The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-06-03


of the opportunity, and he turned the In.
strument skywards. Advertising agent,
were also on hand, who Mt intervals flung
thousands of their handbills into the air
Candy and fiuit hucksters struggled about
and diverted much coin to their pockets
Those persons who had oper.-glasses and
spy-glasses were much cnvied. Several
enterprising dispensers of fluids packed
beer barrels up the hill and did q good
business, while their stock In trade lasted.
Yachts, steamers, tugs, schooners, slOops,
and row boats dotted the bay In all direc-
tons, but all kept ut respectful distance
from the rock, above which the American
flag was flying, and near which the boats
OF the engineers lowered. At l Z. nj. q
gun Numbered from Alcatraz and startled
hundreds, who thought the monster blast
had been exploded.
BY this time $4,000 people were pres
ent aud the appearance of Telegraph
Hill was inexpressibly grand. The whole
resembled grand army. On all the
streets and road ways at tho base were
hundreds of carriages. buggies. wagons
vehicles of all kinds, loaded with people.
TIE LAST GUN.
At two minutes before half-past one
the last signal gun was fired from the AL
catraz, and everybody expected to see
the rock shattered. The scow with the
engineers was anchored Mt y safe distance,
but when the time came for the explosion
to take place. u staff on the framework
on the rock fell, and aflnr about fifteen
minutes delay boat with several men
put of from the scow and landed them
on the rock again. II was evident from
the delay and the movements of the men
that some accident had happened, but
what 1t was no one on shore could deter
mine. The people grew impatient, but
in a short time the small boat put OF to /.
ward tho scow, and expectation was on
ip-toe.
-. THE EXPLOSION.
At G minutes past 2 p. M. the explo-
sion took place. A monster cone Of wa
ter. apparently one hundred feet in diam
oter Mt tho base, shot into the air to tho
height of Mt least ono hundred feet, and
in its centre, like the crater of volcano,
could be seen sheet of smoke and stones,
tho latter going far above the vast column
of water. There was dead thug like
sound; the great cone was shattered in
to spray and fell. the rocks descended
plunging into the Bay. and all was over
save the great white circle of foam which
marked the spot. Not single vestige
of the frame work was to be seen. I'M
mediately guns were fired, whistles sound-
cd and bells were rung.
A great shout went up from the assem-
bled multitudes and then came the disper-
sion, rs of some vast army, panic strick-
on and in flight. Probably moro than
10000 people witnessed the grand spccta.
ole, such n sight rs was never presented
In this city before. Along every street
ratified thousands OF wagons and carri-
aoes. and horsemen dashed rapidly here
and there. The sidewalks wero lined,
aud the crowd seemed moro immense than
when gathered on the hills. The fleet of
sailing vessels and steamers headed to-
wards the spot where Blossom Rock had
beed. and hundreds Of people who had
the leisure remained to witness further
proceedings, whatever they might bc.
No rock went out of perpendicular di-
iecaOII, but hugo bould,rs weighing tons
were thrown high In tho air, amid n
storm of smaller ones. The sight was u
magnificent one, but there was much less
cOmmotion on the water than many had
expected. Tho shock was felt by people
In boats, but there was no percepuble
lar on shore ut the nearest point.
TIE RESULT.
can now only he Judged by what was
seen. but Il was probably rs effective rs
could have been desired. SOundings
will be made and the actual result an
nounccd.
THE EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL, ETC.,
consisting of SO barrels and seven large
iron tanks of California blasting powder,
was stored in the excavation without
break or accident of any kind. The dam
gerous character of this operation may bo
readily imagined by those who have had
experience in blasting. and the practical
men who visited the rock were avOwcd-
ly apprehensivc of some casualty in this
regard. 1t was successfully accomplish
cd, however, despite all fears and pre-
dictions to the contrary.
They were about six feet long and
three feet four inches square. built OF
boiler iron, aud contained from 80 To 115
kegs of powder apiece, only one having
the last named amount. The barrels
were arranged around the outer edge OF
the excavation. eight feet apart; the tanks
in the centre. ten feet apart. In the dis
position of the wires, all the ingenuity
and mechanical skill Of Col. Won Schmidt
and tho electrician, Mr.. Lundbcrg were
brought into play. In order to comprc-
hcnd this portion of the affair. we obtain
cd u few facts Of the Engineer: Two
wires, one of copper and the other OF
steel-the latter. fuse covered with coat
ing of composition and the rubbcr-c0n-
nected all the barrels and tanks running
into the famous Abel fuses, perfCrated
tubes some six inches in length, Gil with
rifle power. On the top Of each barrel
and tank was copper tube shaped like
Il, and connected with these tubes was
an ordinary rubber hose. Tho wires
were carried through this hose to an iron
air reservoir on the platform above the
rock. An air pump supplied the rcscr-
voir with air. which, forced below into
the tanks and barrels, served to force the
water out in case of leakage. The cop
per or ground wire led from n joint in
the mir reservoir in to tho water, but tho
steel wire, no longer covered with rub
bcr, was carried from the same joint to
tho top of a fifty-foot staff In tho centre
of the platform. The ting towcd the
scow away ut 1 ;l8 T.. NJ, and when 10,
600 feet away. she was anchored. BY
some accident the wire brokc--owing,
probably. to the heavy strain on 1t. Col:
Won Schmidt and Mr.. Lundbcrg returned
to the rock and made connection with
an insular wire. Tho boat was then
rowed some 800 yards from this rock, and
this time there was no failure. At 1--WE
minutes of 9 o'clock the electric spark
was sent along tho wire and tho explo-
sion followed" .t"f..