Landslide Creates Mess, Breaks Gas Line In Kilbuck Twp.
KILBUCK TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A landslide created a big mess and ruptured an exposed gas line near a bar in Kilbuck Township overnight.
The slide happened around midnight on the hillside behind Sunny Jim's Tavern in the 200-block of Camp Horne Road. This is the second landslide in that area this year.
Mud continued to slide down the hillside just behind Sunny Jim's Tavern early this morning.
The bar and grille was forced to shut down around midnight. Not because of the threat of more debris coming down the hill, but because of the gas line that broke in the slide.
"It was a big whoosh of constant gas blowing," said Jim Oliver, the owner of Sunny Jim's Tavern. "The three-inch main that runs up the hillside got wiped out."
Just last week, Oliver had notified the municipality about some movement on the hillside, worried about what might happen. Even though it was inspected, Kilbuck Municipality Manager Harry Dilmore didn't expect for this to happen.
"We took a look at it, and at the time, it was so minor we were like, 'Ok, we'll make the utilities aware of it and just keep on eye on it.' But, unfortunately, with all the rain we've had in the last two days, it just continued," said Dilmore.
As clean-up begins, Oliver considers this just another notch in his string of bad luck.
In his 30 years of business, he's been through a fire, a flood after Hurricane Irene, a fallen tree this past spring that damaged the building and now this.
Oliver says he must be on Santa's naughty list this year.
"I guess it's worse than coal," he says.
Trying to find the humor in this situation, Oliver says the drink special tonight, will be a Mudslide.
Equitable Gas reports the gas leak caused 18 customers to lose service. They hope to have it repaired this afternoon.
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Tree Slides Down Hill, Slams Into Restaurant (3/7/11)
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