The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-24
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.
The Power or Dynamite I'm . Great Com
nagration-A Thfrty-six Inch brick
wall BIovyn 20 Powder.

The Power or Dynamitc In . Great Com
nagratton-A Thirty-six Inch Brick
Wall Blown 90 Powder.
The steamer MinnehannocE, belonging to the
Feet owned Dy the Commissioners OF Charities ana
Correction, left the Bellevue DOCK at the foot OF
East TweRty-sxth street., yesterday, at halfpast
three O'Clock. with an excursion party OF about
100 persons. among whom we're mayor Havemeyer,
Bire Com missioners Perley, Hatch and Van Colt |;
General Rockwell, President OF the Boston Fire
Commission; the heads Of the Philadelphia and
BROOKLYN FIRE departments, Aldermen Morris,
GIon Healy and Clancy, OF New York; Captain
Byrnes OF the Fifteenth precinct, and large
number OF the members OF the Board OF Under
writers ana clerks connected with the different
insurance companies, who were. OF course.
very much interested in the success
or failure OF the experiments that were
60 be made. fhe guests had been invited to wit
ness the destruction OF number OF brick walls
which had been erected on the north end OF Wards
Island ranging in thickness from eight to thirty
ak inches. These walls were to be destroyed by
new preparation Of dynamite, under the manage
ment OF . company OF fremen, who had been
picked from the Fire Department OF this city. The
Ninnehannock arrived at the dock at Wards
Island at about tour O'Clock, ana Warden Brennan,
who had charge OF the picnic party, saw AL SAFELY
landed on the barren upper end OF the island.
different pattalions Of the city were drawn up
under the command OF ChieI engineer
s.s Ths x saa o. hreR winch were 10 be-
demolished were ten IN number and measured in
thickness follows:-Elght inches, twelve inches,
sixteen inches, twenty inches, twentyiour inches,
thirty incnes, thirtytwo inches thirty-slx inches
and two walls OF a building each twelve inches in
thickness, that were joined together by wooden
beams Is Is seen in the freshly built skeleton OF
house. The heads OF the different companies
had been instructed BY Mr.: Striedmger, who
IA a. IN ratA uutfaa car no Ia nd M
through the different evolutions IN . newly
plougned field OF eight acres, which was sown in
marKabie proficiency The nrst attempt was made
on twenty-Inch wall with fifty pound bag
OF mining powder, which was swung against the
surface OF the wall and the fuse was let on.
There was an explosion, but the only result was
tnat the face Of the wall was biackened. but there
was not any breakage. Then there was placed
against the same wall cube which held six
pounds OF dynamite and an insulated wire from O.
battery 200 eet distance or conducted tue electric
shock into peculiar sort OF cup, which exploded
the Blk pounds OF dynamite. There Was fearful
shock and the hard orickwork was reduced 70 an
composition or the bricks. hole was made that
q dog might crawl through, after which cylindrical
against the walls of the different brick erections
and they were all, though ten feet In height by
about eighteen ieet in width, cut In TWO as pat
motto German might cut sausage with ce8ver.
One after another the walls were cut down and
ut the conclusion the entire range OF foundations
we're all blown up with shock that made the
lunatics in the asylum cry for tear, and made the
windows shiver IN the building; while the sailors
on the sloops and schooners 1oating in the SCUM
tucked to avoid, as they thought, certain destruc
ton. Every person present was satisfied that
dynamite was the best ana most terrific agent in
nse In OF great lre. The Fire Commission
are authorized by the law OF 1878 to blow down
buildings in case OF any great connagratiOn. The
experiments were made in the following ORDER
First experiment-Comparative experiments with
NIFTY pounds OF mining powcer and SIX pounds Of dyn
smte, confined in cupical boxes suspended against
brick wall twenty inches in thickness second expert
ment-Cutting down walls, varying in thickness from
eight inches 10 thirty six inches with cylindrical cart
ridges from and halt inches three inches In d.
smeter, charged with dynamite; cartridges appended
on walls four feet above the surface of the ground
Third experimentCutting through noor with cartridges
two inches in diameter floor composed Of plank and
tier OF beams set in twelve inch wall Fourth expert
merchandising the remainder of the eight inch
wall by means OF one inch cartridges placed on the
ground against the WALL cartridges with sand
demonstrating the advantages OF tamped charges Fifth
experiment-Burning one halt of cartridge and
ploding the remaining half of the same, ang
that charged cartridges will explode when
. ire the shells are composed Of the proper material
sixth Observation-Disclosures destruction Of the
manning seven walls previously rated upon, by
Of continuous line formed cartridges connected with
rubber tubing; cartridges half inches to
three inches in diameter.