The New York herald., 1876-09-20

"whiIe bridging she MAsins Rivcr. On tho Atlantic
o,nn or e ."s.' . mo Wa iavonh "a s,nh
ounce cartridges Of dynamite In the river. The
cussion resulting from the firing OF three OF these
cartridges tied together sufficient 10 stun al tho
fish within Of quarter Of u mile square and
send them floating helpessly down stream into
nets NY tent was pitched on lead Of rock from the
edge OF which the curtridgeg usually thrown into
the river, and every explosion followed by u
we're shock. Each time charge was exploded, too,
shower OF water small stones thrown up from
the river bed which was IN that place,
LEAST TWELVE FEEr BEIow SURFACE"
''Do you contemplate any casualty in the vicinity
OF tho explosion ITSELF Mr. NannY"
"None, unless people In boats incautous enough
to venture enough TO the mine to be struck by
fragments which are certain TO be thrown up. Tho
danger, in my mind, exists in the convuson certain
be communicated to the reef The theory OF n tidal
wave In preposterous There WILL OF course be an up
hcaval OF wafer the mine, from which certain
swell will arise but 1t will subside US quickly It orig
mated"
at cannot fail TO be; whv you could almost blow
material IL Will be the end of the rock-and good
many houses which stand on tho lead, too You may
be bound II ownod u house In Astoria would begin
TO move out today"
LOSS or LIFE on THE WORK
The thing that strike all who are familiar with
the magnitude OF the undertaking Is the comparatively
small sacrifice OF human ifc Up TO the present but
SIX lives were lost and all through carelessness-two
by entering before blast went or one by rock fall
Ing through the roof OF shed which no
was frequently forbidden to enter, aud the
three others tho drill scow lately The
watchiul and supervision OF General Newton and
his assistants had much TO do with this yet many
bad hsy but Known the vus or
recklcssness the part OF OF tho employees and
the manner IN which they handled the most dan
| explosives II was but few days ago that
| fridge ie from the hands Of Of the
while charging. Not iong since sloop,
having supply Of explosives bonrd,
anchored at night in Hallcts Cove, between tho
Astoria ferry and the steamboat landing at Ravens
wood In the morning as two men in rowb0at were
towing her the works she forced by current
into the Jerry dock, where she got stuck, and tn.
passengers on the various boats may notice Little
Mil Rock small wooden shed built
the rock, in shape like tent and innocenty
covered with an advertisement OF tho "Risng Sun
stove Poiish - yet inside that simple and apparently
harmless structure is stored, Immediately the
water, quantity OF ntrosly lyccrinc. Tho bowsprt OF
vessel coming IN contact with u might result IN an
experience OF lis explosive noncxpiosivo qualities
Tho lettering of the advertisement one time
! used Us bulrseyes Tor q rino until tho marksman
informed OF It's contents
| PICTURESQUE scRNR
MOL more striking or picturesque found
than that presented by the works upon fair day.
Down within the gloomy portals oi the tunnel
| one catches glimpses oil dark, gnomc-likc figures
moving busy to and fro by the lckering light emitted
from tiny lamps attached to their heads like the ira
| through tho darkness now and then geam
leced from one OF the tin cartridge being
| rious alchemy Of the lamps, seem turned
| into bar OF FURNISHED gold. Gazing thus
almost believes he looking upon a scene from
| wagners famous trlogy, and that tho nguros below
those Of tho 'N,belungon" heaping up their goid
beneath the bed OF the Rhine rh3 illusion Is hoight-
cned when the spectator raises his eyes tho bluo
river flowing above, and turning toward where Big Mil
Rock proudly ABOVE the ho almost expects
10 the nympbs gacsfuliy reclining upon its
| slopes and mockins tho dwarls below. The clouds
above reflected the bosom OF the sparkling river
Sailing 10 aud iro over the gloomy depths pleasure
yachts with gstening white sails ceavc their why and
| ill tho with music from tho bands upon their
decks mighty Sound steamboats, with tho nags of nity
nations lluterny from their spars, noble ships, and
grimy, bustllng, shrieking httc tugboats by
endless panorama Here and there on the bright
la lla
OF reacherous rocks below and ncar the further shoro
long ridge OF boiling projecting toward the middle
o tho river marks the line OF the perous Gridron
| Beyond tho brilliant buo bolt Of river thus diversified
rises In gentle slope Wards lsand, vivid vorduro
forming beautiful contrast OF color with the decp blue
Of the river on ono side and making on the other NJ
ting setting for the bright rod brick buildings with which
1t Is crowned Above a these stripes Of contrasting
| color-the blackness OF the Gehenna-like mne tho
gray roof rock II, the blue above still
higher the green slopes and tho bright red buildings
stretches sky usually Of sombre hue, which forms
| charming background for the picture, and against
the finest tapcred minarct and the slimmest
lightning rod on tho buildings Is outlined II drawn
| with pencil.
| mEADINGs
| Descending into tho cavern, at first tho tunnels
project jagged OF rock down which the
water from the river above leaks In a constant
stream. AS one advances further tho darkness
becomes so dense as 10 seem paipablo, the tunnels
accommodating themselves to the dip Of tho reef
above become sleeper and stceper in their Descent
until the frightened visitor magines he going Dor
pcudicuarly down into the black gulf the gloom OF
U "
glcam OF light whcro the mon toiling. The foot
slips constantly In deposit Of mud at tho bottom OF
kncei The extended hands touch on either side tho
walls OF the rapidly narrowing tunnel cold and slimy,
and the head strikes the Jagged Of stone that
project from the root which becomes lowcr and lower
one advances into tho gloomy decp jets OF vatsr
invisible IN the darkness, fall through the crov,ces
above and make their presence known by
| drcuching to the skin. Suddenly . sound hkc
the distant roar OF artillery breaks The dcathliko
silence and rcverberaes through the hollow decp The
| q
| which tho water shot iorty feet when the wooaen
phere, and reracted by the falling spray between tho
| lights, the mon seem miles away down In the
bowels oil tho Garth The air is heavy with vapor and
thick with the smoke OF the lamps, which, finding no
escape rolls in dun cloud along tho roof that Que
breahcs with difficulty. In another minute the lights
which seemed 80 lar away close al hand aud their
gIeam turns tho spray from tho dripping into
diamonds, and causes the trckng walls 70 glitter IN
russell and svor, striped where oxide OF iron
ours with brilliant bands Of carmine whilc
they throw tho iorms OF the miners In grotesquo
shadows upon tho pool below Now suIlen roar In
dcates the passage overhead some massive steamer
whose revolving paddles cause the thirty feet OF
superintendent water to tremble throughout It's ehtrc
depth. Far within the numerous holes perforated In
| the rocky sides OF tho heading, which either ebov
| touches, the ends OF the deadly cartridges CLEAN
family MS the lights are borne TO aud fro. Tho men,
standing knee deep in water and drcnchcd the SKIN
| are about to fill hole. One brawny fellow, whose
| Iivid though massy jaw implies that tho wholesome
sun tails where he tolls seiZcs long pole and
! thrusis its entire length into tho orIfce. With
sdrAwing II he names the SIZE OF cartridge
Qured, and hts assistant SOLICITING from u boxful
closo ut hand, II Is thrust into the hoo eudwsc
quickly pushed into hs place At the inner extremity.
Another nilei with less powerful compound follows
the lrst, and until the shining end OF the last
cartridge shows that the hole Is filed almost up tho
face OF the rock. Thcn pine plug is inserted bearing
the number Of the hole, and tho workmen plash
through tho water 10 the next. moro weird and
prcssivc can hardly be imagined and It's enoct
upon tho visitor rendered not less intense by tho
realization OF the terrible Iorco compressed around
him, when is SO soon to crumbIc the solid rock which
has whstood the storms OF thousands of years into
fragments, and which might by the turn OF a
Workman hand launch him aud all those about him
into eternity quickly that they would know that
IL had come
DELAY IL DELIVERING THE DYNAMITE.
reporter OF tho HERALD called at tho oncc OF tho
Atlantic Giant Powder Company. at the Of Park
place and Church street, last evening and therc saw