The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-20
Ttts 8,,tlana Gully Globe
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20. 1876
The He'll Gate Explosion,

"The groups are all lolded, cir" said
Mr.. Quigley to Capt Mcrcur at the Hell
Gate excavation at % minutes past II Sat
urlay. Turning to the Sun reporter the
Captain said "Those are the groups that
will be primed and connected with the bat
terry. There are, however, many more
holes drilled IN the rock, and in some of
them We will place charges which will lie
exploded by conclusion. The last cart
ridge ia each will be permitted to protrude
an inch or two. This will be done where
the rock is thickest. The total number of
groups connected to the battery are lS4
having $3.50 holes, and containing about
10 900 cartridges. Nothing further can be
done until the dynamite arrives, as all the
primers must be ready and the work push
ed ahead if once begun"
The many inquiries as to what VIII be-
come of the terrible force which is sup
posed to be beneath the water, in q certain
sense imprisoned, and how it will find vent
is answered by scientific gentleman con-
nected with the work, thus: "Fhe effect
of high explosives is entirely local orc,
due to the sudden development of the gases
at the moment of explosion. Mixtures
like powder do not belong to this class
and | might, perhaps, best illustrate the
| difference by saying that five pounds Of
dynamite, when suspended TO wall, viii
knock a hole through i, while powder in
| the same quantity would only blackeu it's
| face. The gases produced by the explosion
of nitro-glycerne at this place will be con-
sderably condensed by the OVERLAPPING of
| the water, and the force after having rem
| dered its service will be consequently di-
minished. The drill holes are II feet apart
| and contain on an average about IL pounds
of explosives that are placed in the roof
and piers which have little or no connec-
ton with terra-frma. The greater part of
the force developed will not act directly
upon the river bed, and hence produce a
shock. The water tamping of the charges
has, on the other hand, the well known eff
feet of reducing the noise of the eXplo-
sion. While | do not quite agree with the
opinion of Gen. Newton as TO thc limo
cent character Of the explosion, am moi
a sufficient pessimst 10 believe that al
earthquake will be produced. | am in
clined to think that the charge confined il
the lower part of the piers, and those in The
roof at the circumference of the eXcava
ton, will be the chief producers of tht
shock, the intermediate piers contributing
very little but think the rocky part o
the distractions near the Golfer dam, anC
where there is but little water at high tide
and parls also of the roof over the NOR,
heavily ladened piers, will be thrown NJ
by the explosion. | should, however, ado
that all possible precautions have been ia
ken by the engineers, when computing The
charges eff the drill holes. to use the mini
mum charge REQUIRED to do the work Ac
tually. while the accounts of work done
show that over one pound of explosives i.
needed TO remove one cubic yard Of rock
only about eight-tenths of pound of ex
plosiyo, have been allowed per cubic yarc
at Hallett's Point"
The fear of a tidal wave caused bv tn,
filing of the excavation bv water NAV also
be disoelled, as the solid rock TO be explod
ed will fiji, lis place. This is plainly shown
at the works, where 10000 cubic feet O
gneiss rock taken from the rock. in its bro