The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-11-08
UNDER THE WATER AND ROCKS.
Condition OF the submarine Operations nt
Huri tate, In New York Iiui bUr.

iufl tsltt, ~ new ork iiut uUFs
A few rods above the village OF As-
toria, on the East river, n. Y, is Hal
let's Point, where extensive operations
looking to the improvement OF the chan.
mel have been going on for the past six
years. The operations consist i'll under.
mining the bed rock Of the river for q
considerable distance by n system Of
tunnels, or "headings," as engineers
term them, leaving columns to support
the roof until the charges are ready to
DO fired. As no external evidence OF the
character of the work exists, but few
persons are aware OF the great labor in.
yolyed. No less than two and half
acres have been tunneled under, with M
aggregate length of tunnel OF one and
one. half miles; the width and height
being respectively eight feet and twelve
feet. A'plan OF these excavations mp.
pears like al irregular checker board /;
the black squares representing the piers
which still remain holding the roof.
These will be removed in the fiual blast,
which is expected to throw down tue
whole rock bed involved, aud probably
much subjaceut. All OF The headings
hive been drivenaud the only remaining
task is TO bore the piers for the admis-
sion OF charges. The roof is also being
bored in each chamber with holes leal-
ing dingonally; in these nitro.glycerine,
or its equivalent, is to be placed and the
whole exploded by one battery.
To insure certain ignition Of this I'M.
mense quantity OF explosive material,
5000 charges OF about eight pounds
ench, every charge connects with the
others by system Of pipes, or iron
tubes, probably half m inch in diameter,
filed with explosive in quantities to al
most constitute a charge Of itself. The
work is n system OF gigantic pockets cut
in the solid rock charged with explosive,
connected intimately with fuses, and to
be fired by one battery at the proper
time.
The greatest depth OF water over the
works il twenty.six feet the greatest
thickness OF the roof eighteen feet, and
the longest heading 3l5 feet. all the
bodies have been bored by drills driven
by compressed mir. and about ., 900 holes
yet remain to be made. The leakage
through the roof amounts to 900 gallons
per minute. This is nil led into one Of
the headings, which also communicates
with well ut the end Of the tunnel,
whence it is removed by pumps.
The successful termination OF this
work will straighten the shore line ma.
terially, add much to the width OF the
channel, and alter some OF tho currents,
which set so strongly now OF flood and
ebb tide MS to greatly endanger COM
merce.
At this place the tide sweeps through
with n velocity OF nine knots, or over
ten miles, per hour, and as the channel
is only n few hundred feet wide and
ledgcd about with rocks above and be-
low, it il easy to see that navigators will
have reason to pray for the success Of
the undertaking.
The cost OF the work up TO tho pres.
ent time has been about $3.50, 900, and
it will require Mt least $500, 900 more to
complete it.
It is expected that the final operation,
that Of firing the charges, will trauspiro
some time early Ill the summer of 1876.
1t will bean event well worth witnessing.
The effect Of 10000 pounds Of glycerine
fired ut once would create q small earth.
quake il in one mass, but it is stated by
Capt. William II. Heuer, OF the United
States engineers, that sublividing this
quantity into numerous small charges
very greatly lessons the shock.