The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-20
unDrR rnr uArER AND RocKs.


A few rods above the village of Astoria,
on the T. .st river. is Hallctt's Point, where ex-
tcnsive operations looking to the improvement
Of tho channel have been going on for the past
six years. rho operations consist IN undcrmln
ing the bed rock of the river for a considerable
distance by u sy-tom of tunnels, Or headings"
as engineers term them, leaving columns To
support the roof until the charges are ready to
be nrod. As no external evidence Of the eN-
tont and character Of the work exists, but few
persons are aware Of the lreat labor involved.
No less than two aud haif acres have bcen
tuunclled under, with IN aggregate length of
tnnnel of one aud Unc-hnli mies the width
aud height being rcspccUNcly ciyht feet and
twelve feet. plan of theee exc .vatOns ap-
pears il,o an irregular checker board the black
squares rcrrCSrnting the utcr~ whirh stiil remain
n"iuing the root. THESE VIII tie removed M me
tndi hl q, which ia exrccted To throw down the
Who'll, bod rock involved, and probably much
sui j4cvut. All Of the heautngs havo been
driven aud the cuiy remaining task u TO bore
the rer Tor the admission VI chrscs. The
root ~ sl-n hving bored IN each CHAMBER with
holes leading dug nally ; In those nitro-glvcer-
inc, ur /. ,puiValent, y to he placed ami the
whole exploded 10y one battery.
10 insure c,rtain iguiiiOn Of this immenee
uuanttty Ut explosive material, 600 charges "
auout ei-ht pounds each, every oh rye connects
tubes. liobablv half an inch In diameter NJ ed
with eXpl0 siVc in quantities To almost constitute
a charge OF itself. The work h as stem OF gi-
glntic rockets cut In the solid rock charge
WI IA explosive. connected Intimately with
tus =. ma to be fired by one battery at the pro-
per time.
1hc greatest depth OF water over the works Is
twcnty-siN feet; the greatest thickness Of tho
| ROOF eIghteen feet, and the longest heading 3l'
! fcct. All the holes nave been bored by drllis
| driven 10y compressed air, and about sOO nole'
| yet remain to he made. lhe leakage through
| the roof amounts Ia 900 gallons per minu e
| This ~ all led into one Of the headings, whicl
| also c1mu lnic ties with well at tho end OF the
| tunnel. whence II Is removed by pumps.
| The successful termination OF tins work VII
| straIgh;cn tue shore line materially add very
| IN ch to the wiuth Of the channel, and altel
some Of the currents, which set 50 strongly now
at Hood aud ebb tue AS to greatly endangei
commerce.
| At thIs place the tide sweeps through with
| velocity Of ninc knots. or over ten miles, pei
! hour, and as the channel Il only Few hut dret
! feet VIDE and hedccd about WITH rocks above
ard below. II l. easy To see that navigat0rs wi
| We reason to pray for The success uf tue un
! dcrtakinr.
The cost OF the work up 10 the present tim,
has been aOout $7J0.OJl, and II viii require a
| least S5J,tO1 more To complete n.
| 1t Is expected that the final operation, that o
nriug the charges, will trans plre some time egri
in tue summer OF 1875. IL will be an event WORT
| Witnessing. Inc eject al UO.SO pounds Of gly
| cerne fired at ouce would create smali earlu
| quake II la one mass, but II Is stated by Capt
| william II. licucr Of the Iuited states cnRi
! ueers. to Nyhom me SuS is under obligation 10
| pcrfonal attentions anu Information, that supdi
viding thi- quantity into numerous sinai
Charges very greatly lessons tho shock.