Falling rock puts defences to the test

the wire fence sags under the weight of the boulder it caughtworkmen with the rock, and a house by The Run just belowA large rock has been caught in the rockfall fencing above upper Jamestown.

Dave Malpas, St Helena Government’s roads manager, said it could have continued down the hill and hit property below – as happened when the Baptist Chapel was badly damaged in 2009.

“It was good to see that the fence had stopped the rock by absorbing the impact,” said Dave.

“Although it was sagging under the weight of the rock, it has not been damaged.”

The discovery was made on Monday. The next day, roads staff broke the rock into smaller pieces that could safely be left on the hillside.

COMMENT:

Exciting stuff. Maybe it’s a meteorite? ;-)

Bill Hodgson, via Comments

SEE ALSO:
Thieves damage rockfall defences in Jamestown

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About Simon Pipe

Former print and BBC journalist, running St Helena Online news website about British territories in the South Atlantic at www.sthelenaonline.org and blogging occasionally on other sites.
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