The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-30 00:00:00

IN SEARCH OF A WILL.

The following is from The Times of Wednesday :
"Much excitement was caused yesterday morning in
the village of Clapham. near Bedford, by the exhuma-
tion of the body of the Rev. John Frederic Dawson,
LL.B., of Woodlands, in that parieb, who died in
October, 1870, at tho age of 68, and was buried in the
parish churchyard. It would appear that in 1812 the
estate of Woodlands was purchased by the father of the
deceased, Mr. John Thomas Dawson, who was formerly
Mayor of Bedford. This gentleman seems to have died
intestate, but a rumour went abroad to the effect that
he bad made a will, under which the property was
ants-led. The Rev. J. F. Dawieon, who succeeded to the
estate, was twice married. By his first wife he left
issue a son, who now survivar. Oa her death he
married again, and by this marriage he had a son and
daughter, and by his will he left the estate, under
trustees, to this son, making ample provision for the
widow, a lady who is much respected. The rumour
that the grandfather of these children had left a will
entailing the estate gained considerable strength from a
statement which has lately been going the rounds of
gossip, to the effect that acme documents were placed
in the coffin of the Rev. J. F. Dawson just before its
removal for interment. The carpenter who had screwed
down the lids averred that the nurse who had attended
the deceased placed a bundle of documents, tied
with tape, under the body before the coffin was finally
closed, and thus an imprerslon got abroad that the
supposed will of entail had been buried with the
remains of the Rev. J. F. Dawson. In these circum-
stances the legal representatives of the son by the first
marriage applied to the Home Secretary for authority
to exhume the body, and the requisite sanction having
been given, the exhumation was commenced at 1 a.m.,
when the cr.,ffin was opened in the presence of the legal
and medical gentlemen concerned. A diligent search
between the inner shell and the outer oak coffin proved
in vain; but on lifting the bedy, which was in2a
wonderful state of preservation, a bundle of what,
appeared to be letters, tied round with red tape, was
discovered. These documents were taken away, with
the necessary legal formalities, and the body was then
re-interred as soon as poseible. Of course, tb ere wae little
time for examining the parcel, but it is supposed that
it contained only some old love-letters which had
passed between the deceased and his 'first wife, and we
are crecibly informed by some of the eye-witnesses
that no will was found. As may be imagined, a large
crowd gathered in the morning in the churchyard, a
rumour having been circulated that some body
snatchers had visited the locality. The utmost de-
corum, however, was observed, a force of county
police being on duty in the churchyard under Mr.
Superintendent Kennedy. The affair caused no little
excitement in Bedford all yesterday, and was the
topic of general conversation."

EXPLOSION OF HELL GATE.
A New York telegram of Sunday night's date (Sept.
24), rays :—" Hell Gate was blown up at nine minutes
to three this (Sunday) afternoon, thus bringing to a sue-
easeful close the seven years' work of opening a
navigable passage for ocean steamer from Long Island
Sound into New York Harbour. Fifty thousand pounds
of dynamite were used in undermining the rock ob-
structions, and were exploded by electricity. The ex-
plosion was heard at a distance of ten miles, and a
tremor like a slight earthquake was felt in New York
city and the localities contiguous to Hell Gate. Con-
trary to the generally felt apprehensions of the people
and ths predictions of many eminent engineers, no
accidents occurred and no damage was done. Though
the weather was rainy, thousands upon thousands
witnessed the explosion from various adjacent points.
Thousands also deserted their homes in the vicinity of
Hell Gate, many even leaving New York."

A Times' telegram on Monday says : "From
soundings talien to-day, General Newton pronounces
the Hell Gate explosion thoroughly successful. Sun-
day's blast was touched off by his little daughter, aged
yearr."

The Standard has the following remarks on the sac-
cesful accomplishment of the work
The inhabitants of* New York may be supposed to breathe)
somewhat more freely now that the long-expected ex-
plosion In the East River has passed off with safety and suc-
cess. The spot in question was known by the ugly name of
Hell Gets, being in fact a deep but narrow channel off
Relict's Point, between New York city and Long Island. It
is to be hoped that henceforth the place will have a better
name, and will more effectually serve its purpose as one of
the entrances to New York harbour. The nervousness which
beset Borne portionof the contlgnouspopulation with reference
to this great enterprise may well be excused. The total
quantity of explosive matter employed on the occasion was
more than 50,000 pounds, consisting of dynamite, Vulcan
powder, and litho-fracteur—all preparations of nitro-glycerine.
The explosive power of these compounds is generally
estimated at six times that of gunpowder, at which rate the
total explosive force of the East River mines would he equal
to 130 tons of gunpowder. The Lottie Sleigh blew
up in the gersey with about eleven tons of powder,
causing considerable damage in Liverpool and Birken-
bead. In the Erith explosion rather leas than fifty tons
blew up. The quantity of explosive material to be disposed
of at Hell Gate was therefore exceptionally large, and as it lay
beneath beds of rock and some aepth of water, it was hard
to believe that the springing of such a mine could be other-
wise than tremendously violent. But the American engineers
had made a nice calculation as to the balance of force. The
explosive agent had no light task to perform, and it was
calculated that the useful effect would absorb all the energy
of the nitroglycerine. It was so in England with
respect to gunpowder when a large portion of the
cliff was blown down at Dover to make room for
the South-Eastern Railway. On that occasion although
it was feared by some that there would be a tremen-
dous noble and a wild shattering of the chalk, there was
scarcely anything apparent in the nature of an explosion,
netplte me very considerable queetite of powder which had
been deposited in the galleries excavated in the cliff. When
the charge was fired the cliff seemed to lose Its solid charac-
ter, and to run down like a liquid or viscous mass. No harm
was done, bat a great engineering feat was accomplished,
and an immense outlay for labour was caved.
The excavations and other processes requisite for the
blowing up of the Heil Gate channel were described at some
length by our New York Correspondent nearly three weeks
ago. The plan was not so much for the purpose of blowing
up the rocks as for letting them down. A portion of the
coannel was to be deepened, so as to give greater width to
the deeper part. A shaft being sunk on the river bank,
twenty-one headings radiated from it, so as to pass under
the river. These headings were crossed or Intersected by
galleries running in curves concentric with the main shaft.
The whole eiff air was thus like a spider's web of the wheel
pattern. The total length of the galleries and headings
was nearly a mile and a half, and their intersections
formed about 170 piers or ceinmns. Into these piers
and into the roof were drilled more than 4,000 holes, in
which were placed the explosive compounds, each charge
being secured in an iron tube. The risk attendant on the
Insertion of these iron tubes was perhaps the most serious
part of the whole business. If, when part of the work was
done, one of these tubes had chanced to explode, the proba-
bility is that all the rest would have followed, and the
whole operating party below would have been blown toa
atoms, or crushed by the falling rocks, or finally drowned by
the inrushing waters. Happily no such disaster occurred,.
and at last everything was ready. Each tube was connected
with an electric cirouit, and twenty of Grove's batteries,.
comprising nearly a thousand cells, were prepared to.
transmit its spark. These batteries were so connected as to.
act simultaneously, so that the whole mass of ex-
plosive matter should be ignited at the genie in-
stant. Dire apprehensions were entertained In many
minds as to the probable effect of this subaqueous
volcano. When the eventful day arrived there was a general
forsaking of those dwellings that were nearest the scene,
and of some that were far off, the fugitives taking care to
leave the windows open. As it was Sunday, people were
less occupied, and were more at liberty to depart. The ap-
propriation of Sunday for the explosion, was justified by
General Newton, who had the direction of the work, on the
ground that it was a matter of necessity. Prior to the
explosion, the whole of the excavations were flooded,
so as to prevent the blast from rushing along the
galleries The water thus admitted acted as 83 much
"tamping," and tended to concentrate the explo-
sion. Seven years of labour at length culminated In one
second of time, when the electric circuit was completed and
the multitudinous charges were fired. There was a tremor
of the earth, and a confused notes) smote on the ear, while a
strange agitation of the waters was visible to the eye.
But there was nothing more terrible or dangerous. The
dynamite did its work well, letting the reef collapse into the
lower depth which had been prepared for it. The river rocks,
crushed and shivered by the interne local force of nitro-
glycerine, have now to be dredged up, and when this process
is complete we may expect to hear that the channel from
Long islaed Sound to New York Hathour is available for
ocean steamers.

By the time this work is fairly finished it is estimated that
the cost will amount to pretty near a million dcliars. The
practical result, accorOing to our Correspondent, will be a
saving of 25 miles in distance, or not more than two hours to
an ocean going steamer. But the advantage to the local
carrying trade is estimated very highly. Other obstructions
In the East River are being dealt with in like manner, and
will be disposed of by•end-bye, although the progress Is
rather slow. . .