The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-02
CHURCH IsrHx CRACatED.
EFrEcTs OF BLASTING IN THE TUNNEL
a Scare bat no Danger.

For several days past there has heen some
the discovery Of Il crack i'm tue surface OF
Twcnty-cighth street between Broad and
Marshall, which was supposed to have been
caused by blasting in the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad tunnel. On Saturday the mat.
ter was made a subject Of judicial investga-
ton hy the Police Court, Messrs. Brannon 81
Haggerty, the contractors for building the
tunnel, being summoned before that tribunal
to show cause why they should not he fined
for causing part of Twenty-eighth street
"to be and remain in dangerous condition,
thereby icoYardzing the lives Of the persons
and damaging the property in thai ncighbor-
hood" The prosecutors were Leroy Grant,
Il. B. Craddock, Robert Curry, John c. Sim
ton. and y. a. McAlinn.
When the case was called before Justice
Crew the following letter from the City En-
yiucer was read
CRY ENGiNEEn's OFFICE,
"RlcHMoND, August 30, 1872.
"IIiliicn, Hall Cree, Esq, Actiag Police
JUSkCt 4:
Dear Sir.-Tpon an examination Of the
surface OF Twcnty-eighth street between
Broad aud Marshall, on the line of the
tunnel, find evidences of Il slight settling.
This is probably due 10 a failure in returning
and thoroughly consolidating the earth be-
tween the arch .timbering and the earth-arch
above. Any disposition To yield on the part
of the framing or carth-packing has doubt
hxI nf N
blasting in reducing the core OF earth in the
centre of the tunnel. / have conferred with
the engineer of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad Company in charge Of the work,
and have been assured hy him that the size
of the blasts will be reduced TO the minimum,
and that they will be entirely discontinued
if found hereafter to be Objectionable. There
is nothing in the character of the settling nj.
luded to to induce apprehensions OF danger,
as the timbers of the training in the tunnel
are quite adequate to the duty they have TO
perform. Very respectfully, DC,
"CHARLEs III. D1MMoCK,
City Engineer"
In view of the statements of the Engineer,
Justice Crew discharged Messr>. Brannan 4
Hagcerty with the understanding TINT they
weuId reduce the size of their. drill from
lDISe llltlltS W viz ai" iiiaV uhi@'' .ht' ="
done the City Attorney will, under the in.
structiuns Of the Mayor, apply to the Circuit
Court for an injunction against the con-
tractors.
We may remark in this connection that the
blasts seem TO produce the effects Of earth
u,mkes OH the surface, and many house
holders on the line of The tunnel have been
not Il little alarmed thereby. One gentleman
Informed our reporter that shock occurred
while his wife was sitting in rocking-chalr,
and it was 50 severe that she jumped up,
thinking that the chair was about to be over
turned. Another gentleman says he has re-
peatedly seen bottles on his mantelpiece tip
as if falling over, and had to spring up to
catch them. One blast is said tolmve shaken
a house 50 severely that all its inmates were
aroused in alarm. and one of them declares
that he was thrown out Of bed. In another
house the pElst ring of an upper room was
detached from the ceiling. Many other such
incidents are related, and lis they pass from
lip TO lip naturally cause something OF
panic, but there is not now. if there ever has
been. ANY c;llSc for alarm. The company and
the contractors are disposed to do all in heir
power to insure safety and to quiet the fears
oi the tmid. and the city authorities will CO.
| operate with them.