UNPLEASANT SURPRISE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 152, 24 December 1926, Page 9

UNPLEASANT SURPRISE

COLLAPSE OF GARAGE FLOOR

CARS FALL INTO OLD SEWER.

(By Telegraph.)

(Special t» "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day

When H. A. O'Gara, a grocer, of Napier street, went to his garage this morning to finish loading provisions for delivery, he was staggered to find his two cars one on top of tho other in a hole 2o feet deep and 12 feet wide. The cause of this unusual and almost unbelievable happening was the collapse of an old sewer in tho creek bed. Tho sower was built by prison labour h:?lf a century ago, and runs down tho gully at the rear of the Napier Street School, under one corner of Irvine Stevenson's factory and O'Gara's property to the Freeman's Bay outlet. It was evident that the roof had caved in years ago, many feet under the garage, and 'the constant weight eventually caused the collapse last night. The cars, valued at £400, were not covered by insurance. They were extensively damaged and tho loss is increased" by a quantity of provisions, placed in tho ears overnight, being precipitated into tho hole. As soon as tho matter was reported to the City Council a special gang was sent to Napier street to endeavour to raise the cars by means of a large derrick. Tlio sewer (w'liich acts as the mam overflow joining up tho drainage areas north of Karangahapo road and east of Ponsonby road, and west of Union street, has been completely blocked by the fall.