BURSTING OF THE FLEET-DITCH.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 70, 30 October 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

BURSTING OF THE FLEET-DITCH.

The Fleet-ditch burst, on Saturday last between Ray-street and SaiiVon-hill, and on Wednesday afternoon tbc water forced its way into the Metropolitan Railway tunnel in Victoria-street to (lie depth of ten or twelve feet. When it was found that the foundations of the arches were giving way (he men at work were immediately called up from their dangerous position. The last man had scarcely been hauled up when the whole of (he arches and tunnelling to the length of several hundred yards was raised up by the force of the wafer, and fell in one mass into a heap of ruins. Several acres of ground were completely covered with huge masses of brickwork and timbers, and the water pouring in in all directions presented all the appearances of a destructive earthquake. As soon as the consternat ion occasioned by the occurrence had in some measure subsided, several hundred labourers were set to work to divert the course o( sewer into the old Fleet-ditch at the corner of Vino-street. The gasrnains in Vine-street Ray-street, Backhill, and all the adjacent streets were destroyed by the force of the water, which seemed to have uncontrolled possession of the whole district, (he cellars of the houses being all inundated to the depth of several feet. The destruction of property is very great, estimated at several thousand pounds, and will cause a delay in the opening of (he railway - of at least three months. —liriiish Standard, June 20. Details of the steps there were taken in (he course of yesterday to repair the damage caused by the bursting of the Fleet sewer, and the fall of the protecting wall and arches of (ho Metropolitan Railway, are published. Hundreds of men under the direction of skilful engineers, have been at work, and, though much must he done before the course of the sewer can he freed from obstructions yet the. pressure from the How of water has been considerably relieved by diversions into other channels, and among these the new high level sewerat Hampstead was brought into operation for (ho first time. This unfortunate accident will retard the opening of the railway for some time to come.— fh!d.