The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-26
S0UNDlNGS AT HELL GATE.
LEARNING WHAT VAS DONE By THE
BIG BLAST ON SUNDAY.
Sufficient Water to Float Larger ship than
the World Ever sRw-The Rock Crun,bied
to Atoms and swept on by tho Tide.


sumcient Water to Float n La rser ship than
the World Ever saw The X ock Crun,bied
to Atoms and swept Of by tho Tide.
Those of the Harlem boats that touch al
Astoria, and the ferry boats from the New York
eide, opposite, were heavily freiehted with eager
siebtseers yesterday, and Halietts Point from
early morning looked like a beehive. II was a
continuous and inqusitlve procession running
In and out OF the buildings, chipping pieces
from the rocks. picking up the smallest object
portable or lining the shore looking at the swift
current and numerous passing vessels.
In speaking Of the effect OF the explosion,
Mr. Mercur said that he regarded the work as
perfectly successful. We had expected much
greater permanent upheaval OF the rock than
has taken place. From my own observation.
taken to day, have ascertained that tho widen
ing OF the channel by destroying the pillars and
roof Of the reef has altered the direction Of the
current and decreased its velocity"
At i0k o'clock yesterday morning Gen. New
ton arrived at the works. He said that 1t was a
case OF sheer necessity that tho mine should be
fred on Sunday. In experimenting with the
high explosives used he had learned that the
preparations used In exploding the mine would
retain their power under water for ten days, and
that then tho strength would deteriorate. Somo
OF the explosives at Hell Gate had been under
water for two weeks, owing to the tardiness of
the contractors In fulfilling their contracts.
Had that not occurred the explosion might
hsve been postponed, but as the minimum
quantity Of explosives had been charged, the
entire seven years work might be lost should
the nitro-gycerine compounds prove deterio-
rated so much as to explode without accom-
plishing Its entire duty.
II anu sstonished, ;" Gen. Newton continued.
" to see the water "a deep as II Is The rock
should, according to my calculation, take up
more room In its broken state than IL does.
That gives me the i'm preston that the explo-
thorough
broken into pieces SO small that the tide may
htvs carried them OF TO some distance. II win
afford me an interesting subject for examina-
tion, later"
AS to the Sound not being used by large
great freight depot OF the future Will be
near Harlem, and that the railroads that tet-
river. That done, they will seek Harlem as q
point OF exit. The railroads coming from the
North and East will also unload the bulk Of
their freight there, and commerce will CRAWL
tate toward the side that pays best.
AT low tide Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Strodep-
ger made preliminary soundings around bal.
let's Point IN the steam lunch Star. and at 200
yards from the shore the water was more
than sixteen feet deep at mean low tide.
He planted four spars, painted green, with black
henos, and later In the afternoon Mr.. Streiden-
ger reported that the water WAS twenty feet deep
outside the buoys at mean low tide, and sixteen
feet deep outside a radius OF 2OO feet from the
shore.
The only evidence that any part OF the rock
was blown on shore is seen on little house near
the point, that was used for oil. and that has
only very slight tndention. In the village OF
Astoria the shock did positively 10 damage. Tho
stone house about 30 feet from the excavation,
which formed part Of old Fort stevens, had u
small part OF Its ceiling torn down.
The next WORK that will engage the skill OF
Gen. Newton is Flood Rock. or Middle Reef.
This Is situated GU feet from the Astoria shore,
and sou feet from Halett's Point OF Ninety
third street, New York. A shaft has been sunk
to the depth OF fourteen feet. This rock has an
area Of seven acres.
soundings over the exploded reef at Halletts
Point are TO be continued until perfect map Of
the bottom can be drawn. Then the loose rock
Is TO be removed by erappling irons until uni
form depth of twenty-six feet Is obtained.