The New York herald., 1876-09-04
THE GREAT BLAST.

INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL NEWTON ON THE
HE'LL GATE EXPLOSION
A HERALD reporter called on General Newton at the
Army Building, corner OF Houston and Green streets,
to ascertain from him any particulars he might have
to furnish the public regarding the coming explosion
at He'll Gate.
The General found in his office busiy engaged Ia
opening and forwarding letters At first the General
seemed dsinclned to give any information, but as the
progressed he gradually got interested In
the subject in hand and the Interview continued a.
folows:-
''Some anxiety is felt, General by the residents OF
Astoria and Yorkve regarding the result Of the coming
exposon upon the edihces In the Immediate neighbor
hood Of the blast, ana have sought you with view
Of asccrtaning if any for anxiety exists said
the reporter
General Newton smiled, and with that air Of conf
dence born OF exact science, he said-"Ihcre Is not
the slightest for alarm. l do apprehend the
slightest danger the houses in the immediate
vicinity of the discharge. The old sheds and out
houses at present standing the ornco of the shan
may be blown down, but that do not expect
The residents of Yorkvie are, my estimation, vast
ing mental energy feeling about the results
OF the explosion. They quite safe from any evil
effects and will probably feel the shock but slightly
would advise those living the Long Island shore to
out their houses when the blast is discharged,
for the reason that the vibration may shake down
few ceilings. Mark me, these ceilings will have to b
predisposed fall down; otherwise the blas
will affect them in the least Ceilingi
are, you know rather insecure things. and no
vouch Tor the stability OF his ceiling no matter
how it ls Sometimes the moving OF a bed over
head will precipitaie the whitewashed waste down
upon the unhappy folk beneath causing heads
drrsap ho~u Far thnso xvotld
all leave their houses when The blast to be
fired. We will give those in the immediate neighbor
hood notice as to the hour and minute when the ex
poson will occur"
chow does IL happen that there is no danger with
such large quantity OF ni.ro-glycerine as you intend
to explode when, freport speaks truly, onetwentieh
part of that amount has often wrought fatal havocs'
at is easy OF explanation. With one-twenticth OF
the amount OF the explosive intend to use in this
blast could. If wished, make twenty times Tho
noise expected from the coming bae. The explosives
used in the destruction OF Halets Reef are Tor pur-
poses Of USE not icr pyrotechnic display However,
to exnain why the elect of tue explosion OF this great
amount OF nitro gly cerine will cot be palpable
many think 1t must be OF necessity, let state few
iacts in connection with the work The explosive ma
teria the rst place. has been distributed IN parcels
Of about pounds each, arranged eicctualy
do the work assigned them. While It that all
these different parcels will. TO all practical
inients aud purposes be exploded simultaneously,
their force will be combined. The com.
Dlnati0n OF tue fOrco produced by the explosion
OF tue amount oi nroglycerine to be set or at He'll
Gate would be sufficient for almost work; but the
combination is wanting, and consequently the violent
result looked Tor from some quarters Will be had Each
parcel is 10 be placed that 1t shall have exhaust
all ITS force to do the work assigned it, and thus nc
loss OF power Is TO be suffered. II is not as IL the
explosion to take place the surface, when th
explosion would actually take place in Inc air; th
power is submerged. The shaft and the whole excavs
lion be filed with water before the blast take
place, SO that all chance OF atmospheric disturbance
will be done away with. Perhaps there may De her,
n n Wpnk N tht Inf andt tha
charge near this spot may break through Tho only
enecs OF this will be a waicrspout"
"Wli The shipping by be affected by the explo.
son ?'
"wel, those boats which within half mile OF
Hallet's Point will feel slight thud on the bottom
but nothing serious The sensation will be rathsi
pleasant have experienced u several times while
s.The department has already exploded great QUAINT
ity OF gycerne has not, without single
dtni?"
eyes believe that since we began to rid the rive,
and harbor OF obsructious have used between TO-
and $4,000 pounds OF ntro-giycerine. This has beer
discharged, sometimes in parcels large 1Oe
pounds, and ain OF the opinion that the coming OK.
plosion Will not have any more outward effect thas
some of those have already made. When a can o.
glycerine put the rock the moves of per.
haps $50 yards, and the charge is fired" "
General. opinions have been expressed to the
effect that the exhaust from the immense amount Of
nitro gycerne you are gong will vibrate the
atmosphere for miles Is there any truth in the
scrtionr'
.'None whatever. The gas generated by the ex.
plcsion Of this nitro-gycerine will, when it Ia
Is equal to heat, and the labor required from the
glycerine deposited in the rock will ue exactly, or
nearly exactly, what is needed, power will be lost,
and, consequently, no heat will be lost With the ex.
plosion the neat generated will be Immediately CON-
municated to tho rocks aud the water Consequently
when the exhaust arrives a; the suriscc it viii have
lost all It's volatile properties ana be iabby inert
The atmosphere will readily absorb and destroy this
dead gas, and | doubt If the most dehcate
nose in the neighbornood will be very much
shocked You the giycerine is here danped or IN
other words. confined, and only the exact amount
necessary used, there be any OF heat
IN the equal TO the labor. When small amounts of
ntrog been used here the city TO blow
down dangerous walls bad effect has been noticeable
in the atmosphere This was because the charge was
not damped and properly adjusted to tho work 70 DO
performed" "
"Arc there any other papablc effects of the explo.
SION which occur to your MUD nowy" was the report
or's query
The General thought for moment and. referring to
the SUBJECT OF heat, stated that the OF
heat IN the manner just spoken Of would cause an
evaporation OF water, and fog would he consequent
IL would extend along the river some distance per.
haps, and last, may be- an hour or more
The reporter inquired how the scene of the cx
ploson the gentlemen having charge OF the galvano
arrangements Tor exploding the mine would stand and
was informed that though the spot had not vet
been located IL would be within 200 yards General
Newton could not give the number OF pounds OF
nitro gycerine that are to be exploded nor did ho wish
TO approximate 1t,
4
CRUSHED TO DEATH.