BEING WASHED AWAY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11955, 27 May 1933, Page 9

BEING WASHED AWAY

SCIENCE; BATTLES TO SAVE BRITAIN.

"‘Time and tide halt for no man” is a' trite saying, hut partially true for it is probable, that, were it not for our coastal defences against the encroachment of tho sea, our island story would cud in the waves!

'At first this statement may sound an exaggeration, hut one- has only to consider tho ravages that have occurred in tho past, and that arestill taking place, to Realise how stupendous the basic of arresting coast erosion really is.

As an example of tho sea’s inroads ono may quote tlio interesting incident that occurred at Waljton-'oin the-Nazo (writes C. Bailey in the ‘Liverpool Weekly Post’). From tlio depths °f the ocean, no les s a distance than three miles out Horn shore-, there suddenly appeared a clearly-defined church, encrusted with scashclls and seaweed. It was an inspiring and • awesome sight, which quickly brought crowds of people to the beach.

TROUBLE IN YORKSHIRE. Sonic, of the more superstitious Mtributed the vision—a<s they thought it—to supernatural agencies, hutresearch brought to light the mare prosnio hut- interesting information that the church was an actuality, and had once been the, place of worship for the parish. Even today dwellers on ’.lie A 01 'k shire const have often to forsake their homesteads ns large portions of the cliffs falling into the sea bring the hungry waves nearer a,lf l nearer. On some parts °f the.coast it is habitual for twenty feet of land to disappear every year. Afultiply this distance by the ravages of a few centuries—a short span so inr a 5 time goes—and one has some slight idea of the problem of coast defence.

THIRTY THRIVING TOWNS

SUBMERGED

Tn one comparatively small stretch of land, that between Elamborongh Head and the Spurn, there were once no fewer than thirty thriving towns which are now stowed in the capacious closets of Davy Jones’s locker. Perhaps the best-known of these submerged towns was ißabenspum, in its day the chief port- of the North East, Coast. The only souvenir wo retain of this historical town is ft stone cross, which was removed inland to Hedou, where it stands today, a striking monument to Tho water v grave of the township it for uteri v adorned.

Yorkshire maps of a few years ag© frequently hear the. melancholy notice "Lost in the sea” underneath the names of seaport towns -nid ullages.

However, the eouniv of bread acres is not the oniy one Thai has suffered from coast erosion- As an instance may he uuoted the citv of Dunwieh.. at one Time The capital of East- Anglia. The last fragment ot old Dunwieh disapucared under The waves over a. hundred' years ago. A. vision of the town's size and importance may he gauged when wo learn that it sheltered no fewer than fifty-two churches.

Tho coastal peoples of Sussex, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall all know and appreciate the lick of the hungry waves. ‘ The .modern Brighton has taken the place of Brighthehuslone, which found a watery grave and left its 6.000 inhabitants homeless- in the eighteenth century. Even the mountainous coastline of Wales is not immune. Barmouth folk have known what it, is to wake up and find two acres of land eaten up in the night. At one period ton nares disappeared in a few weeks.

BAR,MOUTH’S DEE F.NCEP. Wore it not for coastal defences, Barmouth would soon follow Ravenspurn and Dunwieh to uateii gravo, and, in spite of this protection the inhabitants .ore forced to build hack away from Tho incoming sea. It is, however, gratifying to know that the peril is being realised. Scarborough alone has already spent more than a million pounds in keeping out the sea. Blackpool has paid over £600,000 for the price of her safety. Little Swan age has expended £4,000 to preserve herself ?o far as she can. In fact, the same record may be cited for most ol our unsheltered seaport, towns.

And yet in spite of these achievements, 'tho. inroads continue. The draw of the tides in time will l,!l ' del-mine the strongest seawall, and cause it to topple into t-lie waves.

SCIENCE HELPED BY NATURE

Science, ljowcver, .has now stepped in and the defence of our coasts is being* undertaken on new lines. Groynes have Jieen erected in many places to save the avails of defence from being underdrawn. Groynes arc huge pillars which are bedded m the sea bottom and placed so as to collect the gravel and solid waste of the incoming tides. In time this accumulates and. forms a. breakwater more efficient than the, most elaborate and costly constructed

seawall. Jn addition, a plant lias been discovered' which will even take the offensive against the hungry ocean. It is unpwn as rice-grass and is « scientific product of hybrid growth. The plant has the curious pawov of attracting the mud in the spa, and it affords excellent pasturage for cattle and sheep., .Having realised' its value, the East Anglian Institute have already' established several centres • for- the cultivation of rice-grass, and by, its agency much land, on tho. Essex coast has been won hack, foot hy foot, from the watery deeps.