New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-08
A GREAT ENGINEERING WORK.

PECULIAR FEATURES OF GREAT UNDERTAKING.
The great engineering work at HaIletts
Point, which for its ultimate object the clearing OF
the Instructions from the river channel at Hell Cate
resumed July 49, and the excavations are 10 DO
continued until the appropriation by Congress for this
purpose is exhausted. Gen. john Newton. who has
charge of the work, said recently that the appropr
alton insufficient for the completion OF the work.
but would enable HIM To carry his operations forward
to the cutting away OF the remaining heading" and
the reduction OF some OF the piers. When this lppro
priation has been used up the work will be stopped
again. though these stOppages are expensive, and
would have been more economical to have appropriated
| enough to have completed the undertaking.
At the works Monday all life and energy where
only a short time ago, every one lay idle. The 10
the engine at work pumping compressed air
into the supply pipes from which it carried to the
Bureigh drills in operation in the galleries. The pumps
were at work clearing out the water. which the
ally high tides had forced between the nerces OF rho
Golfer dam. and which leaked through the shell thai
covers the galleries. A full stream from the twelve.
inch pump will clear the galleries in eight hours. The
large crane was constantly at work hosting out the
fragments that afterward out the tramway
and dumped into the meadow which is being hlled up
Crowds OF miners in oil clothes, with little tin lamps
upon their hats, fitted in and out the dark galleries.
Visitors are permitted to descend the stairway ex
cep from 70 p aud after i:3O p. m. on accounted
the dangers from the blasts.
A large number OF ladies and gentlemen were
waiting for the time 10 arrive when they could de
scend the galleries. Two blasts were exploded the
discharge soundingas though inclosed in hollow drum
and soon afterward the bell rung TO announce that
visitors could descend to the galleries The water that
continually dropped from the roofs Of the galleries
called umbrellas into requisition and the ladies' wore
long waterproof coaks with hoods drawn over then
heads There great deal OF interest manifested in
the work. and large numbers visit the works every day
! since the excavations have been begun again.
| The entire work, It appeared. was like lady'i
| fan opened. There two galleries. having their
entrances nearly opposite each other, which have been
run out to where there depth OF twentysX feet Of
water mean low tide. The gallery on the left Is ex'
tended 500 feet that the night go The size Of these
galleries tunnels is such that after the top has been
blown up, depth OF twenty-six feet will be left
everywhere. From the termination of the lefthaud
gallery another gallery has been run, IN KIND OF semi.
circle along the line where depth has been found,
at mean low tide twenysx feet to the terminus Of
the righthand gallery Thus the entire work has been
included by a tunnel and the amount OF rock 10 come
! out has been carefully estimated Eight galleries or
tunnels from the excavation at the Golfer
dam, through to ana into the scmicrcular gallery This
divided the sections Then galleries were run
from longitudinal gallery to another which divided
the still finer and left only piers Of stone to support
the shell above. Toward the extreme righthand sa-
lcry the stone has not yet been removed ana u upon
tins heading" it called. and the piers that hs
miners are now at work.
II intended by those who were interested IN this
great work at the beginning hollow chambers in
these piers and then, having filed these chambers
with explosives 10 shatter the supports and cause the
upper shell 10 fall in pieces. Gen. Newton has differ
eut plan, and the wOrkmcn pushing IL 10 COM
peton His plan to reduce the size OF the piers by
taking III from the outside. The character ard
quality of the in each pier aud the weight of shell
that each support beng known correct conclu
sion, can be arrived to the quantity that can DO
taken away without causing the roof or shell to fall
This would be almost rreparabe accident, for tho
water wOu,d pour and I'LL the galleries, compelling an
immediate cessation OF work Tie only way that such
an accident could be dealt With, said b. F. Boyle the en-
gueer IN charge OF the works, would be 10 MI IN from
the outside and aerward pump out the water aud e1-
cavate anew.
The rock is generally very hard aud CONSISTENT
capable OF resisting great pressure, hard to dr out
readily yielding TO the proper application Of explosives
The part of the strata gness though portions
are crumbling and shelly mica slate. After expo
SION rocks OF considerable size usually taken
ont ana hoisted up, but h general character OF tns
debris is small pieces OF rock and puycuzed ouel,n
clay. These shOyeled into low ilrtcars. when ao
Crawn aOUg the galleries upon tramways by mules
me men work ~ aOI 1s drs,. Work Is hours
Extending around the top OF tue conrr dbm Is heaNy
siX-Dch supply pipe for tie compressed ar. Inns pPo
i made OF the heaviest rolled iron pau, auu ~
are accurately fitted and Ooed together. .um ~,
supply pipe two-lnch general dlstrloulon Wy,
INFO cacn gallery, and 60 this Is attaehso VIZ W. If
rubber hose that connects with the dTl, lhe vll',
are f'ed upon heavy frames, which are upon Wis
aud be run along the trainSys ~ s Min Tie
Thus the pOnI OF the arm Is bfousnt ih eon'aot 49, - r
p1rt of the pier heading OF when section = ~
Re ie and the air turned on. Wip '1 t.' ,r
raplI motion attendant continuity Hasnes Na,tr
upon il from "a This keeps the ooI lrvn hsa'.ns
All losing temper. As fast as one hoe Is nrhsnea ,no
machine moved on ami another pesuh' dn ,ase.
r,finns of the strokes Of the dr when AZ WORK maAe
A fearful din throughout toe galleries t""' 10 ~
dCatrning. , ...o, mara only now.
der and were exploded by fuse Two iais9
seciion, were cot from the piers III tue thIV an.
fourth galleries This WORK Is TO DC h can Se and
AM support the shell Then they VIII De eaetug 3D.,
bered ana the requisite explosive VIII pe bern
h,mber, pre pared torits reception IL has bot
1900 whether the hna explosion VIII be Oh h.s.o
glycslne giant powder; Out IL VIII DC vuo
The that II will take 10 aoeompisn cncuated
OF these peers has been 80 s"fettl ,Ss.,ve uec,s-
ina, only the exact amount OF eAPlosto raoNrn
slry Tor the work viii be- used For tIs iv'I ~,
sald Capt. Boyle, the eommotoh wiz ,b ali
M great as might Be- expected. IL Is not ~ thouhu
th,s mass of xpOsye material we're III ncaP 80
men the match fired. Each part VA, nav 10 ,sa
work 10 do and though the whole is 10 pe n,eu q.
same instant by OF an electric sphA V Sss
terry yet the charges being separated from caeh
smne r.nous force 10 any damage beyond the desru
tion inte nded. some OF the piers may hot oe
though Is probable ,na' vii have 70 Uo down ana ay
can of cerinc along sde. Unless some unIo.
seen accident CONGRESS approprates nr ne re-
to continue work, the piers ana headings VIII ,ho
dueed, and .he entire enterprise Completed WIFE,
coming year 5000, "a. Iong Islant
sound where before the course has been So M large,
ana led with rocks aud shoals that no then be
could pass through In safety "a feet at mean
wide channel with regular dep.hn shore at Haiets
Point Vessels bound from the on account
ays been In especial danger OF pon the shoals a
of the strong current that sweeps "pou WV 'A'