Subsidences In Cheshire

Our engraving illustrates a very curious ind very unpleasant phenomenon in Winsforrl, Cheshire, Englanil - the sinking of a large building into the earth. Tliis and tnany other sinkings in that county are duo to the removal of salt from the mines. Over 1,200,000 tons of pure salt from brine and 500,000 tons of rock salt are skipped annually from Cheshire; the latter is regularly cmarried out and the former made from brine pumped up from the deep pits, In tion, it is xtipposed that tbe rain percolating througli tbo earth is washing a niuch larger quantity into the ocean by underground channels. In the towns of Northwich and Winsford the housas are settling down in all sorts of ways, as chance may determine, Windows and doors often standing at acute angles to the foot walks, and these rising occasionally in waves. Several months ago the earth near the Wheatsheaf inn sank very suddenly, and afterward the bottom of the cellar "dropped out" while several men were at work in it. Both cellar bottom and the earth of tbe earlier depression feil into an old salt mine f uil of water; and the men were saved with much difficulty. The cut shows the Red Lion inn at Winsford, which hss sunk thirty-seven feet and a half since 1840, and is still sinking. lt was formerly so high that the first floor was reached by a high flight of steps. Near by stands the solitary chimney of some old salt works, all the rest of the building having fallen into the cavern. Thesidcs of the cavity above it are somewhat rounded off by rain, and then a deep mere or lake with no outlet is formed.