The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-09-26
TELEGRAPH
nEronrrD ExrnEssLr FOR THE LEADER.
REPORT.
HELL GATE EXPLOSION.
Hatlett's Reef No <Aore-7he EzpIc-
sion Succes,tbfdy Accomplished.
NEW YORK September 25-

Hatlett's Reef No <dfore-7he EzpIo-
sion SucceS,fbfny Accomplished.
NEW YORK, September 20.
With a slight tremor of the earth
throughout the city and the upheaval
of two columns of water, accompanied
with considerable rock, which all fell
into the river, Hallett,s Point reef, at
Hell Gate, was demolished Sunday af-
ternoon. The triumph of American
engineering, accomplished by Gen.
John Newton. was complete in the pre-
else time and manner intended, and
without a single accident. About II
O'Clock streams of pedestrians crossed
the city to the east side in vast numbers.
Strangers called to see what everybody
expected would be magnificent specta-
Gle. Street cars going up town, were
loaded and the First and Second Aven-
ues, as viewed from the heights were
black with people moving toward Goth
street. The house tops along the east
side were crowded Thousands of We
hicles of every description filed the
heights and cross streets. Great alarm
prevailed among a few residents and
some houses were entirely deserted,
through fear of rocks being hurled
across the river.
A huge wave was caused by the
upheavaI Every house in the
vicinity had doors and windows
opened as matter of precaution, but
the great mass of people had no fears
whatever, and spectators swarmed on
piers and low grounds directly in line
with the rock, where they would have
been drowned by thousands in case of
wave. Police lined First and Second
Avenues and were stationed amongst
the crowds on the rocks to be available
in case of panic. A birdseye view of
the point of interest was had by twelve
or thirteen thousand people at the
heights between S2nd and 96th street,
at Third Avenue, where there are no
houses.
The rock to be blasted lay beneath
the surface between Little Island and
Halletts Point. The Government scow
and police and emigration-board steam
er, and hundreds of barges and row
boats lay between New York and
Wards Island. about opposite 10th
street. AT 2 O'Clock a faint puff of
smoke arose from the scow, followed by
the report of the first gun and there
was an instant commotion among the
crowds swaying about in fresh eager
ness to get good stand-points. Ten
minutes later there was another report
and a deep hush fell upon the multitude
The stiffness was unbroken then until the
! third gun at ten minutes to three which
was followed precisely at minutes to 3
by the explosion. In astraight and SEEM
ingly narrow line running north and
south for about three hundred yards
the water whitened and arose
evenly three or four hundred feet high;
dull thud was heard, the rocks trem-
bled beneath the feet of the multitude
as if from a quick, short pulsation of
earthquake; the water, which appeared
to remain stationary for an instant,
broke and spurted up in irregular dark
yellowish masses about twelve feet high,
mixed with dark smoke from the dyna-
mite, then fell back and in a moment the
river resumed its usual peaceful aspect.
Then mighty cheer arose from all the
northwest side of the city and from the
| steamers and boats, and steam whistles
were blown and bells rang out joyously
and all was over. The report was scarce
ly noticeable and not so much as ripple
was caused upon the water save just
over the spot where the explosion took
place. There was no concussion i'll the
air and not pane of glass broken in
the city or on Ward. Island.
New York, Sept. 25.-Mary Newton,
daughter of Gen. Newton, not quite 3
years. old, fired the mine that blew Hal
lett's Point reef to pieces yesterday.
Last evening, when the tide was
about half ebb, the steamer Providence,
of the Fall River line, passed over the
place of the explosion. She encoun-
tered no difficulty, and sailed about fifty
feet nearer to Hallett's Point than any
steamer had ever done before.
The soundings to ascertain the full
result of the explosion are to be made
this morning at slack water, the cur
rent being too strong to attempt them
at any other time.
The Result.
The finest view of the explosion was
from Hallet's Point, where Gen. New
ton sent the electric fluid into the mine.
A heavy shock ran through the ground,
not loud, but low and rumbling. The
coffer-dam surrounding the works was
destroyed, and small house which
stood close to the shaft was thrown ten
feet, but all the other buildings were
Just as before the explosion. The af-
fair was complete success.
1rTNNEcnnA