WALL COLLAPSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 83, 24 August 1912, Page 5

WALL COLLAPSES.

BIG SMASH AT GONVILLE. Wanganui, Thursday. Residents in the vicinity of Tawa street, Gonville, were startled this morning by a tremendous muffled report, resembling the booming of a big piece of ordnance, and many, in the belief that it was a. premonitary signal 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 safety, though the sight which mf?t their eyes was one hardly comforting to the Gon-villc-Castlecliff' Tramway Board, which !i:!k now had another item added to its list of unexpected expenditure. The occurrence was due to the collapse of a heavy concrete double retaining wall, built to hold up the steep, sandy sides of a portion of Tawa street on the southern loop of the board's system. When finished, as originally designed, it was found that the wall was not high enough to hold the ground, as had hen expected, and another wall was super-imposed upon it. but about three feet back from the face. The lower wall wns then filled with clay and sand. The whole work cost £IOOO, and has been a source of much anxiety to the board and its officers.