Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-06-03

fers to some good thing done by Gen. Pry-
or to party Of our Pennsylvania boys who
we're taken prisoners in an attack upon the
Petersburg Notifications" And with that
he took out from a small package state
ment signed by the men who had enjoyed
the hospitality of Gen. Pryor on the occa.
sion referred to. He had, it appears, given
them food from his larder at time when
his own family were in most desperate
condition for provisions.
"The man who can do such kindness to
an enemy" said the President, "cannot be
cruel and revengeful." Then be wrote
some lines on card, which he handed to
Mclean, with the remark: IL think that
will do; at any rate, it is all l can give
you" And then we took our leave. Go
ing down stairs We locked with amazement
at the writing on the card, which read
thus:
"To Col Burke, commanding at Fort La
fayette, New York: Please release Gen.
Roger A. Pryor, who will report to Col.
Forney, on Capitol Hill.
A. LINCOLN"
But there was no changing the order ;
Mclean dashed of, in the next train, to
New York, the happiest Democrat in the
country. and two days after be walked into
my headquarters with the "prisoner." Gen.
Pryor occupied the upper rooms of my lodg-
ings, and was my guest for more than
week, during which time he was visited by
all the chivalry, male and female, of the vi
cinage. The President enjoyed the fact
that had such good company. and Thad-
deus Stevens, my neighbor, habitually &C.
costed me in the morning with the grim sa.
lutte, "How is your Democratic friend and
brother this mornipg?" But more cour.
tcous and pleasant gentleman l never met !;
and must do Gen. Pryor the justice to say
that he expressed the most fervent gratitude
TO Mr.. Lincoln for his kindness. What he
promised he had manfully fulfilled. John
". Eorney.
The Monster Blast in SAN Francis
co HarbOr.
The harbor of San Francisco was recent
ly the scene of a monster blast, by which
| the obstruction known as "Blossom Rock"
was pretty effectually removed out of the
way. This rock was q mass Of rather soft
sand stone, about one hundred and eighty
feet long, ninety feet wide, with abrupt sides
and comparatively smooth surface. 1t lay
near the channel, and large number of
vessels have been wrecked on it, notwitE-
| standing It's exact location was known aud
marked with buoy. At intervals during
the past twelve or fifteen years efforts have
been made by government engineers to
either remove the rock or reduce its size, so
as to allow ships to pass over il; but every
attempt ended in failure.
| About year ago Colonel A. W. Won
Schmidt was awarded the contract for re-
moval of this dangerous obstruction to the
navigation Of the harbor. coffer-dam
was ingeniously constructed on the surface
| of the rock, and within this shelter a 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
olt, was hoisted up and, by means Of an
immense crane, swung off into deep water,
The excavation, when completed, resem.
bled an immense bake.oven. Its dimen.
sions were as follows: Extreme length,
1872 feet; width 60 feet; height at the shaft,
| II feet; the lowest point, 3 feet; the thick
ness of the crust or shell, about 10 feet 6
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 bat
| tery placed on a scow one Thousand yards
distant from the rock. Saturday, the 23d
of April, was fixed as the day for the blast !;
and for days previous i, was 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 earthquake; others that every
vessel in the bay would suffer more or less
damage, and that not fish within a radius
of five miles would be alive after the explo.
sion. When the day arrived, every wharf
whence the rock could be seen was covered
with spectators. The surface Of the bay
was dotted with steamers and boats of every
description. Every roof commanding a
vie Of the harbor was crowded. Probably
fity thousand people were gathered to wit
ness.
Precisely at o'clock the blast was igni-
ted, and a magnificent spectacle rewarded
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. colored as the spray
died out, showing the water discolored with
the mud and rock, was lifted to an elevation
perhaps hundred feet less. High above
the water could be discovered, flying
through the air, pieces of timber and rock,
some of which were thrown distance of
thousand yards. A few seconds later
second explosion took place, and then the
agitated waters settled quietly over the spot.
and the grand spectacle was ended.-Har-
per's Weekly.