Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-09-29

ne programme OF heu. Newton, a. 10 Int
guarding OF the river, was carried out Il
I the letter. Steamboats, under his order.
were stationed at points within radius OIL
/ three-q uarters of mile Gas, and west oil
I the reef TO prevent any vessels from ap-
| preaching within the supposed dangerous
| line. There were some two dozen steamers
loaded to their guards with people, within
| safe sightseeing distance Of the doomed
reef. Lining the shores were quite num-
] Der OF smaller craft. filed with adventur-
/ Gus oarsmen. One reporter thought there
were from loo coo to $50 600 people in the
immediate vicinity.
At 2.2j, the hrst warning gun vas firei.
! The second gun was accompanied BY a
fresh gust OF east wind, with a downfall
OF rain and mist that was uncomfortable
in the extreme. The great crowds re-
NAMED immovable. however. only watching
more inteutly the bomb-proof and the Golfer
dam al llallett's Point, lest there might be
a premature explosion, and they not be
prepared for it. The stiffness was oppres-
sive between $40 and $50. only relieved
by the shrieks of the half-dozen female
lunatics confined in the asylum.
The houses of Astoria, on Wards Island
and along the New York shore had their
hundreds of windows thrown open.
At last the third gun was fired Then
out came the watches of the sight-seers.
and field and opera glasses were leveled to-
ward HAllett's point. The seconds were
counted, then there was a suppressed
rumble, and ordinations Of There she
goes :" Bully for Newton :" "Hurrah for
Newton - lns scene was one never to be
forgotten. The elevation of land on Wards
Island where the spectators were stationed,
was perhaps 50 feet above high-water
mark, when the rumble commenced. there
was seen first in the center. where the head
ing of the mine WAS located, q beautiful
white spray that lifted itself into the air at
least $50 ieet, though reports vary, some
going as low a 40 ieot In a je. not unlike
the spray thrown up by geyser spring.
supported on each immediate side by num-
berless sprays of one hundred feet, these
again hanked ty smaller upstootjng
sprays from 50 dowl 10 10 feet in height.
Tho body of water thrown up was yery
heavy. although not apparen. at the mo-
ment. extending $50 feet from the SHORE.
The area OF disturbance was evidently tire,
to i've acres Of surface, and that amount of
water was lifted bodily into the air The
detOnati0n. We've the distance .. $50
yards, Is lIkened by one writer to that of
park of artillery of six-pounders on
mil ala training DAY.
Ii was Just a. Gen. New ton said it would
be. The fears vi many that there would be
rehuent wave. which would DO dangerous
TO those standing within 10 feet OF the sur
rounding shores. were not realized in the
ialntest degree, r. the effects were net thus
dlscernible at Ware '-.nor any other, island.
nor on the New York shore. Indeed. a
small dOry with twI adventurous fishermen,
who slipped the GORDON of government
steamers. was not halt a. much disturbed
as by the sSash OF the tug boat. As for
the people living ia the vicinity, they were
sent to their homes. and very much relieved.
Meanw hlle all the steam " histles on the
the river were opened
Not Il giass Was broken on any of the
outlying and contis uous islands, not even
a nervous woman was Frustrated. The |
subsistence OF the waters, alter the explO- |
sion. showed that the Golfer dam and its |
immediate appurt, names had been entirely |
destroyed. and the wharf just above was |
torn away. The two small wOrk-houses |
close by we're wrecked, and perhaps less /
than 30 feet OF the earth facing the water
was broken away. There are several little
wooden houses within hundred feet of the
point where the explosion took place. the
windows OF which we're not broken, and a
ei 20 Jc"eIIy idctDIf, less tndn a sixteenth
81 mile distant, with at least 500 panes
1t glass. had not one window-pane cracked.
The heet OF steamers that, with their
thousands OF passengers crowded, imme-
iiately steamed through the debris that
ioafed on the tide. was equailed only by
he hundreds OF r0e boats that sped cir
say to the scene in search of dead fish or
The numbers of fish found were
Idiculously lew. one OF them being a
triped bass weighing less than -four pounds.
aptured IN q stunned condition by the
'oiice. The government, police, charities.
migration and excursion steamers all made
rips over tie late reef and steamed for
ZONE.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Toe minutes crept slowly by, and the
YES OF hundred thousand spectators were