The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-08-11

when ana low Thsy will be pirpiaced--
No Tre.rendous Explosion tn Iske Place
After All. 80
From One prooklyn Eagle.l

A AftOH ALL
/ fFrom the Brooklyn Eage.l
| Gen. Newton. of the United States
Engineers, who has charge of the i'm
provements about the harbor, says the
blowing out of the bottom will probably
take place about the middle OF Septem-
ter. There is money enough appropria-
ted to carry the work to its completion,
and there need be no more delays upon
that score. 1t will require 1000 pounds
of explosives to do the work. The ma
terials used will be nitro-glycerine, rend
rock and dynamite, according to the ma
ture of the rock to be blasted. Instead
of placing the explosives in several large
masses, they viii be scattered over therock
in small charges. The method by which
this will be done will be as follows (:
Holes nave been drilled in the rock col
umns that support the roof, the number
varying according to the height of the
column. These Will be charged with the
explosives. and then it will be exploded
by means of electricity. The blowing
up will be done in three sections, and
the effect will be to crumble the pillars
and allow the roof to sink in.
The general opinion that the whole
mass will be hurled into the air at one
grand blast is erroneous Beyond few
beautiful Jets of water shot into the air,
and, perhaps, few pieces of rock hurled
above the surface of the water, nothing
will be seen. The terrible shock that
was anticipated when the explosion takes
place will then be avoided. The bids
for the explosives have been received,
and the contracts will be given out very
shortly. 1t will then require about
three weeks to deliver the material, and
the work of placing the charges will take
about three or four weeks more, so that
about the middle of September the work
will be ready for blasting. When al is
prepared, the water will be let in and
the chambers filled, thus forming what
is called in.engineer parlAnce, ga wet
tamp."
The water will confne the force of the
numerous blasts, and enable them to act
with greater force. After the explosion
it will be necessary to do considerable
dredging in the way of hauling out pieces
of rock. This will take several
months, but will probably be completed
by next spring. The work has been
hindered from time to time by the fail
ure OF appropriations, but now no more
delays are expected from that source, as
the money in hand is sufficient to com
plete the work. The explosion will
doubtless be pretty sight. Masses OF
water will be tossed IL to the air like enor-
nous fountain jets. There will be
three OF them, and those VINO may have
witnessed the blowing up of Diamond
and Coenties reefs in the East river can
recollect what beautiful display that
was. The persons operating the blast
will occupy position about 300 or 400
feet away, aud it Is not expected that the
shock vii be very great.
The benefit to be derived from the i'm
provement is almost incalculable. 1t
will deepen the channel about thirty
feet, and allow of the passage Of the
largest vessels, where before only crafts
ct light draught could go. Il is ex-
pected that ocean steamers will take this
route to and from Europe, as it is
shorter than the Sandy Hook route by
about eighteen hours, and that is too
much time to lose i'll these days of rapid
travel, when it can be avoided.