The New York herald., 1876-09-20


"whie bridging she Masins River. On tho Atlantic
section OF the Costa Rlca Railroad. iavurite
ounce cartridges of dynamite the river. Tho n
cussion resulting from the firing OF three OF these
cartridges tied together was sufficient 10 stun all tho
nsh within an area Of quarter OF mile square and
send them floating helplessly down stream into our
nets Ny tent was pitched on lead Of rock from the
edge OF which the curtridgcg usually thrown into
The river, and every explosion followed by Sc
we're shock. Each time charge was exploded, too a
shower OF water small stones thrown up from
the river bed which was IN that place,
LEAST TWELVE BELOW SURFACE"
''Do you contemplate any casualty in tho vicinity
of the explosion itself, Mr. NannY"
"Nonc, unless people In boats incautious enough
TO venture enough to the to DO struck by The
fragments winch are certain to be thrown up. Tho
danger IN my mnd exists In the convuslon certain to
be communicated to the reef The theory of tidal
hcaval OF water the mine from which & certain
swell viii arise, but 1t will subside as quickly os orig
mated"
at cannot fail to be; whv you could almost blow
mountain down with the same amount and quality Of
material. 1t will be the end of the rock-and good
many houses which stand on tho lead too You may
be bound If owned house in Astoria would begin
TO move out today
LOSS or LIFE ON THE WORK
The thing that must strike all who are familiar with
the magnitude OF the undertaking is tho comparatively
small sacrifice OF human life. Up to the present but
SIX lives were lost and all through carelessness-two
by entering before blast went or ono by rock fall
was frequently forbidden to enter. and the
three others tho drl lately. Tho
wachlul and supervision OF General Newton and
his assistants had much to do with ths yet many
there say that tho pubic would have felt very un-
easy had they but known tho gross carclessncss or
recSessness on the part OF some OF tho employees and
the manner IN which they handled the most dangerous
explosives II was but few days ago that
fridge ie from the hands Of Of the mcn
while charging. No, long since a sloop,
having supply of explosives board,
was anchored at night in Uallcts Cove between the
Astoria ferry ana the steamboat landing at Ravens
wood In the morning as two men In rowboat
towing her 10 the works she WAS forced by the
tnn fhn prru ..,.k vanr..
had TO be signaled 10 tako her up tho works The
passengers on the various boats may notice on Little
Mil Rock small wooden shod built
the rock, in shape like tent. and innocenty
covered with an advertisement OF tho 'Rsing Sun
S'ovo foilsh YET inside 'hat simple and apparently
harmless structure is Stored Immediately over the
wnter, aquanuty of nitroglycerinc. Tho bowsprt OF
vessel coming IN contact with Il might result an
experience OF lis explosive or nonexposivc qualities.
| Tho lettering OF the advertisement was ut timo
used rs bullseyes tor rifle until tho marksman
| informed OF It's contents
A PICTURESQUE scRyR
No moro striking or picturesque sccno found
than that presented by tho works upon a fair day
Down within the gloomy portals oi the tunnel
one catches glimpses OF dark gnome-like figures
moving busy to and fro by the ickcring light emitted
from tiny lamps attached to their heads like the
ditonal stars upon tho brows Of :airies Flashing
through tho darkness now and then comes gleam
posed In The rock, and which, by somo Gu
% rloas alchemy OF the lamps, seem turned
almost believes he looking upon o scene from
Wagner's famous trilogy, aud that tho nguros below
thO5e cf tho "Ntbclung0n" heaping their
beneath the bod OF tho Rhine rho illusion Is hoight-
cned when the spectator raises his eyes tho biuo
river flowing above, and turning toward where Big Mil
Rock proudly rises above the water he almost expects
10 the mphs gracefuily reclining upon its
slopes and mocking tho dwarls below. The clouds
above reflected the bosom of the spark river
Sailing and lro over tho gloomy depths pleasure
yachts with gstening white SAILS ceavc their way and
i'm Tho air with music from tho bands upon Their
decks, mighty Sound steamboats, with the ags OF htty
nations iuterng from their spars, noble ships, and
grimy, busting, shrieking little tugboats move by
HAr n. h.
face twinkle little whirpools which the presence
Of teacherous rocks below and near the further hore
long ridge OF boiling oam projecting toward the middle
the marks tho line OF the perious Gridronn
Beyond tho brilliant blue bolt OF river thus diversified
rises IN gentle slope Wards lsland It's vivid verdurc
forming beautiful contrast OF color with the docp blue
O the river on side and making the other IT.
ting setting for the bright red brick buildings which
1t Is crowned Above all these stripes OF contrasting
coior-the blackness OF the Gchenna-like mine, the
gray root rock 1t, tho blue above and sill
higher the green slopes and the bright buiid
stretches sky usually OF sombre hue, which lorns
charming background for the picture, and against
which finest lapcred mnaret and the slimmest
lightning rod tho buildings outlined II drawn
with pencil.
VISIT TO rnE mEAprxGs
Descending into tho cavern, at first tho tunnels
| are high aud OF good width. From tho pillars
project Jagged masses Of rock down which the
water from the river above leaks In q constant
| stream. AS one advances furthcr the darkness
becomes so dense as 10 seem palpablo, the tunnels
above become sleeper and sleeper IN their descent
until the frightened visitor imagines he going Dor
pendicuiary down into tho black gulf the gloom OF
| which hc the distance u tiny, stariike
| glcam OF light where the men aro t0iling. The foot
slips constantly In deposit Of mud at tho bottom OF
tho tunnel and plash IL 10 pool OF water up 10 tho
kncei The extended hands touch either side the
walls OF tho rapidly narrowing tunnel cold aud shiny
and the head strikes the Jagged Of stone that
project from the root which becomes lower and lower
one advances into tho gloomy decp. jets OF vassr
invisible IN the darkness fall through the crov,ces
drenchng ono to the skin. Suddenly . sound ike
the distant roar OF artillery breaks The dcathliko
kr
workmen arc driving plug back into holo through
| which tho water shot iorty feet when the wooaen
stopper removed. Twinkiing in the heavy ntmos-
phere and reiactcd by the falling spray between tho
lights, the mon seem miles away down In the
bowels Of the Oarsh The air is heavy with vapor and
thick with the smoke OF the lamps, which, finding no
escape, rolls in dun cloud along tho roof that
breathes with difficulty In another minute the lights
which seemed lar AWAY close at hand their
| gcam turns tho spray from tho drppIng roof into
diamonds, and causes tho trIckng walls 10 gltcr IN
russct and silver, striped where oxide OF iron oc-
curs with brilliant bands or carm,ne. wh,lo
| they throw tho iorms OF the miners In grotesque
shadows upon tho pool below Now suIlen roar in
dcates the passage overhead or steamer
whose revolving paddles the thirty feet Of
superintendent water to remble throughout It's ehtre
depth Far within the numerous holes perforated Ia
the rocky sides OF the heading which either elbov
touches, the ends Of the deadly cartridges CLEAN
family AS the lights are borne TO and fro. Tho men,
standing knee deep in water and drcnched the skn
| about To fill hole. One brawny fellow whose
i,vd, though massey, jaw implies that tho wholesome
sun never tails where he tolls seizcs long pole aud
! thrusts its entire length into tho oriGce. With
lsdrAwing II he names the OF cartridge re-
Quired and, his assistant soliciting from boxfuI
closo at hand It Is thrust into the hole cndwisc and
quickly pushed into ils place at the extremity
Another, Tiled with less powerful compound, follows
tho hrst and until the shining end OF the last
cartridges shows that the hole filled almost up 10 the
face OF the rock. Then pine plug Is inserted bearing
the number OF the hole, and tho workmen plash
through the water 10 the next more weird and ini-
pressvc can hardly be imagined, and its eGoct
upon the visitor rendered less intense by tho
realization OF the terrible orco compressed around
him, which Is SO soon to crumblc the sod rock which
has wthstood the storms OF thousands of years into
Fragments and which nigh; by the turn OF a careiess
workman's hand launch him and all those about him
into eternity quickly that they would know that
10 had come.
DELAY IN DELIVERING THE DYNAMITE
reporter OF tho HERALD called at the Office OF tho
Atlantic Giant Powder Company, ut the Of Park
nlacc and Church street last evening and ihera an