GRAFTON ROAD SLIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 139, 14 June 1926, Page 5

GRAFTON ROAD SLIP.

I OCCUPANTS VACATE HOUSE. I ! .... I AX UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE. | I To find the doors jamming, tho wall- ■ paper tearing, tlie water and gas pipes : breaking, and the house slipping down I was the unenviable experience of a fani- ; ily in Grafton Road about a fortnight ago. The passage of time found matters ; becoming so serious that further inhabi--1 lation of the house was impossible, | and it had to be vacated. i Tlie house, which is situated tit the bottom of Grafton Road, overlooks the Blandford Park Stadium. It is a huge two storeyed, wooden stnicitre of ten rooms that has stood for _."> years. The house runs back 57 feet from the road, and the back fence adjoins the park. About tiic time of the exceptionally heavy rains that disorganised the water supply in Auckland, the owner of the house noticed that the wallpaper in most of the rooms was beginning to tear away. An investigation was made under tlie house, where it was found that a huge crack had appeared in the earth. It was seen, too, that the building itself bad slipped about two inches toward the park. The next development was the breaking of the underground waterpipos, and tins was followed by the gas pipes. The drainage system became completely disorganised, and with a further slip of the house, to the extent of ltU inches, it was found necessary to leave the premises. The crack beneath tbe house widened to an alarming extent, and, as there was a danger of the structure slipping still further, a contractor was called in to joist up tlie building. Up to the present the house has been lifted over 11 inches, and, it is stated, will have to go up 17 inches before it will be absolutely safe, it was found necessary to dig to a depth of over IS feet to strike a solid foundation before the place could be lifted. In order to facilitate this work, two steel ropes were run from each corner of the house to tlie street, where a winch was called into piny to take the strain. This winch had to lie turned at intervals. The] packing timber being used under tiie house to lift it is 12 by (i, and is built up something after the style of a pyramid. i A view of tlie Park from tlie backj fence of this property shows that til track to the extent of about a chain.j slip of earth, which covers the running j has occurred. Three electric light posts.; two pious iosignis trees, and a large: extent of tlie iron fence have fallen i beneath the weight of the slip. Inplaces the electric light posts attached to tlie wooden railing in front of the seats have broken away, while the track itself shows signs of splitting. 'Tlie ground is so heavy with water I hat so far tlie slip litis not been cleared, and it presents a dismal appearance.