The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-27
rSrom the New York Times.] ]

ErSERAL NEW loN . 1AiLOhA or LIE
rrrrCTs OF TIE DISCHARGE.
IEron, the New York Times.]
rr lao o'clock the different guard steam
or. hod arrived and taken up their positions,
and other steamers containing ofhcers OF the
,,or, and lighthouse commissioners, lur-
ni.bcd with buoyS, and municipal authorl-
,;o. had also arrived and come to anchor IN
Nous localities. Last OF all, the steamers
of tho iarrin. MorrlSania and Harlem lines,
., ,nora for once, came up loaded from the
tnyas n the lower deck with such numbers
y, raople that the white steamers when they
canc stem on looked completely black.
There were two small steamboats, employed
br General Newton and his men-a hight
isrnrb and heavier tug-and these kept
~nmins and going as busily as possible.
prrardipg the journalists present as the
'ary,nts OF the public, General New
ton rave to them the freest liberty to
c,m, and go on these boats, to pass
through the military lines, to visit the
.rov--to do, IN short, whatever sense OF
their duty might suggest as proper-and
nj, privilege was duly used and thankfully
unrelated On the last trip but one OF the
annch. General Abbott, the famous CO.
worker with General Humphreys on the
Mississippi Investigations, arrived, ana
oiued General Newton's party, which was
in reality restricted to the members OF the
nress, Cantain Mercur, Lieutenant Willard,
and Mr.. Boyle, the overseer. AT 2:30
o'clock all left Hallett's Reef and repaired
10 the firing point save General Newton,
Can,ain Mercur, Lieutenant Willard, and
,he oycrseer. Every other human being
went on hoard the tug, the launch
remaining ior the engineers. A cat that
had made her home in the boiler
house, where the air was compressed during
the excavations, remained there, and could
not be driven away. Whether this arose
from thorough confidence in General New
ton. or from a resolution to stick by her fe-
line Lares and Penates, after the habits OF
some OF her tribe, could not be known.
But bulge she would not. AS the visitors
were crossing in the tug to the firing point,
the run from the scow was fired for the nrst
time. Twenty-Five minutes to the explosion.
THE EXPLOSION.
The TUG went Immediately from the land
ing-place at the firing point over to the
>cow, and returned, bringing Mrs. Newton,
anurse, and Miss Mary Anne Newton, aged
two years and six months. They did not
disembark, however, but. awaited the COM
ing OF the General Boom went the second
nln. Ten inmates to the explosion. The
General and his staff We're seen running to
their launch, and in q trice that swift little
craft was bounding over the waters. Gen-
rral Newton, on arriving, led his wife up
me little pier, and the nurse followed with
The little girl whose fairy fingers were to
,et in action agencies more terrible than the
Afrites Of the Arab fables. Boom the gun
Vas fired for the third time. Captain Mercur
now took his station upon the slope with
: ield-glass to watch for the waving OF q
white flag from the scow where were the
principal officers Of the engineer corps and
many ladies' Ali turned their eyes IN that
direction, and soon a small white object
auttered from the platform OF the scow.
Now" shouted Captain Mercur, and
every eye was turned mechanically to the
galleries whence the momentous cartridge
was suspended. Probably all held their
breath. Certainly the writer did; and IN
about two seconds of recorded time, though
il seemed actually minute, he felt sensa-
lion as il he was gong to become giddy and
fall. This was actually the tremOr OF the
tarth from the explosion, but 1t was so uneX-
ptcted that it seemed as if it was nervous ac-
lion upon the body, not an expansive force
act!ng upon the nerves through the body.
And there was also slight contraction OF
the heart, such as q man might feel from
some great sorrow. In the presence OF real
sensation recorded time is mockery, and
Il Is impossible for the writer to say how
soon after came the sound OF the explosion.
But It was sharp and not very loud, not in
ihe least Of that rending, crashing sound
Which one is accustomed to connect with
AItro-glycerine and its relatives. Then came
grand and thrilling spectacle. The water
rose up like wall of many geysers, sep
arate, yet united, to height Of from sixty
10 seventy feet. 1t was snow-White in
color, and formed Of huge cones, which had
aoine-like terminatlons. But there was so
much spray between these cones that it pro-
Guced the effect OF wall from which great
columns stood out in high relief. Suddenly
there came out from the eastward dark
cloud OF mingled stones and earth, in front
o. which were huge wooden fragments Of
'he colier-dam. This cloud spread over the
eolumnar geysers and hid them, and even
While this last apparition was sinking a iurid,
S'eenish-yellow mist, like a terrible simoom,
iese up from the seething waters and
Fooded over them. This was composed OF
he terrible gases from the explosive agents
mat had done their work and found their
way into the atmosphere. This gaseous
..Es hung heavily over the place, but seemed
spread itself like oil over an increasing
YEA, until 1t was no more than screen
VIZ the rocking surface Of the He'll Gate
rel stream, upon which the black, floating
nnssments OF the poor Golfer dam were dis
Nnctly visible. s 81.
AFTER THE EXPLOSION. -
Immediately from fifty points row-boats
~aed @.ted out toward the point, and those who
Ve with General Newton crowded on the
sssand launch. But first they gave vent to
Gasr emotions by giving three cheers fol
neral Newton with a will, and the peo-
@e ~, On the Boulevard took up the cry,
;rIa TSa echoed it from thousands OF throats.
,nn .aeh the boats were loaded by the i'm
pHatlelt Halt spectators, and sped rapidly to
ttaietps Point, where already the row
,es ~aIs Were dancing upon the heaying wa
s, and men with sceopnets were gather,
s up the dead fish whose air-biadders had
zen burst by the explosion. When we
.eacned the landing and advanced up TO the
.Sle OF action, 1t became almost difficult 70
''"neile what we saw with whist we knew.