The New York herald., 1876-09-25

and silence reigns everywhere
In the htto hut a vice. small girl, not three years
old, Is playing with key. She is standing a cart
ridge box and thinks s fine fun. This Mary New
tou, the Generals child Science, about perform
miracle, means show how weak the hand may bo
that works the end OF its mighess anorts The infant
Jove, ho played with thunder. is paralleed in tho
child within the ittlo hut "Beauty leads US by a
single hair" Science tosses mountains with single
touched by an infant hand
But the multitudcs that watch aiar on know nothing
Of all this They are gazing intenty at tho outline OF
the sumbcrng mass by the waters rim under the ratio
as 1t pours from tho leadon sky. II is all but Two
minutes Of the appointed time, as the watch tells
hush the scene, almost unaccouu table when
the eye for an instant takes IN how much Ito Is
throbbing there. The blank waste OF waters around
the dam surgeless and reflects the cold gray Of the
sky. The seconds charged with intensity few
ever felt before.
''Now. little Mary, touch the key again"
The hand OF the child presses gently on the key.
The miracle Is donel
"Look look!" An immense white mass Of foam.
ing water bounds afty feet toward the sky second
OF time from above tho reef; vaporous jets ascend
through it like ribs Of steam while dull rumbling
boom, deep-mouthed and scpuchrai Nils the air and
slight vibration shakes the solid earth. Suddenly
shooting above the white vaporous towers Tor an
instant dense column OF black water, with horrd
crest Of shvcred beams and splntered rock. The
beautiful is overshadowed by the torriblc In an IN
stapt the waters full Of trouble, at thor level
again, and u low yellow rolls out ir a semi
circle from the shattered reef to the shores beyond
the first that rolled presage Of open seaway
for tho mariner from tho jagged reef OF He'll Gate.
greensh yellow smoke win pungent odor hangs
above the yellow Science does not scent Its
nimbus with eau dc cologne.
Sublime subme!" shouts q man OF science In
his ecstacy.
''Is this all?" saysa gaping wonder mouger, who
expected to see steepes toppe houses fall IN ruins.
the ashed to tempest and the earth shake with
palsy, while he moaning at least ono shat
tered limb.
"Thcre Is just enough power" said General Newton
the other day, ITO do the work required, and no
more" Yes, gentle wonder monger, though the roof
OF aness rock feet thick aud the liz rock columns
under the roof smashed to fragments there
not enough surplus power to upset old womans tea
cupboard within 200 yards Of the blast Tea cupboard
Why, not pane Of glass in tho franc houses the
works brokenl No such accurate gauge Of
what seems to tho unproessional mind an immeasura
BILE explosive power has ever been made This per-
haps the greatest triumph In the miracle Of science
that yesterday gavo New York attack Of the
Now it is hurry for home. The again
crammed inside and until the horses draw
only black of men. The steamers stationed
north Of the blast pick their way through the floating
debris Of the crib OF the Golfer dam says with the
waters and among the small boats that arc swarming
from all points to pick up dead shes OF which there
fcw, and floating timber, Of which there is plenty
some for furtvc profit others for relics. Thus amid
the eager watching Of 2,OOO,OOO of people, with
80 900 pounds Of dynamite, after years Of tun
nelng. HaIetts Point Rect crumbed to pieces yester
day afternoon at the finger touch Of = child. Tho age
Of miracles not past some Of Us understand them
nowadays that Is all
HALLETr's REEF.
more forlorn or dismal scene than that presented
by the government grounds At Haetts Point at
o'clock yesterday morning could hardly be corcsived
The workmsn engaged In making the connections at
the battery house had got through their labor half
past two O'Clock in the morning. and had gone home
leaving the Place possession OF Ave stxwart and we'll
armed wa,chmen, and now at seven O'Clock tho place
seemingly deserted the suburbs of any country
town. Eight O'Clock arrives and briugs with It few
struggling visitors who themselves upon the
veranda OF The saloon or stare vacantly at the
puddles In tnSTsoad and At the danger sign on
the government fence alternately The thrifty
German opens the place and hoists
from its roof three flags In iceblo attempt to
ceeds however In only making the drearncss OF tho
scene palpable by tho weakness Of the attempt
From the nag pole at the boundary Of the grounds
Barney Boyle. the foreman Of the miners
filings a national ensign to tho damp breeze
and tho bunting clings Imply to the STAFF
Inside the grounds long OF sashes, removed for
safety from the various buildings. are leaning against
the fence and little distance beyond them the tasteful
little twostory brick cottage occupied by Thomas Code
tho night watchman, stands dsmantled. The fur.
niture had been removed on Saturday
night and the windows removed from the
easements Bare and lonely, It impresses the spec
tator with feeling OF sadness and adds the general
depressing nature OF the surroundings In q tasteful
garden front the bushes carefully trained
against a trcs and well kept Madeira vine climbs
the wall and beneath It balsams and
China astcrs are blossoming grape arbor
and a lot of tomato vines boar evidence
OF having been plucked OF their fruit in haste and
number of chickens un,nterruptedy scratching up the
plants snow that source OF pride to some one,
the garden spot had boon abandoned
PREPARING THE BLAST
At eight o'clock Captain James Mercur, General
Newtou's assistant, appears on the scene, and u
couple OF workmon 10 taking down a clock from the
gable end OF OF tho machine shops and doing
rious other little things necessary While thus co.
gagged, and at hslfpast eight o'clock the steamer
Neversink arrives with General ABBOTT, who brings
forty-eigh. soldiers from wIlletrs Point They con-
sist Of detachments from A, and companies
OF tho regiment stationed at tho Point, and they
are under command Of Captains MilIor Lvcrmore and
Handbury. The soldiers are Immediately marched into
the enclosure, ranks are broken and the men take
shelter from tho dronching in the various sheds
about the place. In a few minutes Captain Wood OF
tho Long Island City Policc Department. arrives
with thirty Of his men under control of
sergeant There is NO crowd OF spectators asse mbed
and the captain deeming 1t useless get his men wet
for nothing they follow the example Of the soldiers
and get under in the little deserted house re-
ferred to, where they pass the time In telling stories
and playing practical jokes upon each other. Now
Mr. Striedinger, the electrician, arrives with a dozen
workmcn and proceeds to make tho clo.,ng