The Telegraph & Argus celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and in honour of the occasion we are printing a story from our archives every day for 150 days.

Today we look at the Telegraph & Argus Wednesday, December 11, 1963:

A three-mile section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal from Hirst Wood, Shipley, to a point near Esholt, Apperley Bridge, was drained after a crater appeared in the bowl of the canal. A huge bale of packing was lowered into the crater in an attempt to block the hole, but the nylon ropes snapped, and the bale disappeared.

Dye was then added to the water to find out where it ran, appearing in the playing fields of Saltaire Mills and through grates on to the floor of a mill cloth warehouse. Thankfully the quick action of the works fire brigade, prevented thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Making a full report, district inspector of the British Waterways North, Mr. J. Siddall, said that the crater was caused by a sewer collapse which appeared at 7.15 am, leaving the canal dry within four hours.

Taking almost 50 years to complete the most important cargo to be carried along the canal was always coal, with over a million tons per year being delivered to Liverpool in the 1860s. The canal suffered some damage during the Second World War, but trade continued until as late as the 1980s.