SERIOUS EARTH SUBSIDENCE AT HUNTLY

Otago Witness, Issue 3200, 14 July 1915, Page 9

SERIOUS EARTH SUBSIDENCE AT HUNTLY

TAUPIRI EXTENDED MINE AFFECTED. HAMILTON, July 6. A serious fall of earth took place this morning at the Taupin Extended coal mine. Ail the men were saiely withdrawn from the mine about 11 o’clock. The fail is about five chains from the shaft, is about one chain square, and 30ft deep. The water is coming in very fast from the lake, and a strong working party is putting bags of sand in the subsidence with a view to stopping the inrush of water. Several houses are in danger oi collapsing. The subsidence is gradually increasing m extent. From the suriace tnc appearance is that of a huge crater, between 301 t and 40ft deep and 60ft wide, the, cup of which is filled with water to a depth of 12ft. This was first thought to have found way in from Lake Hakanoa, situated 200 yards away, but it now proves to be only soakage from the adjoining land. Indications of the subsidence were first noticed about a fortnight ago, when large cracks appeared on the suriace. About a week ago a small slip occurred. _ During last night the hollow widened considerably, and caved right in, taking with it a cottage garden, a quarter of an acre in extent. The slip is in the centre of a fairly thicklypopulated neighbourhood, with houses on three sides, and the rents in the earth extend right up tp several dwellings, which threatened to collapse in consequence. The earth sank considerably lower during this morning, and the management thought it advisable to withdraw the men from the pit, though the tunnel broken through is part of the old workings, which are used as a return airway only. Below it is impossible to get close to the fracture owing to slush and water, which are dropping from the surface to the roof of the tunnel, a distance of about 120 ft; and, though a lar°e gang of men is employed endeavouring 3 to block the throat of the crater with sacks of pumice and bundles of fascines, the task appears almost impossible. Apparently the only way to check the spread is to build up the tunnels below for a considerable distance round the area affected. Should the rents so spread as to create an inlet from the lake, it is highly probable that the whole workings will be flooded, and to got them into working order {jo-ain would then be an enormous undertaking. Rain is falling, and should a storm develop it is probable that the breach will be considerably widened, as the earth is of very loose, fine sand. About 280 men are idle as a result of the subsidence.