The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-25

mission Messr.. George NJ Mowbray, the Nortt
Adams niiro-elycerine manufacturer; Bond
Canada; Maxwell, OF South America; Prois
plymptt9n and Vnton, ID. NJ. Greene, Deput,
cSes T"s'%Sst M.we G@s SuIBysySs BssSs + 4
=; +. FlaRg, Il. 7. North, ". J. McAlpine, e. l.
McAlpine;, c. Mcdonald, p. A. Peterson, l.. l.
BUCK. r. fsrdley, @. \. Emery, l.. B. Van Win
kle' and q. s.Greene, Jr., Eneineer-in- Chief OF
the Department OF Docks, mem bers, and Gen
q; y Greene, President Of the American Society
OF Ciyil Engineers; Jackson S. schultz. John
@ @held' msnaslns editor Of the Times; Or. @. Mil
AT ten minutes before 2 O'Clock. the Pleasant
valley swung away from the pier. pointed to-
ward Haletts Point, aud sped away.
Fifteen hundred thousand barrels Of gases
VIII seek the open air." said MIR. Mowbray, on
the way: These gases would be innocuous II
explosion. Gen. Newton, however. required lot
only llltinR, but also rendlng, sDliutering
IIrae; isIn "a; and comminglins OF other explosives
abled men to work with greater courage while
nling the roof and pillars Of the cavern with
other explosives, oven when mixed somewhat
with nitro -gyoerine, the blastors in the cavern,
! have been Informed, have been asphy xiate ed
for eight hours, or from about noon until 9
O'Clock have been unable to penetrate the SIN oko
OF tho blast to go to their homes. Eighty per
cent. OF Rlycerne ana % per cent. Of gunpow wder
u was ascertainsd, make powerful rendrock
The explosion will not be nearly so impressive
as some people believe II Will be. In one of my
most recent undertakings the men scarcely
thought OF moving when four or six pounds OF
tne same CnargeS that are In the Halletts Reef
headings, In eight feet Of water. were exploded.
1hey did not think II worth while to give the
nearest dtiller more warning than the cry,
flrc, that he might not sustain nervous
shock The effect OF the explosion uuon the
scow right above II was no greater than would
result 10 the scow from contact with a heayy
piece OF timber. Tho volume OF confined gas
VIII raise water In spurts and columns sixty or a
nundretd feet. Then 10 the middle OF tho
clouds from the explosives will appear last.
Those IN tho line OF the gass travel viii know
la "a q oil .
Is In our direction, to be ready 20 hold nostrils
for the gas Will be extremely rancorous. IL the
sun shines, the spurts Of water will possess all
the shades OF the rainbow. II has been said
that there will be separate explosions OF groups
OF charges. Theoreticslly this is true; but
hitting spark will be so rapid that the
space OF time that II occupies In passing from
group to group will be imperceptible. The ex-
plosion Will he combination, at once n perfect
result, " IL Is not nasco. To Illustrate lay
some powder In a train upon the floor, snd ig,
mite one end OF th. train The sizzling snnrk
travels tardiy. You can measure its progress
from point to point Of the train, aud walk faster
than II moves. But ram that same powder into
a gun barrel-the explosives under He'll Gate
are rammed tight home, aud ignitsble by a
nash on electricity ty-and FIRE the cap; the explo-
sion Is instantaneous In North Adams we now
combine nitro-gycerine with mica scales We
nave learned mat charcoal, chalk, and infurosia,
wheh mixed with nitro-gllcerine and fred IN a
hole, restrain half OF lts force. What these
substances absorb through tho pores they
HlseharRe again on tho surface. Therefore we
had found an agent that would give superb
cial explosion only. And as proof of the value
OF our agent | will say that nifty per cent. OF
ntro-gyverne and nifty per cent. Of infusoria
cannot be exploded with the nitro glycerine or
dynamite exploder, or lighted with a match.
but II ten per cent. OF glycerine Is added, the
mixture becomes an explosive, to be set easily
INTO destructive activity. This Is somewhat of a
sclentinc attainment, for tits the verdict Of the
schools OF science that when nitro-elycerne is
combined with superficial acting substance In
Rlycerine with infusorla, and IL cannot be ared.
II Is IN the most economical, useful form that
n,tro , Rlycerine can be put; IN blastips. the
drill"
Mr.. Mowbray's audience grew uneasy at this
point. for tue Pleasant Valley bad reached her
post at tho southern end Of Wards Island.
Even staid and spectacled Mr.. Mowbray Joined in
the eager rush for places In the front Of The
steamer. which slowed around and lay across
the channel between Astoria and Wards Island
10 70 bar the passage OF oveI-ventursome craft.
and the steamer Minnabanonck. all laden with
spectators, we're thus restrained. There were
craft, sail boats with jlos and without. even
IN great numbering lighter that drifts about
the bay, hardly tmpeled by its canvas. and bur
dened with tropical freight on week days. Aud
there were men, young men barred to the waist,
IN racing shells Al OF these boats hugged the
shore, for the policemen abo~rd the Pleasant
Valley were watchful.
Al twenty-five minutes before three Engineer
Oyerbaugh opened the throttle valve Of the
Pleasant Valleys engine ami the steam roared
through the scape pipe, startling the sayants
glasses evelled at Hallett's Point None Mere
free from haunting anxiety concerning the
Issue OF the experiment. for 50 they all. trained
men Of practical science, deemed 1t. sud.
denly they see great upheayal Of
foam, rising here and there In columns. Every
eye Is in.eut. Ihs neid OF foam ID held up
wonderfully long only a few seconds In actual
tiEe, Oul very long 10 the fascinated eyes, and
then 1t sinks: two-acre cloud OF earth.
boulder. or j,ggsd timber tossing In Its midst.
rises over the foam. The earth-cloud Is IN
view long, too, buOyed, seemingly, by some in
visible power; but It sinks. Then marvellous
"A thn
expanse. II changes tn a greenlsh tint, and sails
gIandly before the wind down towari r..-
York. Then every man turns - sis nelghbor
ana eyes him ~ -nazement. Is this really tue
N.-t explosion, Of which SO much has been said
and wrtten2 Wonderment yields to joy, and
the savants sweed with their voices the cheers
Of graduation.
Tue water al once became black with little
boats, the crews Of which were straining their
muscles to be nrst at a long, dark line extending
straight out from Halletrs Point that WAS
thought to be the backbone OF the upheaved
reef Sail boats and little steamers Joined In
the race. The dark line was made OF BITS Of lum-
her that had been used Ia the shaft and head
ing. Ibe river was muddy and sluggish over
the shattered reef as though slow 70 recover
from the terrific shock. Not a stunned or dead
hsh iioated on its surface.