MENACE OF SUBSIDENCE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 55, 29 November 1926, Page 10

MENACE OF SUBSIDENCE

LINE NEAR GREYMOUTH SINKS FOUR FEET BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Greymouth. November 28. Traffic on the Midland railway line at the Greymouth end continues to be menaced bv the subsidence of the bank of the Grey River at Omoto, causing the line to fall Trouble of this nature is of long standing at the place m question, but the present subsidence, which is due to the .greasy back movement in the gully, began at the time of the recent heavy floods, and has continued since. Meantime a ballast train and 60 men have every day been engaged depositing gravel at the locality'', but this is evidently ineffective. Last evening at seven o’clock the subsidence increased rapidly, being faster than the gang could make good with fresh gravel, the result being the suspension of the late train service in that district. This morning the line is four feet at least below normal level. Todav two ballast trains and extra gangs are working. It is hoped, therefore, that traffic mav be maintained to-mor-row, but it is apparent the river is eroding and that other measures are required to end the subsidence, namely, either cutting, a new channel, thereby removing the river’s course some distance, or a tunnel for a new railway route into the town.