The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-12
HELL GATES EARTHQUAKE
THE ExPLOSION TO TAKE PLACE IN
PROBdBLY TWO WEEhS

the Works ~ riIou- Labor IN re-" XII" =
Irrec { en-. Ntwton's Antirtpsttoh~ NO
slaughter Of Mauy Fishes frcd'cie"
80, ven davs to charge, three days for
she printing. and one day to NIL NJ the g'I'er'es
with water, make eleven da,s-say twelve days
from 10 da,-that lie. sept g. md then the ex-
Ri sion will take place." said Gen Newton. YES
terdny. at the Government works at Hell Gate.
THE explosion will have hut little eject on
ave .trrt .phcte; on the rock OF COT re, there
Wfnleas shock. tut. beyond the rafting ~ WIN
dows don't think there will he any
dancer old ladies' will Imagine thcntelv
shaken by an cartt quake. hut ! would Ike
To- see the man bile to get ~ one. shall re-
main here from now until after the ex losion.
and a. the men are not afrail don't = why
ouisidefs should be. We arc willing to risk our
lives. and feel perfectly esy over II. So fr.
only trrco men have been killed by accident.
and we have used 10000 pounds Of him explo-
,ivcs whicl ia equal to 10000 pounds Of pow
der The percentage Of danger Is vastly less by
bitro. glycerine than by powder, but think the
Use of these high explosives should be prohin-
tied by law except by expe Is. The work here
ba. been every year embarrassed for want
VI funds. That not only caused DELAY,
but proved injurious In other ways.
We had to Keep our old hands to-
gether they don't see that In Congress) for
had we new hands we would he In continual
danger Of being blown up Astoria people are
perfectly satisfied. but ~ IA tie people outside
who complain. The people here know how
carefully we work. hut on the ferry boats they
LOOK on ne irly every package "A II II contained
. aitro-glvcerine. shall be 400 feet from the
work when II Is exploded. and with n little shell
ter rotect me from the falling rocks l small
be . ~ - ly safe
Tne task OF charging the numerous holes In
the halt circle 81 tunneh hone,eomhed In the
rocK arounf the point at Hell Gate begun
yesicr a. morning. Snd WIN " went out the
imperative order thtt no one should. un Ter any
or umstsnces, 90 ALLEGED 10 enter the gates
near the terry-house, wherc n slvn nal n"en
erected. marked " Danger NhIo- GlucerinC."
descending the shaft from which rGdiite the
ten tunnels. each fifteen feet hifh and eight
ct wide the SPACE az the bottom was found
Gle red Of the IRON rails and other incu rhfances
form crlv sfrewn about here. and ~ one corner
was a great heH p Of pine boXes, rowing larger
bucket thar before hoi4ted he iarre uueutitv Of
gneiss rock piled around the works. ana now y
used TO lower the IN tera vine ewith the her
cu'ean * is 20 te COMPLETED. These boxes
cont med vulcan powder, renGrock. and dyna-
INTO In cartridges. packed in sawd 81 and
ready TO he inserted. One AZ q ii the boxes
ground htd been covered wiki thick layer
% sawdust kept constantlt moist. so tat
should cartridge fall the conclusion would not
be sumcient Tor an explosion. After opening
the boxes the cartridges were care fully taken
xes psriiuoned TO Of the different sizes.
These cartridges are about two feet long. meas
urng from three quarters TO seven. eighths Of an
Inch In diameter, SO as to NJ into the different
sizes of the holes ON the end OF eacn cartridge
there are attached four prones. which project
outward. ana serve to Keep the cartridge firmly
In lis place. either up IN tbe Hrched roofs or In
the side OF the columns. Two meu detailed
20 the work OF fihng each hole. One inserts the
tin cartridge Of the smallest size that viii tit the
bottom Of the hole TAXI Z c re 10 stretch the
prongs the other then pushes II forward with
long pole. When the charge has been driven
nome, another cartridge Is Introduced, some
tfies OIL rger din ensIg ma and that s-ain oIISen
m. ~ IN. Ia
niied. After all the holes have been CHARGED,
The ernlodent cartridge OF vulc-nite pow
der Will he Inserted; this csrtficgo s
nl ed with illuminate Of mercury. into which
Inserted Two wires. holding between hem = nns
pIatlna wire. which. when the elect lie carrent
Ia turned on. will bo heated to red neat aud
EXPLODE tue charge. Each OF these holes 10
Numbered, the unchanged ones having d stout
pine 9iue IA them, aud connected with Irvine.
To be substituted later by the electric wire.
-Four thousand Of these charges or holes form a
group, and eech up VIII be indenen entity
attached TO the bati, ~. There are 800 groups
spread. fsn-like. Ia the river. all t. be exploded
mite VIII be SHOWN her, for should ch4r
or even grain not be isniien. the pressure "a
], will cause IT TO eXuioae tnefr, uaking II dnso-
lutel iufallirle. The men handle ne cartridges
with the utmost care and seem fully TO a.Lre-
AS yet" shd Gen. Newton, "they have not
been drilled into but ~ tomorrow they wall
Ga go criug tie tunnel on which the charging
hal commenced every tuing was enyeloped m
Eeyuuau darkness, relieved only now and o gain
by tue 2 immvuug lamp wuicn one OF the men
rarrca n hls ne.d. or tue pla.e wntre two
were chtrlnz le. which was HIGHT d up oy
small Ian carried by one of tnem ON stick
a re- - Of Danger nj responsibility seemed 10
awe tle men. SO That tneg y 1rked fileutly. hand
ing derry but cautiously the dangerous mate
nal. Inc only sounds that hroke the sill nee
Were The incessani pll,h Of dripping water and
mOu"tunous groautnG Of the huge pump en-
bIuyru % relieve he galleries from tins constant
u1w. Near the pump has lutrly been erected
nunou, tlTuush Wul,h tne - ater WI en- er, ana
Tue chtlie excavation VIII be submerged before
te eNplosou.
slong the A-tori shore 90 FAR a. Blackwe's
Island, while in the exact opposite direction II
Will run To the point on Wards Island opposite
the Golfer dam here will, no doubt lie jet
d'edu, and many fishes killed. The same ted OF
rock thet we ars working IN is the one that ex-
tende through Manhattan l.lanu but | think
tue effect Of toe explosives will he expended IN
the performance OF tue work. and tue shock
tour guard noa,s-two on Eigbty ninth street
a. Tar n Back~cll's Island, and the Others from
wars lslsnd toward tue shore. he police
Will also he stationed on land around the works
during the explosion. Ny assistants are men Of
sxperisnce. III whom have pelfect confidence.
eh re OF the Golfer Dam ana the galleries,
while Mr. Junus strldengeT ATTENDS 70 the
tie details.
lac tccident we had the other dav was
pure acctdent,' the result Of a concurrence Of
causes, ana not induced by carelessness. A ter
o." explosion we will have several scows. with
non grappisrs, 10 remove the rock, which. |
thiIN, Nlil 10 broken 10 small pieces. 4 esti-
mat = nrst that the WORK would cost 81 800
UOj snd tuink my estimate viii prove a correct
one al any rate. We have money enough now to
Work until June"
A &c. er.te "tomo proof house has been
erected Tor tie main BATTER, nut TO that again
WI De altach' -mall battery, at a dis ance,
nhle n Will cninmluicair ni Do me mann battery,
Az tu AZ IN witu tWD gif-s - eaca group.
Yesterday morning, four .o.ts loaded with
oyuhuiir, lay n the GocE. tur ufl.r one had
betH unI"aued the others Wtre ordered INTO toe
81, hln ~ m IL took tno men tue eui.ie DAY
u remove the boxes iruru tue wf.un TO ia.
o'ntf d4u. Ihese boXcs contain iron 50 10 %
y v"ds each Of dynamite, yulcaa pow-er o.
Ien1.uc4.
On'side and quite nesr the dock & anchored
tV'N, o. ifect wuI kshpp N ii-ef On THIS
"" * iu'iNos are trettd tud tue Wlrea arr Insed
iot use Ia ANAL Toisi in a.. owing TO tue IT.
We sp A., ID ttel 20 tie il, shs on nd. 4u.. OF
,he sna4lei ma teis he prrp rcd there md n.
tsr"Nu 7eht lp thtiT Hrlpey biac-s. TIE rsD-
uenltn Hho-e Y Ouu1s II iuin Tue works inteuds
" reInhin ~ MS house Nueh Ihr EXPLOSION tthes
pla &C, n1lwiths standing the Toner O., oflct no.
tnc. ton, wrl 'h viii lie itsuUI lu 80 a time flr
everybody 70 get out 0l tao reach II even eossi-
bio danger
The Plymouth Comedy Company BROKEN Up.
from ne Buraio Commercial Adcernser.
The company that appeared in the great