Sly Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 Hello, Let me tell you what happened to me yesterday. I went to see some friends near Péronne, arrived in his street (opposite to his house) I parked my car on the bitumen pavement then go to my friend's house. One hour later, I was back to my car, started the engine, 1st gear but my car didn't move ???? The whole right wheel was in a hole, the pavement was broken because of the weight of my car. Calling my friends, we managed to push my car out. the hole was about 1 metre large, asking to my friend a torch to see inside it was about 2 or 3 metres deep and some old beams were still visible at the bottom. I already know these kind of holes because some of my family are farmers here and it happens sometimes that an tractor falls in a such hole. As I am curious, i have a look this morning on my trench maps to see exactly were my car was parked. the map is original, from the September 3rd 1916. In blue are the german trench or dug out under construction, red circle where my car was: Watch out for the holes !!! Sly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 Sly - I am sure we are going to see more of this in the years to come what with weather that is a contrast between very hot and very wet. I have also seen houses being built over such sites on the Somme, including in my own village, and I often wonder how long they will be there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly Posted 4 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 July , 2007 Unfortunately I think you are right Paul... And some of these holes are really very deep !!! Sly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 And some of these holes are really very deep !!! Of course they are! They are genuine German craftmanship! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 ...and your sink hole is not as bad as this WW1 sink hole: Synopsis: This was probably the most spectacular accident involving a TGV, and set a record for the world's fastest derailment. It occured before the TGV Haute Picardie station was built, near the southern end of where the platforms are located today. After a period of heavy rains, a large sink hole opened under track 2 (southbound). Two trains had already passed this spot and detected no anomaly, as late as 10 minutes before the accident. At 7:06, TGV 7150 was bearing down at 294 km/h (182 mph) on a muddy hole 7 meters long by 4 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep, bridged by a section of unsupported track (see picture above). The engineer felt a slight bump and made a service brake application. The last four trailers and the rear power unit derailed, and the train came to a rocky stop over a distance of 2.3 kilometers (somewhat less than it takes for a conventional emergency stop). It was fortunate that the train did not jackknife or leave the track bed; this is credited in part to the stiffness that the articulated design lends to the train. Only one passenger was injured, and another treated for shock. The sinkhole was traced to unstable terrain beneath the track bed, possibly caused by galleries and trenches from World War 1. How closely a disaster was averted is a matter of debate; however, the trackbed has since been carefully inspected to prevent similar occurences in the future. Photo: Jean-Marie Hervio / Le Parisien Libéré Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 Welded rails saved a lot of lives there Egbert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly Posted 4 July , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 July , 2007 Don't be afraid to take the TGV... the current TGV line: I forgot the A1 motorway nearby ! Sly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 According to recent reports Nieupoort may soon vanish into an enormous hole. The tunnels underneath it are crumbling away. Hope they are Ok until after my holidays sm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loganshort Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 You will be perfectly safe unless it is a Sunday, that is holy day ! My parents told me when i was a kid that if i kept digging in my garden I would reach Australia.. maybe it was one of my holes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 4 July , 2007 Share Posted 4 July , 2007 Having spoken with Peter Doyle about this I would be very wary about buying a house built after 1918 anywhere near the front line in Belgium ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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