The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-09-28

like part or an amphltheatre, with Hell
Gate in the centre. Every inch of space
was crowded before two o'clock and re-
sembled a vast field of black toad stools.
The people waited under their umbrellas
in the rain, and watched the spot where
the explosion was expected. There were
throngs on Wards and Blackwells Islands
and on the bluffs back of Astoria, and scores
of excursion boats and government vessels
loaded to the guards brought thousands
more Of spectators. The total number OF
persons who gathered to see the great
explosion is variously estimated at from
100000 to 100000.
THE FINAL DETAILS.
Early in the morning General Newton
and his assistants began arranging the fna
details of the work on which they had
labored for seven years. The vast cavern
that had been excavated under three acres
of rock and water at an expense of over a
million and a half dollars had been charged
with ffty-two thousand two hundred and
six pounds of dynamite, rendrock and
vulcan powder and these flooded with water
the cartrides being connected by wires with
the battery outside. The great crane and
all movable machinery had been taken tc
places of safety, and only few trusted
helpers were allowed to remain near the
shaft.
At eleven o'clock, fearing that the action
of the water in which they were submerged
and the rain that had lasted for two DAYS
might have affected the wires, Mr. Streid
enger, chief electrician, tested them from
the battery. 1t was a hazardous expert
ment, for hair s-breadth more must have
exploded the mine The wires were found
to be in perfect condition, and at two
o'clock another wire was carried from the
battery along the shore and over the fence
to Pot love, and there a second battery
was arranged urder a shed, and the wire:
fixed so that by pressing on a ordinary
Morse telegraph key the electric spark
would be shot under Hell Gate into tn,
cartridges. A company of soldiers guarded
this key, "for," said General Newton, "i
any one should touch it terrible accident
might follow" There was little else don,
at the works, and all then patiently waiteC
for the instant Of flood tide, when the mine
was to be exploded.
GETTING OUT OF THE WAY.
Only few hundred feet from He'll Gate
are Wards and Blackwell's Islands, or
which are asylums for the insane and work
houses On Blackwell's the mildly insan,
were marched to the foot of the islanC
under large sheds and the paupers wer,
turned out Of the buildings into the rain
On Wards are the worst class of insane
and early in the day Commissioner Bren
nan, explaining to them that they were t.
take an excursion up the East river, march
ed ], 100 of them on barge and they wer
towed away. Everybody was ordered ou
of the buildings. The police preparation
consisted of the posting of eight hundred
policemen on the New York side of Black
wells and Wards Islands and in Astoria
There were also three detachments o
United States troops and wellorganizec
line of guard boats, on which soldiers were
posted. A signal gun was fired twenty-fv,
minutes before the explosion, and tht
multitude was excited in an instant.
TIE SIGNAL GUNS.
There had been the widest diversity o
opinion as to the probable results, some ex
pecting to see Astoria's buildings blowl
down and the air rent with shock tina
must be heard many miles around. Other
looked for a jet of water to be tossed in tn,
air, and little or no report. Newspape
discussion had stimulated curiosity. Tha
thousands of New York resident
feared that buildings in the city woulc
be thrown down was evinced by the fac
that they forsook the houses as the minut
of explosion approached, and, despite th
driving rain, went to the parks and tn
centre of the streets. Ten minutes befor
the blast was discharged a second gun wa
fired. General Newton then entered th
battery with his assistants, and the element
of the battery were lowered into the fluids
which action completed the circuit save a
the key, six hundred and fifty yards away
All was then ready, and it remained onl,
to press the key to explode the $4,000
pounds of explosives. General NewtoI
and his assistants hastily boarded his LITTLE
steam launch and steamed away up tn,
shore. There was real danger then, anc
they were in hurry to get away from it
They thought that they had driven every
person from the spot, but one enterprisine
daredevil reporter, who had braved bullets
on the battle-feld, had crawled into the
empty shanty where the dynamite had beer
stored, three hundred feet from the shaft
and had braced himself for the shock.