Jules she/her

Today in "infrastructure isn't meant to do that" news from Normal Island, a canal has fallen down a hole.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lvq0yk9dko

Major incident declared over giant hole at Shropshire canal

Two boats have been left at the bottom of the cavity, where water has drained away.

BBC News
Dec 22 at 1:00pmWeb
Show threadJules she/herDec 22
My thanks to @zaty for informing me that someone did once, in fact, actually pull the plug out of a canal! https://mulberryhall.medium.com/odd-this-day-5b1cfd1fdb32
Odd this day

10 August 1978

Medium
Show threadDr David MillsDec 22
@afewbugs @zaty there's a video on YouTube about the Manchester ship canal and the plug that drains it to the river underneath it.
Martin Zero is the author iirc.
Show threadChristine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖Dec 22
@dtl @afewbugs @zaty Ah that’s the Rochdale Canal where it passes the Bridgwater Hall in the city centre. The plug drains into the river Medlock, which then ends up in the Irwell. And, yes, it was Martin Zero who made the video.
Show threadDr David MillsDec 22
@christineburns @afewbugs @zaty ah, that's the one. I was going to check in a bit.
Show threadSue ArcherDec 22

@dtl @afewbugs @zaty

I think it's the Rochdale canal, not the Ship, but yes, it does drain to a river underneath. You can see the vortex in the opening moments...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZeXcH4hmtY&t=13s

The Secret Trap Door Under The Canal

YouTube
Show threadDr David MillsDec 22
@suearcher @afewbugs @zaty that's the video. Thank you!
Show threadBryan WrightDec 22

@afewbugs @zaty

This is a good example of "Chesterton's gate":

https://www.lesswrong.com/w/chesterton-s-fence

Chesterton's fence — LessWrong

Chesterton's Fence is the principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood. Related: Epistemic Modesty From Chesterton’s 1929 book, The Thing, in the chapter entitled The Drift from Domesticity [1]: > In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it. See also * Wikipedia: Chesterton's Fence

Show threadRolloTreadwayDec 22
@afewbugs @zaty Every few years, the Pontcysyllte aqueduct carrying the Llangollen canal has its plug pulled out for maintenance purposes.
Show threadChristine Burns MBE 🏳️‍⚧️📚⧖Dec 22
@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty I fondly remember steering a narrow boat over that back in 1981, hand on tiller and back to the precipitous unprotected drop.
Show threadRolloTreadwayDec 22
@christineburns @afewbugs @zaty The unprotected side is quite the experience.
Show threadRachel WrightDec 22
@RolloTreadway @christineburns @afewbugs @zaty It is indeed!
Show threadPhil Thane ✅Dec 22
@christineburns
I've boated over it several times (and was planning to do so next year) but once was walking across with a Japanese post grad student researching the Cittaslow movement. She got halfway and froze. I had to lead her back with her eyes tight shut.
@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty
Show threadConor O'NeillDec 23

@pthane @christineburns @RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty

I kayaked across the aqueduct a few years ago.
It didn't feel too scary. I think perhaps that the small wall on the 'exposed' side is more helpful at the scale of a kayak than when higher up in a narrowboat, or as a pedestrian.

Show threadPhil Thane ✅Dec 23
@tpuddle
Amazes me that some people stand-up paddle board across it.
@christineburns @RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty
Show threadJon LordDec 23

@pthane @tpuddle @christineburns @RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty

WTF -

Show threadRolloTreadwayDec 23
@pthane @tpuddle @christineburns @afewbugs @zaty I really don't think I'll be trying that any time soon, no thank you.
Show threadColes Street PotholeDec 22

@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty
Same here.

Wait, was that TMI?

Show threadRachel WrightDec 22
@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty This is something I would love to see one of these days!
Show threadStoneface VimesDec 23
@virtuosew @RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty you just missed it. They emptied either last winter or the one before so won't happen for a good few years. We almost got caught the uphill side of it. If you walk across and keep your eyes open you can spot the lever to operate it all.
Show threadRachel WrightDec 23
@capnthommo @RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty I need to find a way to get on a list to know about these things!
Show threadJules she/herDec 23
@virtuosew @capnthommo @RolloTreadway @zaty I too would like to be on this sort of list!
Show threadStoneface VimesDec 23
@virtuosew @RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty I found the lever by accident. It's above the river Dee down by one of the balustrade uprights. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything - some idiot will probably go and open it now.
The CRT did publish that they were going to be doing the scheduled inspection/maintenance at the time.
Show threadKeithDec 22
@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty naw, that's me taking a pish
Show threadthefathippyDec 23

@keith

It should have been impossible, but no. *Years* of hanging on & being followed—sloshing—by paparazzi. At last—with a level of privacy granted by distance—Keith finally found some relief!

@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty

Show threadKeithDec 23
@thefathippy @RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty true poetry. Thank you
Show threadthefathippyDec 27

@keith

Thanks, glad you liked it. 🙂

@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty

Show threadGDPR GmbHDec 23
@RolloTreadway @afewbugs @zaty must feel sooo good for the canal,,,
Show threadLuke MillerDec 23
@RolloTreadway it looks like a painting 😍
Show threadTim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPEDec 22
@afewbugs That's rather more impressive than the last canal breach a few months ago!
Show threadLoDec 22
@afewbugs "I wonder where Douglas Adams got all his wacky ideas"
Show threadBob CardboardDec 22
@afewbugs young earth Noah's Ark enthusiasts say "see, we told you the water just drained away somewhere"
Show threadLocalDec 22
@afewbugs if you put that stuff into a movie, everyone would say that's too much.
Show threadJules she/herDec 22
@Local there was an episode of Coronation Street where a sinkhole opened up on the street and everyone was like "That's ridiculous, jumping the shark, etc etc." And the older I get the more I think they underplayed it
Show threadJulesJonesDec 22
@afewbugs @Local Never saw the episode, but there was a months-long period a few years ago when there was always at least one car-eating size sinkhole somewhere in Manchester. One of them tried to eat a bus.
Show threadLocalDec 23
@JulesJones @afewbugs I heard about that. Those sink holes are scary as fuck.
Show threadJules she/herDec 23
@Local @JulesJones it's the sheer improbability of this that blows my mind. Like what are the chances of a sinkhole opening, not just under a canal, but under a section of canal with people moored on
Show threadJohn BurnsDec 22

@afewbugs

WOW

Show threadSkunkcrimesDec 22
@afewbugs water, uh... water finds a way
Show threadSkunkcrimesDec 22
@afewbugs also, having seen the aerial photo now, I'm gonna guess it's going to be a similar sort of mess as with the Bridgewater canal breach, with an overwhelmed & collapsed culvert after all the rain we've had.
Show threadJules she/herDec 22
@Tamber following you on the basis "this person canals"
Show threadSkunkcrimesDec 22
@afewbugs I don't really canal -- though I can think of at least one local union-member who does, but I don't know that they're on here -- but I read accident investigation reports for a hobby, so I see dots and join them
Show threadJules she/herDec 22
@Tamber also worth a follow 😊
Show threadPiranhallamaDec 23
@Tamber @afewbugs accident investigation reports are mega. I look forward to them more than actual books.
Show threadAstraLumaDec 22
@afewbugs tl;dr:
Show threadJohn Faithfull 🌍🇪🇺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🧡✊🏻✊🏿Dec 22
@astraluma @afewbugs 😱
Show threadEleanor LNR BlairDec 22
@astraluma @afewbugs Note: that wasn't a lake yesterday!
Show threadAri "Two Grackles" JacksonDec 22

@afewbugs

at first I thought they looked like train cars and I was thinking, why are train cars on a canal? But they are boats?! Now I want to learn more about living on a boat!

Show threadJules she/herDec 22
@arisummerland there's definitely at least one person I follow on here who lives on a #NarrowBoat, have a look in the hashtag!
Show threadAri "Two Grackles" JacksonDec 23
@afewbugs Ooh, thanks! I didn't know what they were called. I will follow.
Show threadPedro Quixote ‽ aka MultiVaxDec 22
@afewbugs My brother and I were only talking about the next canal boat trip, that was going to be around here, last night. 😟
Show threadNic DafisDec 22
@afewbugs it does tend to do this every few years (I grew up nearby, and can recall two incidents), but this is the biggest breach by far. The constant rain can’t have helped, the fields were probably already waterlogged
Show threadMontessori Space Programme 🛸Dec 22
@afewbugs They need to put the water back in the canal. It's not meant to be outside the canal. It's not even a proper canal without water. For Heaven's sake, Normal Island.
Show threadAlanDec 22
@afewbugs Tory's cut the funding, Labour hasn't restored it, so for the sake of about 10p in national budget terms the canal system collapses.
Show threadJosh Dec 22
@afewbugs such an easy solution…
Show threadJules she/herDec 22
@josh0 I was going to say they look a bit small, but then I realised you were offering two of them so all good mate 👍
Show threadJosh Dec 22
@afewbugs glad I could help!
Show threadRootWyrm 🇺🇦Dec 22
@afewbugs @cstross "I must be reading this wrong. Canals don't just fall down holes. That's literally impossible."
<clicks link>
"... oh. That's much worse."
Show threadEleanor LNR BlairDec 22

@afewbugs I note a friend shared a link to this devastating footage from one of the boaters only 100 metres away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FuNqijdUDM

Massive Breach on the Llangollen Canal

YouTube