Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-08-19

beneath it market house. When tia
building was erected the foundation
were laid on piles, driven deep int
the mari II the subterranean stream
which it is thought has done the dam
age by it's silent but persistent excava
tion passed that point it was still be
meath that piling. and If its wahsin(
has been sufficient, that building may
seriously suffer. But the stream,
whilst deep, may not be large, and
the present. crevasse may be as wide
as it will likely get, save by the fall
ing away Of the sides to an angle
where the earth will not move. The
fact that water has begun to pour out
of the ground above the break seems
TO indicate that : dam has been form
Cd ovsr this snbtsfzaneaa ltxeem and
il pressing the watee upward snd o1t
/ a top q ~ grosns O. onrz1e thil
Is Only Z thesgy - lnet 49, - Ai-
rection Of the crsvassa = not toNn1
the Smith Fuel Company's we'll tendd
to indicate that it has nothing to
do with the trouble. although when the
trouble began in the morning, the wat
er in that we'll became muddy and
pumping was stopped. Photographer
were at work all day taking photo
graphs Of the houses and breaks in
the street. Then after the Balsley
house fell they took the scene after it
had disappeared. The best estimates
Of the crevasse is that it's depth is
possibly 100 feet. The absorbing topic
today was the disaster and great SYM
pathy is expressed for Prof. Wilson
whose home seem to De inevitably
ruined. though the house may not
just now fall.
Many apparent risks were taken by
the thoughtless persons, because moth :
ing could be predicted as to where the
next break would OCCUR. The only cas-
ualty however that has yet occurred
befell large setter dog which no
doubt was accustomed too travelling
that highway He cams trotting
across from toward Lewis Street, to
Central avenue and persons seeing his
danger tried to scare him back but he
paid no attention to their cries He
walked up to the edge Of the crevasse,
which he evidently mistook for
shadow as it was then growing dark
and in moment fell over the edge Of
the precipice and was heard Of no more
His fall must evidently have been
fifty or sixty feet d it is thought he
was Immediately buried in the debris.
@. E. ASHBURNER'S THEORY.
Mr.. g. E. Ashburner, the city man
ager who is an experienced engineer,
holds to Tho theory that the disaster
is caused By IN eight hundred foot
we'll which has recently bean sunk
about a.hnndrsd yards south q ard
below tne cfevAsas. The Saith Enei
Company has an ice plant here ard
this well was recently bored to obtain
a supply of clear and soft water for
the manufacture of ice. They have
recently installed q pump which is q
suction pump and has a tendency to
draw the water from crack or opening
or inlet to the we'll: They have re-
Gently bsen pumping water steadily
and the water has. not been clear or
pure, indicating to his mind that it
was drawing mud from various sour
ces. They have pumped, according to
his estimate, sufficient water to occupy
the same space that would be occupied
by 4,aes cubic yards Of earth; that
the withdrawal of this water had left
q cavity which had mari roof or
roof of inferior quality and that the
breaking aown occurred owing to the
withdrawal of the water Mr.. Ash
burner, today made two trips with his
assistant Mr.. O'Callahan, through
the arch culvert running parallel
with Central Avenue through which
the western branch Of Lewis
Greek passes. He found everything
there intact. La st night he telegraph
ed the government Geological Survey
ors' Office at Washington asking them
to send an expert to examine the con-
ditions. Col. s. Brown Allen, city
postmaster, last night also wired the
Supervising Architect Of the Treasury
Der artment explaining that the break
was extending in the direction of the
Postofice and asked that he send an
expert.
! At twelve O'Clock last night the
caving in still continued at q rapid rate
Water seems to be filing the crevasse
under the fire engine house and it il
thought that before morning at least
one end Of the horDe win break and
fall in.
Mr.. James Todd who lives in house
he rents from Professor Wilson, adjoin
ing Mr.. Wilson's home, moved out last
night. The kitchen and rear porto.
of Prof. Wilson's house, is sinking rap
idly at this hour, and earth is still
falling in the other crevasses.
--LATEST ACCOUNT
| Friday morning, Aug. 12th, Tht