The Republican journal., 1876-09-28
He'll Gate Blown Up.

to Long Island Sound having been COM
pleted. and the acres of eXcavated cav
erns charged with five thousands pounds
of explosives. the whole was successfully
fired and bown up last Sunday. The toll
lowing are tie particulars Of the explo-
Sion
New YORK, Sept u To-day was cele-
brated by New England easterly rain
storm and all the discomforts therefrom;
Notwithstanding the fact thousands Of peo-
pie took their routes toward Hallett's
Point. Hell Gate, to be in season to wit
ress the grand explosion promised by
Gen. Newton, They were not disappoint-
ed.
The arrangements under the supervl-
sion of that distinguished Army Engineer
were all completed Saturday night to the
minutest details. His cautionary advice
to all interested was rigidly observed,
such as the vacating of domiciles in close
contiguity to the reef, and of houses OIL
considerable distance. while doors and
windows were left invitingly open for
sneak thieves in Astoria. The General
had, however. arranged tor soldiers of the
Regular Army of United States Marines
to guard the property, 50 that nothing was
lett to the peculation of thieves
Quite a large number of invited guests
We're present on Wards Island, which is
to the northward and eastward of !1allett's
Reef The high hills on the New York side
of East River and street and avenues W ere
literally black with people, reminding
people present of the appearance of Get
tvci,,rfr IIni,rhtr ct bot,ra N ,r,aat hat -
tie.
The programme Of Gen Newton IS to
the guarding OF the river was carried out
to the letter Steamboats, under his Or
ders were stationed at points within IA ra-
dius Of three-quarters Of mile east and
west of the reef to prevent any vessels
approaching within the supposed danger
lines.
There were some two dozen steamers,
loaded to their guards with people, which
were within safe sightseeing distance OF
the doomed reef, while the Government
scow which has for 50 many months done
duty was anchored between Wards Island
and the New York Shore with the family
OF Gen Newton and several distinguished
American and foreign engineers, Army
and Navy officers and friends. Lining the
shores were a large number of yachts and
all kinds Of craft imaginable tllieu with
adventurous oarSmen and risky families
of the traditional New Workers who would
almost welcome eternity If accomplished
in sensational sightseeing. There were
from the standpoint on Wards Island
from 100 900 to $50 900 people who await
ed the touch of the electric spark.
At 2.25 =. NJ. the first warning gun was
fired and the great crowds began to fully
realize that the decree of Il regular army
officer of the United States was something
to be depended on. Tie second gun re-
sounded, as was previously announced,
and it was accompanied by 4 fresh gust Of
east wind that came from the ocean over
looking Long Island with "a downfall OF
rain and mist that was uncomfortable in
the extreme. The great crowds remained
immovable, only watching more intently
the bomb-pro and the Golfer dam at Hal
let's Point, lest there might be a prema-
ture explosion and they would not be pre-
pared.
At last the third gun resonantly re
echoed among the islands and sullenly
lost itself against the easterly gale anC
woods OF Long island. Watches were
Immediately produced and field and opera
glass were ley elled toward Halletts Point
The seconds were counted. j. went by,
and several hasly people exclaimed IN an
undertone, Ito too bad for Newton; the
battery has failed him -
Five seconds more elapsed when there
was suppressed rumble, an exclamation
of there she goes, bully ior Newton
and the crowd of gentlemen on Wards
Island. headed by His Honor Mayor Wick
ham and Police Commissioners paying no
heed to the oflicious policemen, rapidly
ten. The elevation on Wards island
where the spectators were stationed, was
perhaps some so feet above high water
mark. When the rumble commenced
there was seen first on the centre where
the heading OF the mine was located a
beautiful white spray that lifted itself in
the Air 100 feet in a Jet not unlike the
spray thrown up by a Geyser spring, sup
ported on each immediate side by volum-
NOUS sprays of an hundred feet, these
again tlanled by smaller sprays upshoot-
ing from 50 down to 10 feet in height
The body OF water thrown up was very
heavy, although not apparent at the mo-
ment extending SOC feet from the shore
The area of disturbance extended evil
IDENTIFY over three to five acres of surface
and that amount of water was lifted bodily
into the air The defamation. as heard at
the distance Of $50 yards from which it
was viewed by the writer, resembled the
sound OF park OF artillery of six 6 poun-
ders on militia training day. 1t was Just
us Gen. Newton said it would be and the
fears of many that there would be a
retluent wave which would be danger
Gus to those standing within ten feet of
the surrounding shores We're not realized
in the taintest degree, as the effects were
not thus observable at Wards nor any
other Island nor on the New Y ork shore.
Indeed small dory with two adventurous
fishermen who slipped the Gordon of the
Government steamers was not half so
much disturbed as by the swash of a tug
boat.
The reverberations, or rather two re-
yerberations, for a slighter one from the
extreme chambers followed the first ex-
plosion, was felt and heard in this city,
even to the battery. The subsistence of
the waters after the explosion showed
that the Golfer dam and its immediate APP
purtenances had been entirely destroyed
The wharf Just above was torn away. the
oiHdIl Noih-HOuSCS III Close IuXLdpOSlLIOn
were wrecked-there were two of them
and perhaps less than so feet of earth fac
ing the water were broken away
There are several little wooden houses
within 100 feet of the explosion where the
windows were not broken. and lar1e
jewelry factory less than one-sixteenth of
mile distant, with at least 500 panes of
glass, had not one window-pa pane cracked
The fleet of steamers that with thou
sands of crowded humanity went imme-
diately through the debris that 1loated on
the tide was equalled only by the hun
dred of row boats that sped their way to
the scene in search or dead fish OF drift
wood. The numbers of fish found were
ridiculously few. One of them being cap.
tured in stunned condition by the police
which weighed less than four pounds.
The praise of MajorGeneral Newton is
upon everybody's lips, and no man in this
community is held in higher esteem than
he. Everything was accomplished as he
said it would, and the navigation of Hell