The New York herald., 1876-09-17
Description of the Method of Making
a Simultaneous Blast.
INGENUITY AND CAUTION.
Apprehension or Damage to
Neighboring Property.
THE DANGERS OF DYNAMITE


visitor who upon admItance within the grounds.
A mine filled with 49, 900 pounds of nitro-glycerine
Is tampcred WITH and the instructions Of the
scntries are imperative. Mayor Debcvoise, OF Long
Island City, with Chief OF Police Woods, OF tho same
place. visited General Newton at the works yesterday
signhed his willingness to detail all the men he
can spare preserve order the day Of the blast
The superintendent OF gas house on Manhattan
Island opposite the reef 10 bo blown up, also called
upon General yesterday, and, alter long talk went
nway satisfied thcre would be occasion to empty
his tanks the momentous day. Many brewers,
tho huge chimneys of whose factories tower
above the Harlem heights, were very uneasy
about their lofty piles OF brick until reassured by tho
officials in charge of the excavations In order to pra
duce quake sufficient do any damage explosion
must bo sufficiently powerful break up tho strata OF
the earth That anything of the kind should occur in
the present utterly OF the question: and hd
shock 200 feet from tho excavation VIII be only similar
to that productivity tho rumbns OF heavy truck over
the pavement OF street. There Is still great delay on
the part OF the in supplying the explosives,
aud tho workmen engaged in charging the holes wero
obliged quit work at three O'Clock yesterday after
Tor lack OF material These continued delays will
probably postpone the explosion until Saturday next,
II not longer. General Newton has lost patience
with the delinquent contractors and yesterday ordered
from Mr. Warren several thousands pounds more dy
upon that gentleman's assurance that ho could
deliver the stun tomorrow morning
This compound Will probably be used instead OF the
rcndrock vulcanite which have not arrived Whiie
II Is evident this action that General Newton
thinks that iii 1t we're done when IT'S done then
twere we'll 'twcre done quickly" he has no fears oi
anything like premature explosion my mind IL
perfectly a. ease, sd be- yesterday. when the cart
babies do in their cradles Cool and damp they
arc. you could not explode them il you trisd'
The cxpodent cartridges or primers arc nearly al
prepared They are nlled with dynamite in four shedi
erected at distance OF several hundred yards from
five pounds Of the explosive permitted to DO kept IN
any place at ono time. The method OF preparing
tho primers is very .asenous.. Upon the scow an.
chored beside the shaft some forty men are busiy
engaged direction OF Mr.. Julius Srledipger,
completing everything that possibly be done
before taking the apparatus into the.tunnels. Every.
thing has been calculated to nicely, aud table OF
figures lying upon Mr.. Stredinger's desk gives the
precise length every wire the Dimensions OF
each primer and every other detail necessary
Tor the expeiitious and easy execution OF
the work piece of wire is cut OIL
for each group Of holes, just long enough reach
around tho group aud back through tho shaft to tho
battery Along the wire then attached tho differ
ent cartridges Ut such distances that each Will Just
come opposite its appropriate mole when tho WIRE Is
carried below Each oil cartridges, with its wire
Is then packed into box made Tor the purpose with
handles attached, convenient for carrying, and the
long leading ends OF the wire which TO reach TO
the battery coled upon little reel side Of
the box When the work OF charging begins these
boxes with their contents will be carried each to its
group, the cartridges will be placed in the holes
wnere the Will be secured not only Dy brass springs
attached to each one, but also with who pine wedges
tightly between the cartridges and the sides OF
holes When all the cartridges Of the group have been
inserted a connection is made between the local
ana the one leading wire on the reel and the latter
then carried 10 the battery paying out the wire a.
goes. When all the groups have been completed
in this way will only remain TO connect the wires in
circuit with tho battery from which the exploding
spark will be II has been customary former
works bearing resemblance TO the present 10 have
but make the Of all tne noles and then
explode them by bringing the two ends OF the wire
together in circuit at safe distance the scene.
The work, however, OF Sucn magnitude and
plumber OF holes be nred lar exceeds that OF
any blast that 1t deemed unsafe trust ia
a single wire. Hence the grouping arrangement de-
scribed This having been decided upon the problem
forming around twentyh different groups
simultaneously presented tse. To accomplish this
a very ingenious contrlvancc called connect
Ing lrpme" has invented 1t of q tripod
pine about four high, top OF which
Is irmy fixed disk Of wood two feet ia diameter.
Lying upon this DISK Is corresponding winch
slides up and down in grooved ghts. The
idea to attach end OF each pair OF wires to the bot
tom disk and the other end to the uppr disk in direct
nc that the latter lowered down contact
with It's fellow tho ends oil each pair ol wires will
touch simultaneously and complete the circuit AS II
would DO Impossible 10 bring The bare ends of the
wires with absolute certainty the bottom
VIII be fastened in buncnes OF eight and brasa
pins driven down through the disk The top ends
which, projecting above the wood, are followed into
cups and hcd with mercury The ends OF tho upper
in like fastened, each in line with
fellow wire below, 10 brass pins driven through the
top disk. These pins fixed that when the disk
witch they fastened is lowered their points will
drop into cups OF mercury below. thus nsuring per-
feet circuits Connection will be made, OF course. be-
tween each pin, above aud below, with the battery.
When the time OF firing the mine arrives
the upper will be held up from contact with tho
lower by cartridge OF combustibc powder AT the
proper moment the cartridge will be fired by spark
from small battery located rising ground about
quarter OF mile east OF the shaft, aud tho disk falling
with its combination or pins aud wires will complete
the twenty circuits with absolute certainly and
the moment
THIS connecting ramo is to be located the top OF
the bombp structure the shaft aud In which
she battery is placed. The latter consists OF fory-
eight small batteries OF ten cells each. Tho cells
filled with electro paion, solution Of bichromate OF
potassa In suiphurc acid, and the plates OF zinc
and carbon. four Inches wide and six inches long rhe
cells connected in groups OF about ory to increase
the intensity This sort of battery-which is known
single fluids OF wonderful intensity but the gall
vansm generated Is OF short duration, that 10
utilize its greatest force it must tc used very
soon after It's formation. To arrive at this
another ingenious arrangement has been contrivcd.
The oattercs have been arranged IN two horizontal
rows IN TWO massive wooden frames. and the 100 gall
loas Of fuid necessary Will be poured into the boxes.
Meanwhile the plates are suspended directly above
each set in line with its box When all Is ready for the
blast plates will be lowered into the iiquid by
crank attachment and then while the battery
pleted and the end OF seven years thinking, exper.
imenting and working will be achieved.
DASGERs DYNAMITE.
A prominent manufacturer OF dynamite was asked
by The reporter OF the HERALD yesterday whether ht
not constantly in dread OF his lie. The gentlo-
man laughed he replied 10 the negative. ri have
never once, said he sheen so much afraid OF dyna.
mite as ! have been OF gunpowdcr dozen
nos sons "ny 1y na1o hsa do1sm zen haGproaaa a
before nitro giycerine and its compounds thought
Of was in those days superintendent OF copper
miro IN North Carolina An explosive material was
stored IN magazine built OF rock The structure
intended 10 be lire proof and to insure that quaiiica
ton It's iron doors made to close down upon
solid rock, which WAS not unrequently covered with
scattered grams OF powder The miners used 10
there with orders from tho foreman Tor powder and
when man presented his order he was permitted to
knock the head OF a keg--if there ono
already open--and I'LL his can without ceremony. Tho
nOor covered with rough dry boards and al
most constantly covered with the powder spilled by
careless miners In fact the crcviccs nlcd
up with II that We could not have swept II
up " We tried. One bitter cold winter
morning stranger entered and presented
an order for two kegs OF powder. AS
there $500 kegs stored in the magazine
the time he had no difficulty getting his order
filed, and he started OF with Scg under each arm
hc had gone 0ut lew yards when an employe NJ tho
place seized my arm and cried, Good God Look
thereV ioOWod tue direction of his glance and