The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-24

consising o. Il batteries of 20 coils OF 81
Distance from nring point to shaft ...... $50 yards
Many applications were made yesterday at the
the explosion from the towers. The engineer
said that orders had been issued closing the
towers to the public while the work OF stretch
lug the cables was In progress.
Shipping Commissioner Blunt sends the fol-
lowing to lHx SUN have a telegram from
give HalletIs Point, Astoria, q wide berth after
The explosion, until he has time to report ON IL,
which will be done as soon rs possible"
PREVIOUS WORK AT HILL GATE.
Thirty years ago the subject Of the He'll Gate
obstructions Was examined oy the United States
government. In February, l+S, Lieut.. Charles
Superintendent OF the Coast Survey, and In the
following October further report was m sde TO
PoS,ss a'ie' ln ts. =, Hu Iii Of % ss af a%i; B.
sicysa stsSSs Il ff5SEFif SSs & s.s" en-
Of Commerce. by which he claimed to
& .b,s ..,. to Ts.' II. D,.n Ssvs ;,0n safe !.
since been known as surface blasting. 1t was
before the days OF nitro-glycerine or Its COM
Th. va. S sss
hidden rock by diving. then to lower upon q
favorable part Of its surface can nlled with or
binary blasting powder ana hre II by electricity.
The theory which he claimed to have been sue
oessfui in other countries, was that the resist
force OF the ooncussion DOWNWARD. memo
rial was presented to Congress In tho en-
| plan before the Committee on Commerce OF the
House Of Representatives. Col. Albert, Chief II
the Bureau Of Typographical Engineers, was
present. The House made an appropriation OF
t3o00O. but the Senate failed TO sot upon IL. In
| June, 1851, Mir. Maiileiert submitted to a meet
| ing OF citizens at the Merchants Bank, propo-
sition to remove three Of the most dangerous
rocks in He'll Gate for si55oc. which was ac-
| cspted. He began work on Pot Rock, which,
with tho Frying Pan, blocked the main channel
Of the Sound. lhey formed together barrier
$50 feet long. The highest point OF Pot Rock
" aa oh faA IA ar ms IN
low water, with souDdings Of sixty feet on eacn
side.
the water bubbled as n boiling between them,
and through thsrapid current OF this narrow
one unsuccessfui essay, Mr. MaiiIefert in An
gust, 1881, made his nrst blast with two cansters
holding eighty poShnas ha OF M powde5 w 6 each lsb T6s %
thirty Ave feet. The conclusion on the metallic
hoai upon which the geiyanc battery was placed.
sixty feet from the rock, sounded like that OF q
cannon bal. On taking soundines 1t was found
that four feet OF the rock had been removed.
Bartlett reported that soundlngs at mean low
water on Pot Rock showed depth OF sixteen
feet. In January, 1852, there was nineteen feet
OF water over the highest part OF the rocK but
On the greater part Of Il there was from twenty
four to thirty At mean low water.
A CASUALTY.
In the following March a fatal accident oc-
CURED. One canister having been misplaced
II was drawn up again under the boat, which
contained three me u, nd al other was lowered In
It's stead. one OF them by mistake handed 10
Mallefert, wi stood on the metallic 40 I. the
wire attached to the canister beneath the boat,
| iustead OF that connected with the one which
was sunk on the rock. lie turned Oh the cir
! cut, and the three men and their boat were
| blown to pieces. Mir. MaillefoTt WAS rescued
| but he was blind for three months. Work
WAS not resumed at He'll Gate for more
| than year. when, at his own expense,
| Mr. Maillefert, blasted out Diamond Reef.
| and portion of kyl 4nder's hoef. But he failed
| 70 get suitable approximation. About 1894 Mr.
| haillelert received 5000 from Congress for his
| labors az Hell Gate.
| In the session OF ls6T-SI Congress appropr ated
| $4,000 and advertised to let tho remainder Of
| the work out to the lowest bidder. Mr. j. shell
| bourne got the contract, but found the JOB 90
| big, and Mr. Maillefett got II once moro. IL ra
| quiTed hiln to nnish lhe Work by tho !st OF De
| oember, 1869, so US To give 20 teet soupdlngs He
| was DELAYED, 30 that he had but 10 feet sound
| ings on Ways Reef and II 40 feet on shell
| drake by the lst Of December. HS sought in
| y6.n an oxtausion OF time and operations were
| dIsoontiDiicd until Gen. Newton resumed them
| under his own scneIne.
| In the meantime N. Mailefert was employed
| by the Government In removing distractions
| on toe James River, and has more recently been
| blasting the hulks Of the old blockade runners
| from the bottom Of Charleston haIbor. few
| weeks ago he returned to New York. sun
reporter found him last night st his home In
| Astoria, within Runsbot OF the big Impending
| blast.
| eIp.oson," said Mr.. Mslllefert, "there will be
| 475O u.sappointed. There has been 30 much
said aDou. the matter that they expect TO see
aud hear an e.rhqusaS. =. 20 goiIs ~ sc ..cth-
| lnS OF the Kind, Ins quantity OF nitro-glyce-
| Ilhe, Or OF dynamite or GRANT powder, which
are about the same thing, is so small In each
eharge N view OF tho great weight that IL has
70 70 u'spisGe' anu AZ the same time the great veo-
clty OF Tue enect OF this material, rflat there
cannot he any very large outward EXPLOSION
ins water VIII act as a tsmping to every charge
ana al the same time help to com entrate all the
SncS. urSo. ehplosNs force " the surrounding