Watch out for sinkholes

[John_Walter]

Probably a little bit of a peripheral topic for Machinery Talk, but I had to clear this one off my mind this morning:

Sinkhole tragedy hits home (click here)

It can be sort of funny when the neighbor gets a tractor stuck. But, there's a dark side to the earth's topographical traps, too.

Thoughts? A story?

John

[tree fmr]

John,

Reminds me of a time I was mowing hay many years ago.  I noticed a hole in the ground, looked like something like a groundhog dug.  On my way around the field I started thinking, why is there no mound of dirt around that hole?  I would have run a tractor tire very near the hole on the next round.  I decided to stop and look in it.  The crust was about an inch think then it opened up into a four foot diameter and six foot deep hole!  I marked it and showed my father, I knew there was a house on that hill in the past, dad knew the house had a hand dug well.  The hole was the well that had been filled in with dirt and over the years the dirt had settled causing the sink hole.

I was only 15 at the time and would have run our best tractor right into that hole.  No cab, what would have happened?  I am very glad to this day I was curious and stopped to look!

[Roy_Smith]

Beavers can cause sink holes. I had a  rented farm that had a sink hole approximately 15 feet out in the field from a running stream. It was there when I rented the farm in 1975 and still there when I quit in 2003. It never got a lot bigger but it never got any smaller even when I filled it with dirt after harvest. They get worse in dry weather when the dry dirt  shrinks more than wet dirt...Soyroy

[r3020]

Several years back I was pulling a planter with a narrow front 706. I was crossing a water way and knew at one time there was a tile hole close to where I was crossing. As I crossed I stood up to get a better look. Just as I was standing the front fell in. I kept hold of the steering wheel but my nose was just inches from the fuel cap. The tractor started jumping up and down trying to climb the hole. I was finally able to regain my balance and shut the key off. No damage, just lost about1/2 hour getting it out.

[buckfarmer]

I can't figure how to post a link with my I-phone. You Tube has a post call "a bad day" that is mostly stuck machinery but does have a couple sink holes.