Do you live in a sinkhole safe zone?

TIDE-HSV

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One nice thing about living atop a part of the Cumberland Plateau (Monte Sano) is that the top is sandstone, ranging from 5' to 10' thick. It seems to support the houses up here well. There are numerous old coal mining tunnels running through the limestone beneath top, so that's proof that the sandstone bridges voids. There has been some subsidence along the west bluff line right above the entrance to the old mines. Several years ago, there was a landslide scare. There's an upscale subdivision built just below the west bluff line, unwittingly on mine tailings, which are very weak and unstable. Five hundred truckloads of rock later, it seems to be shored up...
 

bamachile

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Earle, we tend to forget about coal mining in Alabama. The old Agricola mines and others around the Gadsden area left many abandoned shafts behind. I remember running across one with cousins of mine on Lookout Mountain above Noccalula Falls.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Earle, we tend to forget about coal mining in Alabama. The old Agricola mines and others around the Gadsden area left many abandoned shafts behind. I remember running across one with cousins of mine on Lookout Mountain above Noccalula Falls.
The ones on Monte Sano were "coyote" mines - barely enough room for a guy on his hands and knees, not enough room to stand up...
 

gman4tide

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I didn't realize the extent of coal mines in Madison County till I was talking to an elderly gentleman in Hurricane Valley about the mountain behind his house. He started pointing out land marks and showed me what I thought was a huge "bench". Turns out it was where an old coal mining operation had stripped a huge strip around the mountain. Thats when i realized it was "coal" mountain and not "cole" mountain.
 

bamachile

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The ones on Monte Sano were "coyote" mines - barely enough room for a guy on his hands and knees, not enough room to stand up...
Sounds like what I remember seeing as well, although it's been a few years. My father's family were coal miners in Kentucky, so the subject piques my interest. I may run a few Google trails today. :smile:
 

SavannahDare

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Considering where Riz lives, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the news someday. I'm pretty sure that whole Tampa/St. Pete area sits precariously atop a cavern that just slowly opening up, one sinkhole at a time.

Hope you've got coverage, Riz. :(
 

TIDE-HSV

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Considering where Riz lives, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the news someday. I'm pretty sure that whole Tampa/St. Pete area sits precariously atop a cavern that just slowly opening up, one sinkhole at a time.

Hope you've got coverage, Riz. :(
Rising sea level will mean more saltwater infiltration, which makes the whole problem worse. Have you considered moving north. We may be sitting on the new shoreline here in HSV... :)
 

ValuJet

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Riz - you better get some visits in to the Mons before that joint is swallowed up.
 

bamanut_aj

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One nice thing about living atop a part of the Cumberland Plateau (Monte Sano) is that the top is sandstone, ranging from 5' to 10' thick. It seems to support the houses up here well. There are numerous old coal mining tunnels running through the limestone beneath top, so that's proof that the sandstone bridges voids. There has been some subsidence along the west bluff line right above the entrance to the old mines. Several years ago, there was a landslide scare. There's an upscale subdivision built just below the west bluff line, unwittingly on mine tailings, which are very weak and unstable. Five hundred truckloads of rock later, it seems to be shored up...
Earle, been a while since I've been up on Monte Sano. My Cross Country coach used to run us from HHS, over to Clinton, and up Bankhead Pkwy, to the Park. Didn't they finally shut, for good, a spur off the Parkway that went up to the park because of a recurring sinkhole? Or was it recurring land/rock slide? Wish I could remember the name of the road....back in the 80's, seemed like they shut it down once every year or two, and would try to rebuild it.
 
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TIDE-HSV

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Earle, been a while since I've been up on Monte Sano. My Cross Country coach used to run us from HHS, over to Clinton, and up Bankhead Pkwy, to the Park. Didn't they finally shut, for good, a spur off the Parkway that went up to the park because of a recurring sinkhole? Or was it recurring land/rock slide? Wish I could remember the name of the road....back in the 80's, seemed like they shut it down once every year or two, and would try to rebuild it.
It's really a landslide. It's the same problem as all around the rim of the Cumberland Plateau, or, really, all mountains, since they're all in the process of falling down. There may be some limestone dissolution, but the main problem is simply headward erosion. The road going on up is just a continuation of Bankhead Parkway, and it's still closed. There's periodic talk about reopening it, but you can throw millions at it, as the state of Tennessee has found over at Monteagle. The park has become much more profitable. About ten years ago, they restored/remodeled the old hotel - I'm sure you remember the bare standing stone walls. It's very pricey and it's rented out almost every night for weddings, meetings, etc. Of course that money doesn't stay here. It's siphoned down to Montgomery...
 

bamanut_aj

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It's really a landslide. It's the same problem as all around the rim of the Cumberland Plateau, or, really, all mountains, since they're all in the process of falling down. There may be some limestone dissolution, but the main problem is simply headward erosion. The road going on up is just a continuation of Bankhead Parkway, and it's still closed. There's periodic talk about reopening it, but you can throw millions at it, as the state of Tennessee has found over at Monteagle. The park has become much more profitable. About ten years ago, they restored/remodeled the old hotel - I'm sure you remember the bare standing stone walls. It's very pricey and it's rented out almost every night for weddings, meetings, etc. Of course that money doesn't stay here. It's siphoned down to Montgomery...
I need to get back and check out the old hotel...I bet it's nice!

Had my HS reunion picnic at the playground 2 summers ago, but didn't take time to explore...wish I would've


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TIDE-HSV

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I need to get back and check out the old hotel...I bet it's nice!

Had my HS reunion picnic at the playground 2 summers ago, but didn't take time to explore...wish I would've


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I misspoke earlier. The lodge is the old tavern on the park grounds which burned. The hotel was really over on the west bluff. They excavated its site several years ago. Here's a url for the interior. They restored all the stonework and expanded the size by 1/3 on the east side, but cheaped out and used siding instead of doing it in stone. Below is a photo of the front...

LINK

 

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