Three homes began sinking in this Southern Illinois community after an old coal mine shaft collapsed, authorities said. No injuries were reported, authorities said. Five homes were evacuated. ``When I got out of the car, I noticed a crack in the concrete (driveway). Then I got inside and heard the house popping. We could feel the house moving,'' said Maxine Smith, who began removing possessions from her home Wednesday evening. Cracks appeared in roads on the south side of this community of about 9,600, said Interim Fire Chief Paul Marlo. In the sinking homes, windows shattered, walls and floors cracked, and floors and pipes burst, residents said. ``The houses are still shifting. We don't have any idea how long it might be. Right now, it's just a waiting game,'' town Superintendent Terry McEvers said late Wednesday. The homes began sinking Wednesday afternoon because of the mine shaft collapse, authorities said. Abandoned mines run underneath much of Southern Illinois, where coal mining is a major industry. ``There's no way of knowing the extent of the damage. The whole area is undermined,'' Marlo said. As a precaution, work crews began draining a 750,000-gallon municipal water tower near the site late Wednesday, authorities said. Service was not affected because the town has another tower. ``Right now, the structure of the tower is sound, but we want to make sure we have no problems,'' McEvers said. Authorities evacuated the three homes which had moved and two across the street as a precautionary measure, Marlo said. ``We thought they'd better go some place else for the night,'' he said.
