ascertained. The break was
Sc. extended that it became certain
that, something of no ordinary
character was impending. Those
who cane at once stood in conster-
nation, aslto what might be expect
ed. Professor c.! l.. Wilson who
owns the houses that were at once
undermined WIS upon the scene,
and naturally much excited. The
chief of police had ropes,brought at
once and stretched them across the
street to keep back crowds. The
sinking of the ground continued
constantly and in less than a hour
it had sank ten feet and the radius
of the cave in was about 30 feet.
Every now and then dust would
rise showing that fresh caying was
going on. The breaks at first open
Ing were not sudden, after the first
lone. The sinking was gradual but
fast as shown by surrounding OBJ
iects and especially by a tree about
rs feet in height which stood al
most in the center of the first break.
In less than two hours this tree had
entirely disappeared, being dragged
under like one in a quick sand.
About the time of the disappear
ance of the tree, a sudden and by
odds the loudest and quickest break
occurred almost under the fire de-
partment building. The dust rose
from a hole about four feet square
at first in the pavement, in front OF
the engine house. This was a SUI
ficient warning for the department.
to 90 to work and remove machin-
erv and furniture. This they did
quite expeditiously. Mr.. Landes,
who had some hundreds of barrels
of apples on the opposite side OF
the street, began to get busy also
The breaks, of which there are
now two, continued to grow wider
and their yawning more danger,
Gus. The large new public school
building is just across from where
the first break occurred and has be-
come involved. The steps have be.
gun pulling from the building and
3 the cracks are increasing in size
At about 4 o'clock the house
? which stood over the first break
: the home of Mr.. Balsley fell in witt
e a crash and now lies buried out OF
e sight. 1t was two story struc'
&. .ture, 25 by 35 feet. ,
At 5 o'clock, or thereabout, fresf
j. rrevasses opened directly in thu
rear of Prof. Wilson's home, de
! stroying his garden and epdangeIr
d ing his kitchen, if not his who'll
n house, which is a fine brick struc
:. ture facing Lewis Street.
e About five O'Clock water began
u oozing up in the gardens OF JONI
/ Fallon, florist, and to run dowI
is over the gardens Of those below Mn
:. and between his gardens and tn
fire house. Mr.. Ashburner, Git
Manager, Immediately put a fore
of workmen to digging slulce t
turn this water into the main, Lew
IS is Creek which flows through TN
town some 80 feet east ofthe break
This will take off this water an
g will prevent it's flooding the gal
dens and houses below Mr.. Fallor
N The most acceptable theory is thel
p has been for long tine here
- deep sub stream which flowed int
s. some cavern and lost itself to tn
S, west of the present crevasse. In
stream has been flowing there III
known carrying away the soft cart
on which that part of the town
H. built and having undermined 1T, {
We a great depth, the top or crust gay
n, way. .o,,,
We bv the thought ess persons, b
ne cause nothing could be predicted
IS TO where the next break would o
so cur The only casualty howev
IS. that has yet occurred befell lar
s. setter dog which no doubt was a
customed to travelling that hlg
wav. He came trotting aero
from toward Lewis Street, to &c
er trial avenue and persons seeing 1
en- danger tried to scare him back b
OF he paid no attention to their erie
'te He walked up to the edge of t
crevasse, which he evidently m n
p took for shadow as it was tn
m growing dark and in moment +
,,,t over the edge of the precipice al q.
' ~ was heard Of no more, tbs +
40 40 must evidently have been fifty