Great Fall of Cliff.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 781, 27 March 1905, Page 2

Great Fall of Cliff.

2r>t7,l>oo TOXS CRASH I)OWX T . The largest fall of cliff on the South Hast Coast 'during the last fifty years occurred at St. Margaret's Bay, near Dover, on January H)th, when an enormous slice of the clill, estimated by the eoasu-guard at about a quarter of a, inilllion lons. i'eU with a crash into the sea. The fall occurred a little to the eastward of (he buy, where lUi> clilT is about ariOi'i hjgh,' The fall was of a very unusual character, there being no warning whatever, as Is usually the cast) by cracks appearing on the surface. When the coast-guard patrolled the clill' () n Monday afternoon there was no sign of distur•ba nee. During the night Uv.-nj wan a slight fall, and about half-past nine in the I morning the great (all happened, | with a loud roar like thunder or an i explosion, which greatly alarmed the inhabitants. The codupsv caused a ver.e sharp earth tromol, which was felt throughout the village and was at first believed to be an carthl.|iuake shock. A further fall occurred' a I noeii. Two eye-witnesses, who had remarkable escapes, state that (he fall was like an expln.'io'ii, a cloud of dust and debris being shol high into (he air. They we-e look in ■; al the crack wh|ch haul oevii'onod in (he lop of the cliff during lb. night, when (hey noticed it widening, and huniel away only just in lime lo escape being carried with it. The slice out of the clilV i-, perpendicular, and clean cut. as though taken out with ano >op. It has made a gap about 2(Wtl wide ami 50ft deep. The debris at the foot of the cliff covers a large arei. With some enormous fragments of rock the mass is 20ft or 30ft high am j extends seawards about a quarter of a mile,