The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-17
THE HELL GATE EXPLOSION
THE GROUPS Am LOADED AND
READY TO BE PINNED.
Thirteen Thousand Cartridges TO he Exploded
simultaneousiy-Thc Probable Enect ottho
shock-No Danger Of a Tidal Wave.

"
simuitaneousiy-Thc Probable Enect otthc
shock-No Danger Of n Tidal Wave.
1.-THE groups are all loaded, sir" said
excavation at 25 minutes past IL yesterday
Turning to the SUN reporter the Captain said
"Those are the groups that will be primed aud
connected with the battery. There are, how
ever, many more holes drilled in the rock, and
In some OF them we will place charges which
will be exploded by conclusion. Tho last cart
ridge In each will be permitted to protrude an
inch or two. This will be done where the rock
Ia tbckest. The total number Of groups con-
nected to the battery are 1884, having $3.50 holes,
and containing about 1900 cartridges. Nothing
further can be done until tho dynamite arrives
on Monday morning. a. all the primers must be
ready and the work pushed ahead II onco begun.
The many inquiries as to what will become Of
the terrible force which Ia supposed to be be-
meath the water, In certain sense imprisoned,
and how II will find vent Is answered by a scien-
tlnc gentleman connected with the work, thus
" Ihe eject Of high explosives IL entirely u local
one, due to the sudden development OF the
gases at the moment Of explosion. Mixtures
like powder do not belong to this class, and
might, perhaps best illustrate the difference by
saying that i've pounds Of dynamite, when
suspended to a wall. Will knock a hole
through II, while powder In tho Aame quantity
would only blacken its face. The gases pro-
duced by the explosion OF nitro-glycerine at
the OVERLAPPING OF the water and tue force after
having rendered its service will be consequently
diminishCd. The drill holes are II feet apart
and contain on an average about IL pounds OF
explosives that are vi ccd In the roof aud piers
when have little or no connection with terra
hrina. The greater purt Of the force developed
VIII not act directly upon the river bed, aud
hence produce shock. Tho water tamping %
the charges has. ON the other hand, the well
known effect Of reducing the noise II the ex-
ploslon. While do not quite agree with the
opinion OF Gen Newton % u the innocent
character OF the explosion am not a sufficient
pesstinist 10 believe tn an earthquake will DO
produced. | am inclined to think that tho
charges confined In the lower part OF tho
piers ana those In the roof the circumference
OF tue excavation, will TO the chief producers Of
the shock, the intermediate piers contributing
very little but ;hiuk the rocky part Of the OBJ
structions near the Golfer dam, and where there
Is out little water ~ high tile. aud parts also OF
the roof over the more heavily ladcned piers,
Will he thrown up by the explosion. should,
however. add that all possible precautions have
been taken by the engineers, when computing
the charges OF the dull holes, To use the mint
mum charge required to do the work. Actu lily,
while the accounts Of work done show that over
one pound OF explosives is needed to remove
one cubic yard rock, only about eivht-tenths
cubic yard at Hdlletts Point"
he fear OF tidal wave caused by the 1ing
OF the excavation 10y water may also be dis-
PEELED, as the solid rock to be exploded Will all
its place. Ihls Is plainly shown at the works,
where 81 600 cubic feet Of gneiss rock taken from
the rock, In its troken state occupies nearly
twice the space. Tue actual difference In bulk,
according To Capt. Mercur, will be but little
~ ~ NuNiS hNh 'hohkh w iiOuh'c
more tnan the swell from large-sized sound
steamer The destruction Of Blossom rock In san
Francisco Dav IA the only known explosion OF
this Kind. and the effect of that may be used "a "A
parallel In TINS Gaze, though after exc " ting
the rock until thin shell remained. 1900
pounds Of giant powder In old Casks and iron
boilers were heaped In the centre. The battery
wnich gave the shock to this immense bulk Of
explosives was anchored but 30 yard, from the
rOck. The water and debris at the time of the
explosion shpt up 20 feet In The air hut the ugi-
tattOn soon subsidized. In this explosion at Hat
let's Point where the thousand of drilled holes
enereies Of the nitro-glycerine will exhaust it.
self III seVering the rock.
la the bOfuh proof the batteries are being
placed a. rdltdly AS possible. the only delay
possible is that the contractor may fat 10 de-
liver the dynamite on Monday morning. but de-
spatches were Received that he would be on
time, SO the great EXPLOSION at Hell Gate will in
oil probability tlke place ON lhursday