EXPECTED DISAPPEARANCE OF TWO ENGLISH TOWNS.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3156, 31 March 1879, Page 3

EXPECTED DISAPPEARANCE OF TWO ENGLISH TOWNS.

On Tuesday a deputation, representing property owners and Local Boards of Norwich and Winsfurd, the great salt mining districts, had au interview with the Right Hon. G. Sclater-Booth at Whitehall, respecting the abstraction of brine from underneath the surface of the ground, for the manufacture of white salt. Mr W. Egerton, M.P., and Major Tollemache, M.P., introduced the deputation, the burden of whose complaint was that there wag about 1,500,000 tons of salt produced every year from the brine in r . 4he.se^ two districts of Cheshire. That in consequence great damage was done to railways, canals, houses," and every clasx.of building, and frequently loss of life ensued. The subsidence of j the earth in consequence of the exoava-

tions was enormous, and alarming to a !,!■-.;degree. While the owners of the brine ■;( well* pumped water -for the selection of salt, they at the same time pumped their neighbors' soil away. There was constant 1 subsidence of country roads, bridges, &c, ■of two to three feet a year. Houses were - ' cracking 'and falling in every direction, 'and the' placesl presented the appearance of hating been visited by an earthquake. *y (sfeat expense was constantly incurred in and raising sunken roads ; gas flJa't>d watejf/pipes were being injured in all while property had decreased ,yalue^y ; ery swiously. The one and ".r.fthalf njillioti tons of salt extracted anh .'n,!jaUy,i,wat equal to the excavation !of !,,., cubic yards of solid earth taken ..out of the ground. ■ The reason why the r, earth was so washed away was due to the fact that the salt earth, being porous/had trarldt ther sustaining properties of coal or i^othermetallurgical'soil.: The population of'^he'! districts; was abou^ 30.000, the numJ&r* br* houses "45Q0, , They believed QtK*t^f')Jottethirig. wasnot done that in fifteen-^ffars\the towns /would be under water. They' asked for the appointment ' of a commission...of inquiry^ w^th ; the view '! to acjopting.legislative enactments. :Mr ''. .;'s"^e^-Bjf^th promisediarlj Attention $o . ;^|bj|_yerjr^enou«,matteT.-.>; ;,-.?!«».', ■■■'• ' -„,! loft-'-i'-i v. ■■ -■" ■ ■■■ ; ':i