RETAINING WALL COLLAPSES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1526, 23 August 1912, Page 7

RETAINING WALL COLLAPSES.

l-i> uealt Willi DV a siwuii nu'iMuri m ino Trnmwa.v Hoard 10-nnrrow. I'Vtmiately His 'fall, bis 111011511 if was did not rnu'li tlie trade, ilinufrli Ibore was a ,-licht di--nrranupinonl; of I lie nverlioail_ year, This however, was quickly remedied. aii'l Iho M'rvice maintained ivillioui: inlnri'ti lit ion.

<> RIG SMASH AT GONVILLE. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) I Wanganui, August 22 liesidcnls in Ilia vicinity of Tatva Street, . Gonvillc, were startled this morning by J tremendous muli'led report, resembling tlio booming of a big piece of ordnance, . niul many, in tlio belief that it was a . premonitory symptom of a more than ) ordinarily severe earthquake, rushed out of their houses in a state of trepidation. Once outside they were soon reassured of ; their personal safely, though the sight which met their <j,vcs wa« one hardly , comforting to the Gonville-Castlecliif ' Tramway Board, which has now. had an--1 other item added to its list of unexpected expenditure. <■ The occurrence was due to tlio collapse of a heavy concrete double retaining wall, built to hold up the steep, sandy sides of a portion of Taiva Street 011 the southern loop of the board's system. When finished, as originally designed, it. was : found that the wall was nol high enough, to liold Hie ground, as had been expected, and another wall was siiper-impo.-ed upon 1 it, but about three feel, back from the faee. The lower wall and the whole space behind the walls was then, filled with clay and sand. The whole work cost. .EIOIIO, and has been a source or much anxiety to the boni'.'l and its officers. This morning the board's workmen . wore engaged ill remc.ving tlio "days which • supported the wall during (ho period when the concrete was setting, when a ' curious creaking beean to be heard—not land, but with a "decided" nolo in if. Disaster to tile men engaged was averted , by the presence of mind of the foreman in charge, who instantly grasped (lie situation, and shouled to (lie men lo . .'land clear. They lost 110 lime in doiivjr so, anil were hardly oul of the v.-iy before the whole of both walls, except for a 1 small portion of eieli end, collapsed willi a tremendous crash, breaking elf about four f<el above the l'.iad level. It will (nke several hundreds of pounds lo repair (lie damage, and 1 lie matter will 1-e rle:ilt with bv a sueeial iiii'eliir: of (lie