The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-15
HE'LL GATE.


The Progress and Probable Completion
OF the Work at He'll Gate-What Is
Being Donc-When the Grand Explo-
sion Will Take PIace-What VIII BE
Accomplished ON the East Side by the
ImprOvements-A Safe Channel for Eu-
rOpenm Steamers.
As the river and Sound steamers pierce their way
eastward along the East River the passengers
thereon, when they come to what the Dutch skip
per, Adrian BloK, named "Hellegat Riviere,n in
quire. invariably, when will the great blasting of
He'll Gate come or This interrogatory Is not con-
fined to passengers on the steamboats,; it is put
with equal pertinacity by pedestrians on land and
by the travellers on the Harlem cars. The answer
given to this question by the Hell Gate engineers is
that at the celebration or the centenary OF Ameri-
can independence this blast will be heard and such
a blast it is expected to be that was never
heard on this Continent before. Then that
which has been historical rock long before the New
England coast was explored will be rock no more,
as far as the eye can see, and II the explosion Is
successful the wondrous current that has been de-
scribed by Irving and Cooper will have changed Its
character entirely. Irving's description is worth
reproducing
Being at the best of times very violent
and impetuouS current, IL takes these impedi-
ments in mighty dudgeon; boiling In whirI-
pools brawllng and irettng in ripples, raging and
roaring IN rapids and breakers. and in short, in
dulging in all kinds of wrong headed paroXysms.
AT such times woe to any unlucky vessel that ven
lures within its clutches This termagant huruor,
however, prevails only at certain times OF tide. At
low water, for instance, 1t is as pacific stream
you would wish to see; but, as the tide rises, it
begins to fret.
it rOars with might and MAN, like bull believing
for more drink: but when the tide is tu 1t re-
lapseS into quiet, and for time sleeps sOundly
as an alderman after dinner In fact, it may be
compared to quarrelsome topper, who is peace
able fellow enough when ne has no liquor at all, or
when he has q STIMULI, but who when hall-seas
over, plays the very devil
This was, OF course, before any Improvement
was made in the channel; now il is a rare
thing for any serious damage to be done to
o vessel in making this perous passage be-
cause to be forewarned is TO be forearmed. The
prudent navigator avoids the channel as much as
possible and thus does not put so desperate a risk
as this between the rock and his precious cargo
Recent local agitation Of the public mind in the
direction of the improvements OF the east
side OF the island, rapid transit, a new
East River bridge in the vicinity OF Hell
| Gate has caused attention TO be concentrated
on the WORKS at that point. II successfully accom-.
plshed it is considered that the route to Europe
Will be shortened by fifty miles. There will he no
longer any delay at Sandy Hook waiting Tor a Ia
vorable tide; and il the European steamers adopt
this mode of entering the bay their DOCKS viii
soon be transferred from the North to the East
River. This Is contamination that
HARLEM LOT OWNERS
devoutly wishing. 1t Will be q satisfaction for
day with an unceasing energy, and that the expec-
tatlon o the superb tenoent Of the work, Mr.. q. G.
Reihelmer-namely, 10 have pyrotechnic exhi-
Hell Gate-wil be fulfilled Ever since
1869, wnen Congress made an appropriation
OF sl7s, 200, the work has been pushed vigorously
What tuat work Is may be stated summarily in a
few words &c ~ the formation Of i dam and series
OF catacombs, the latter to be Charged under GER
tain conditions, with nitro.eiycerlne, ana on the
date mentioned above the great explosion is 10
take place which scatters this pr lecting rock into
ttt4II4 af hItTt
waves forever. What the work Is In del tail we VIII
endeavor IN some measure 10 TELL Landing by
one OF the many river steamers that stay at Hell
Gate tue visitor finds himself on i piece OF land
juttng into the river at one angle. Following the
pathway That IL made by The side OF some tenn
porary buildings he suddenly stands surprised at
the foot OF narrow stairway looking down shaft
that IS Immediately opposite Fort stevens. Having
overcome his first surprise he ventures down the
staircase, and there sees on each siGe OF MIN and
in front OF him
suBrERRANEAN cAvERNs
radiating seward. over each cavern is the name
Ui some distinguished American, a. n(,ranf y aA,c-
Clelan,r "Farragutn and "HofHlnanp n the yis
itor Intends to explore any OF these cayerns II is
well IL he has brought with him an umbrella; II not
BY the investment Of "a quarter nc can procure
himself a drenching from the water as IL drops
from the rool OF the rocks. Before entering cav.
let another gance be taken at the sides oil the
excavation. The mind endcavors TO form some
idea OF the height OF the dam. Few guess II cor
rcctly. Ii Is thirty-two feet il is generally sup
posed TO DC considerably more. 1nc platforms at
the top increase the height and make 10 really nty
feet The first noise heard in the cavern IL the
dropping OF water, and when the ear has been &C.
custoined TO that me next sound that vIbratcs on
the ear is the ''whizZi OF the Burleiph drII which
is set in motion by the application OF conlnressed
air. The men employed III THIS drilling work are
CORNISH MINERS.
About Two hundred ana nifty men are employed
in what is called 'three shifts;i that is each SHIFT
works eight hours, thus continuing the work
throughout the twentyfour hours OF each day.
Certain regulations are enlerced to insure a pre-
scribed quantity OF work For example Miners
using one-hand toos-helding the driil-bar In one
nanl and striking with The other-are expected TO
The drills are OF course an important task, and
IRON eight to twelve OF them are bluntcd In sink
ing one and half inch hole one foot In the softer
mlcaceQps rock; u gnslsa Of medium hardness