The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-08

Professor MniIeferts Operations Yesterday
Remarkable Effects Of the Explosion on the
Sunken Rocks, the Fish and the Water
Relics from tho Bottoms Of ships.
The work OF blasting the rocks that obstruct navi-
CATION through Hell Gate goes bravely under the
personal direction OF Professor Malefert, and the
indications are that II the government continues to
sustain the contractor his efforts as 1t has done
up to the present time He'll Gate will have lost its
bad name by this time next year. 1t should be
borne in mind that the government supplies the
contractor with all that is necessary to prosecute
his work, but that it does not supervise the opera
tons through It's officers. No representative OF the
government has any hand in the NATTER and the
contractor Is alone the responsible person VINO ID
monarch OF all he surveys" on the blasted rocks
in the stream There are certain army engineers
who manifest great deal OF interest in the Improve
ments but as general thing they do very little, 1t Is
stated, to encourage those who are endeav0ring to
clear the channel.
BY the terms of the contract made with Professor
Maefert he agreed TO blast Ways reef, Pot rock
and Shelldrake reef 50 that there would be twenty
five feet depth Of water over eacn at mean low
water, the work to he completed by the LIST OF De-
cember next Ways reef Is the objective point OF
his operations just now and the work Of Blasting it
was begun on the "a OF last mOutn. reel is over
200 leet in length and over 100 feet Ia width,
and when work was begun upon II 1t had but
twelve and q han 1eet OF water over It.
There are now over eighteen ieet, which
goes to snow that the blasting has done something
after ALL The WORK ON this reef can be prosecuted
only at certain times during the day, the contractor
beng Obliged To regulate his operations with the
changing OF the nde. lie contends, however, that
Snedrake reef could be operated upon between
times when he IS obliged TO leave Ways reef severe
ly Alone but Tor some reason General Newton does
not wish him to do anything with IL until the work
on Ways reef has been completed. 1t may also be
mentioned that the government intends to take
Hazlett's Point in hand itself, and cOfer dam Is
now being constructed near II preparatory to mining
the rocks and blowing them out OF the track OF navi
CATION. The engineers who have this work put the
expense OF the Thing at $4,0Oo,OO
The ns0dus opeIundi Of Professor Maillefert in
but the results winch have already been produced
by his operations snow quite plainly that surface
blasting Is not quite the useless tnng some engineers
would have people believe In this connection,
therefore, q sketch OF the manner In which the work
is done, as witnessed by HERALD reporter, may
not be without certain degree OF interest. About
half-past nine O'Clock yesterday morning Professor
Mallleert got into small yawl boat, rowed by Two
men, taking with him long pole, an electric bat
terry and wire and tin can containing liz pounds OF
giant powder. BY The Professors direction the yawl
was rowed over Ways reef when he began his
which, IN his judgment, would answer his purposes
best, the can was lowered with sandDag ballast.
The boat was then rOwed about a 10U feet from the
spot and the battery was set to work. The elect
was almost instantaneous A low. rumbiing sound,
as OF distant thunder could be plainly heard under
the water, which, In second, changed TO loud
detOnatiOn that made the window paneS In the
little wooden houses along the shore shake and
tremDle as though a thunderbolt had struck some
where In the near neghbOrhOOd. simultaneously
with the report me water over the spot where the
can had been sunk rose some i've or six feet,
forming sort Of rounded column Of water,
which, as 1t rose, sent the waves that en-
comprised it upon all sides dashing away
TO the right and left, AZ though prOpelle d
by some invisible power. This lasted Out second,
when there auriaca a
number Of fish OF various kinds and sizes, all OF
them quite dead, having been killed by the c0ncus
however, Oil that could have been desired. Although
the can had been placed on perfectly nat surface
Of the reef on sounding 1t was discovered that for
TWO or three feet about the can the rOck had been
broken into several chunks, and crevice Of half
foot In depth made in the reef. An experiment in
blasting the rock with three at the same time
was made, and, inasmuch as but one OF the cans
was exploded by electricity, the TACT deserves par
t1cular mention. The three cans were lowered from
the boat IN the usual way, all being placed nearly
in line as possible. The middle one was placed
about 1872 feet distant from the Others ana the wire
ated tne whole three cans exploded at the same
time the c0ncussion Of the explosion of the one
which the wire was attached being SUFFICIENT to ex-
plOde the others. This rather strange crcums
would seem to show that giant powder must be
very near relation to glycerne, If not the genuine
article itself. In dragging for the rocks broken by
the explosion several large pieces o: copper, all
crumpled and drawn together like half folded fan,
were hauled up. indicating that Ways reef had IN
more vessels than was quite necessary to demon
strate Its destructveness TO our shipping.
It's expected that Ways reef Will have been so
knocked to pieces by the LIST OF December that there
will be no danger oil any accidents TO vessels pass
ing over It, The rock that being blasted from the
reef Is OF very haro kind, and In the majority OF
instances breaks OH IN large pieces. Three immense
sc0w loads OF IL have already been taken from the
reef, and at the rate the work Is going
on there can be little doubt that the
contractor will fulfil his promise as to its COM
pleti0n by the 1st Of December-provided there
be no jealous interferences on the part OF GER
tam government officials, who do not, IL Is claimed
appear to be very anxious as to whether the work
Is done or not. In conclusion, 1t may be asked why
the contractor is not allowed to work Shelldrake
reef when the tide prevents him from operating on
Ways reef. His working at It would certainly be
better than his being compelled TO remain idle the
greater part OF the day.