Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-05-26
The Monster Blast In. San Francasc0
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The harbor Of San Francisco was re
ceuijy the ecener az .AQu19 hAk BY
which the obstruction, known q
q Blossom Rock WIS pretty effectualb
removed out IL the way. This rock M
Z mass OF rather soft sand! stone, about
one hundred and eighty feet long, ninety
feet wide, with abrupt eides and com
paratively smooth surface., 1t lay near
the channel, and large number Olives
sells have been wrecked on 1t, nOtwith-
standing its exact location was known and
marked with q buoy. At intervals during
the past twelveRo fifteen years efforts
have been made byigovernment engineers
70 either sfemoye the IOe1baOg reduoo'aAs
size, SO as to allow ships to pass over it
but every attempt ended In failure
+ About q year ago Colonel A.AW. Won
Schmidt was awarded the contract fol
removal Of this oa1s,Obstructicn to
the navigation of the harbor. A Golfer
dam was ingeniously~ constructed On" the
surface of the rock, and within this shelter
. shaft was sunk to the depth Of twelve
feet, and from the bottom tunnels were
run in every direction. The loose rock, as
it was cut out, was hoisted up and, by
means Of an immense crane, swung OF
into deep water. The excavation, when
completed, resembled. an immense bake
oven. Its dimensions were as follows
Extreme length, 1872 feet; width, 81
feet; height at the shaft, IL feet the
lowest point, feet; the thickness Of the
crust or she'll about 10 feet inches, as
near as could be estimated.
Into this chamber twenty-three tons Of
California blasting powder were packed
in barrels and connected by wires with 9
battery placed on scOw one Thousand
yards distant from the rock. Saturday
The 28d Of April, was fixed as the day fol
the blast and for days previous II wa
the sole theme of conversation IN San
Francisco All manner of conjecture.
were INDUCED in. Some people thought
it would shake the city like an esrth
quake; others that every vessel In the ba.
would suffer more or less damage. and
that not q fish within q radius OF i've
miles would be alive after the explosion
When, the day arrived every wharf
whence the rock could be seen was Gov
cred with spectators. The surface of the
bav was dotted with steamers and boats
of every description. Every root com
.mandiug view of the harbor was crowd
ed. Probably fifty thousand people were
gathe red to witness. b3lH T9h514F
Precisely at two o'clock the blast was
ignited, and . magnificent spectacle re-
warded the patience OF the watchers. A
single jet Of water, probably twenty feet
In diameter, was thrown into the air to
the height of nearly 300 feet, while an
immense mass, fully $50 feet in length, at
first white with foam, and then cream
col0red az the spray died OUT, showing
the water discolored with the mud and
rock, was lifted TO an elevation perhaps q
hundred feet less. High above the water
could be discovered, flying through the
air, pieces Of timber ,a4d, rock. some o.
which we're thrown q distance OF thou
sand yards A few seconds later . secOne
explosion took place, and then the sgi
tated waters settled quietly over the spot
and the grand spectacle was ended.-Hw
peS's Wtshv.i'H oaTi sf3ani7D II T.