The New York herald., 1876-09-13
HELL GATE.

JOKING.
He'll Gate is longer attractive place for oungers
and sighlseers. and the people who live In the
immediate vicinity, and 10 whom the experimental
blasts the river shore had become familiar as tho
blasts OF winter, give the government works at
Hallctts Point wide berth the unsophisti-
Gated stranger. And yet 1t only week ago when
there hundreds OF visitors TO the shaft who
thought nothing of rsking their precious
necks in going down The dizzy height
by way of the wooden stairs and roaming
about in the dark chambers what could be seen
by the aid of the hat lamps OF the worKmen beneath
the bed, whose rushing waters gave forth an
echo in tho dark depths like that OF distant thunder.
The reason OF the change is made evident at once to
the venturesome one who has the presumption to 90
the works regardless of the admonitons Of tho
small boys he to meet the way, and who
only too glad to tell him what risk he by
excepting straight ahead - Tor the onnous word
"Danser" a huge white board in black letters.
almost as large as full grown man. stare him out Of
countenanco from the he turns into tho lane
from tho terry leading tho Point 1t fell to the ol
OF HERALD reporter yesterday to wend his way
the works the afternoon and the small boys
tho road made him exception TO the general rua
for their fanciful sport The first met with was
good natured policeman who looked at the scribe in
suspicious sort OF as he turned into the lane On
being asked II the government works could be reached
in that direction the policeman leaned up against
friendly fence and using his baton gcsticulatos
exclaimed :-"You needn't go there, my friend.
You can't to tho shaft cause It's dangerous and
they don't want to kill strangers If they help It,"
Notwithstanding this pleasant announcement, tho
porter kept down the little lane whichever
it may be in Astorian parIancc. and turning into an
adjoining street and thence another lano found
himself ON
GATE
There is of swamp either side of tho road,
the latter being made OF the rock cxcavatcd IRON the
chambers under the river and elevated high above the
swamp leve. To the let where the rocks piled in
heaps out into tho marshy land like railroad
bed, tho lrst warning Observation-Disclosures. and to
the right, similar road bed, another sign" Danger"
There not soul to be anywhere. and the
porter suddenly be,hought himself OF tho ltto boys
admonons and tho polccmans allusion to the desire
the government people had not to "k strangers"
Still ho went on until right in front Of his
path there loomed up huge sign with the
words Danger" and rsh! x unde, = IN;
Here was ax--danger every whcre, nitro glycerine
presumably somewhere not far OF and the roadway
blocked But the reporter had long to wait to de-
eide upon his course for just as ho was in the act Of
cambering over tho improvised fence shrill cry
up from the swamp 10 the lett OF ~ say there !" and
in another instant lame boy crcpt up the side OF the
road and stood before tho astonshed reporter, with
cane IN his hand, which looked menacing. "Im the
guard OF the gate, said the boy, you can't pass.
Therc little parey, bat 1t resulted in informa-
ton to the reporter that he was treadng dangerous
ground, ana that visitors allowed beyonN lhe
sign that announced the presence OF ni.fo-
glycerine. "vis'tors'' said tho boy, with
comical laugh. "Wc. | guess there havn't
been any real visitors further than this That sign
here's nough for them" "Any one get in to-dayyn
eyes, TWO or three. but they don't stay fooin round
much, and the iOks who here to-day be.
cause they had to, suppose" The reporter then gave
his name 10 tho young guardsman, with the request
hat h. shnp nsl Arr.n af HINT
States Engineers, who charge, he could be
admitted. The boy sscd OH his journey, and tho re-
porter sat down on the rocks to try and forget,
while contemplating the nitro glycerinc sign before
him, that only three days before tho simple
within a few yards of where he was seated
crushed the lie out OF three human beings.
When the boy came back he had message which
less reassuring than the warning OF the policeman met
near the Jerry. captain Mcrcur, he said cycling the
reporter from head 10 loot, "says It very danger
ous but II you are willing to takc your chances
may come on" When the reporter reached the shaft
he iound Captain Mercur, who exclaimed cheerily, as
though he was welcoming friend witness n parade,
''Have you to be blown upa" and to the remark
that man could be blown up only once he answered,
lavghngly "weIl, II a man gets blown up hero he
won't have to be blown up second time; there's
plenty of stuff to do 1t with right here" while the
Captain FASTENED of TO give some orders to ono Of
the iorcmcn tho reporter had ample opportunity 10
look around and Tor himself what being donc.
On the river to the right OF tho shaft Iitto way from
the shore the drill scow was anchored There o
large number oil working the deck, apparently
unpacking boxes, and they doing their work
carefully the the conclusion
the boxes contained tho nitro gycernc he had heard
SO much about He was told there was none Of tho
article on board, but tnat the compound mado up Of
giant powder, &C. to be used in the chambers below
the brought in boxes which laid tho
wharf the scow. There this wharf at tho
time large NUMBER OF these boxes and the wharf bc-
came at once an interesting point OF observation.
THINGS NOT TO BE THRILLED WITH
Tho cartridges which to be uscd in exploding tho
rock packed In them and several mon wero
busiIy engaged in carrying one box at timo
from the wharf to sort OF platform near the mouth
of M ghan n ~ for "A % ahsrt N
sec the way the men carried tho boxes. Every two
men-thcy work by couplcs--had a bandbarrow be-
tween them. and II was this that they carried tho
boxes IRON the wharf to the board way the shaft
II the boxes had been made OF tho finest glass and
tho penalty Tor scratching the surface
death the men could not have handled them with more
than they did In taking up ono OF tho boxes at
tho wharf leach one of which Is about the size OF
ordinary candle box and by very heavy the
two took hold OF 1t and lifting II with much
tenderness mother would take from It's cradle hel
baby which she feared TO awaken, deposited II on tho
handbarrow.
SERIOUS BUSINESS
Then the took hoid Of the handles Of the barrow
raised slowly from the ground vii burden, which
evidently had many terrors for hem and proceeded
slowly toward the pace where they mad been ordered
70 place it, the while walking slowly anc deliberately
lest by msstep or stumble the box might receive
jar or fall TO The ground The same tender care was
In tho lowering OF the barrow TO tho ground
and 10 tho handing OF tho box when being rolled
of when 1t was nrst touched on the wharf
The whole for all the world reminded Of
the ing OF CONN up ne aislo of church--ihe
slow, steady walk OF the men, the gentle care with
WhiCn tuey tncT Durucn anu the solemn silence
preserved by the barrow bearers Indeed. the one
thing than any other that imprcsscs q person
looking upon tho scene Is this feature OF silence II
the men who passed aud repasscd one alotherin
couples carrying The boxes spoke to another at all
yesterday afternoon 1t certainly must have been In
whispers, for the reporter took particular pains to
observe II they bantered or talked another as
men working together ordinarily do; hut during tho
whole tmo OF his stay he did not hear word pass
between any Of them while they had the boxes in
charge though occasionally they talked when going
TO the wharf, with no hox their barrows.
they in state OF trcpdation. They
looked and acted quite to tho CON
trary, tu, 1t required but very little study to
that they felt that they engaged in very
rious business which needed all their attention And
wonder they acted with aud found no time for
banter Joke, whore "A msstcp might probably have
them and every man in tho ncighborhood into
eternity with the rapdity OF flash OF lightning Tho
reporter spoke Captain Mercur Of tho caution tho
took In handling tho barrows and asked hm II be