The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-09-25
By elegraph
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT
TO THE DAILY LNTELLLGBNGER
HE'LL GATE. .
The Great Explosion n Perfect
Success.
70 THE DAILY INTELLLGEN0ER
HE'LL GATE,
No shock, No Accident.

|
quantity Of rock, which all fell into tn
river, Halletts Point Reef at He'll Cat
was demolished this afternoon. No &C
cident occurred. The triumph Of III
American Newton was completed in th
precise time and manner indicated, an,
without a single accident. 's -
About 12 o'clock streams Of pedestri
ans were vending their way across th
city to points Of observation on the eas
side. Vast numbers of strangers came +
see what everybody expected would be
magnificent spectacle. The street car
going up town we're loaded with citizens
and First and Second avenues, as viewe'
from the heights, were full Of pedestri
ans moving toword goth street. About
o'clock the cross streets and avenues from
which view could be had we're swarm
ing with people, and the house tops along
the east side were crowded. Thousand
Of vehicles Of every description filled thu
heights and cross streets. So
Great alarm prevailed among the resi-
dents OF First avenue and the cross street.
from Eightysecond to Ninety-sixtl
streets, and some houses were entirel!
deserted by their residents through feal
Of rocks being hurled across the river o.
huge wave being caused by the up
heaval. Every house in the vicinity haC
the doors and windows open Ms n matter
Of precaution, bnt the great mass OF the
people had no fears whatever, and the
spectators swarmed on the piers and low
grounds, directly in line with the rock
where they would be drowned by thou
sands in case Of a wave. Il ,rs
The police lined First and Second
avenues, and were stationed amongst tI'
crowds on the docks, to be available il
case Of panic. A birl's.eye view OF th'
point of interest was had by 10000 OF
$4,000 people at the heights between
Ninely.second and Ninety.sixth streets
at Third ave, where there are no houses
Directly opposite, across the river, wa'
Hallet's Point and timbers and shantie'
at the opening of the shaft. Nearly mid
way in the river, but a triiIe 10 the north
waS Little Island, with boat house on it
and few hundred yards to thesouth
little rock surrountledby an advertising
board. The rock to be blasted lay beneatl
the surface between Little Island ant
Hallet's Island. Agovernment scow ant
the police and emigration board steamer
and hundreds of barges and row boat
lay between New York and Wards Is
land, about opposite 1lOLh street. At :
o'clock faint puff Of smoke arose from
the scow, followed by the report Of th'
first gun. There was an instant commo
ton, the crowds surging about in fresl
eagerness TO get get good standpoint
Ten minutes later there was another re
port, and deep hush fell againupon thu
multitude. The stiffness was unbroker
from then until the third gun at ten min
utes to three, which was followed precise
ly one minute later by the explosion
in straight and seemingly narrow linz
running north and south for about 30t
yards, The water whitened and rost
evenly three or four feet high. A dull
lhud was heard, and the rocks tremblet
beneath the feet Of the multitude rs il
from two, quick and short plllsations Of
an earth quake. The water which ap'
peared 10 remain stationary for an instant
broke and spurted up inirregular dark
yellowish masses about IL feet high
mixed with dark smoke from the dyna
mite, then it fell back, and in moment
the river assumed It's usual peaceful as
pect and then a mighty cheer from all
sides OF the city, and from steamers
and steamboats, steam whistles were blown
and bells were rung joyously and all was
over. The report was scarcely noticeable.
and not so much as ripple was caused up
on the water, save just over the spot where
the explosion occurred. There was no con
cussion in the air, and not pane OF glasl
was broken in the city or on Wards Is
land. Immediately after the explosion
hundreds Of row boats set out at bes
speed for He'll Gate, each anxious to have
the honor first passing over the scene o.
the explosion. That the work was efleC
tuaIly done is the genereral feeling, ant
this also appears from the fact that The
police boat passed over the spot safely
Wards Island was considered favorable
place to view the explosion, and the ap
plications to go there by the police boa
Seneca and the boat Of the Commissioner
OF Emigration were very numerous; bu
the invitations we're limited to a selec
party, of whom we're MayorWickham, Gen
Arthur, Collector OF Port; Aldermen
Lewis, Hess and Morris, smithc Lane
ex.Speaker lIitehnian, Police Commis
sioners Smith, Wheeler and Nichols
Emigration Commissioner Forest, Edu-
cation Commissioner Dowd, and larg,
number Of city officials and politicians
a Probably the finest view Of the who'll
explosion was from Hoyt's place, some
600 yards east Of Hallet's Point. The
land is high and He'll Gate did. not appear
more than 200 yards away. TWAS from
this pointthat Gen. Newton and the tele
graph operators sent the electric tluit
rushing into the mines. Suddenly a cloud
OF water, turning into white spray, sho
up just of HAllets Point. This was fol
lowed by cloud Of black smoke, rocks
and lumber, and at the same moment {
heavyssshock ran through the ground and
gave one the impression OF being lifted
about two inches. The sound OF the ex
plosion was not loud, but low and
rumbling and deep. A cloud Of yellow
smoke followed rocks, and in ten seconds
the water had become again level, nc
trace being left but a large yellow space
caused by mud and other substances
thrown up at the. works. Il was found
that the coHerdam which surrounded the
ahaft was entirely gone, A small house