The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-10-06
The Blowing Up Of He'll GATE.

umns II water, accompanied with
considerable quantity II rOck, which
All fel into the river, Hallett's Point
Reef, ~ Hell Gate. was demolished this
afternoon. The triumph Of American
engineering accomplished by Gen.
JnO. Newton WAS complete. in the pre-
else time and manner intended, and
without 4 single accident.
About l. O'Clock streams 81 pesies-
TRANS were vending their way across
the city TO points Of observation on the
East side. 4 vast number Of strangers
came 20 see wins; every body expected
would be amaguificeni spectacle; street
ears going mp town were loaded with
citizens. and First and Second Avenues,
IS viewed from the heights, were black
with pedestrians moving toward Nine
tieth Street About , o'clock cross
streets and avenues from which = view
could be had were swarming with pei
pie and the hOuse-tops along last Side
we're crowded. Thousands Of vehicles
OF every de- ,TiptiOn filled the heights
and cross streets Great slarm pre-
vailed among the residents Of First
Avenue anc the cross streets from
FCrtv-seoOnd 20 Ninetiefh Street, and
some hOussS were entirely deserted by
their residents, through fear Of rocks
being hurled scroSs the river. or huge
wave being caused by The upheaval
Every house in The vicinity had It's
doors and windows open A. : matter Of
pTsCszstii5u, tssi ths great mass Of pep
PIE hsd no T. as whatever, and specta-
tors sE armed the piers and low grounds
II a. -
might have been drowned By thousands
In case Of = wave. The police lined
First and Second Avenues, and were
stationed amongst the crowds on the
rocks 70 be available in case Of a panic
A bird-s-eye yieE Of the point Of inter-
81 Vas had by some 1900 or 1900
people a. the heights between Ninety
second and Ninety-sixfh Streets and ~
Third Avenue, where there are no
houses DIRECTLY opposite across the
river va HaIlett's Point. and the tim
bers and shznties ~ the opening Of the
shaft. nearly midway in the river; but
= triie % the north Was Little Island,
with H. boat-h0use. and a few hundred
vauis 20 the south, Little Rock, sur
mounted By an advertising board. The
rock % he blasted lay beneath The sur
face, between Little Island and Hallett's
Point The Government scOw and the
Police and Emigration Board steamer,
and hundreds Of barges and r0wbOats
lay between New Y0-k and Wards
and Tenth Street
At , o'clocz faint puff Of smoke
arose from the sc0E. followed by the
report Of the first gun, and there was
an instant c0mmotion. the crowds sway
ing about in fresh e4geruess 20 get "a
good standpoint. Ten minutes later
another report, and deep hush fell
upon the multitude- The stiffness was
unbr0ken from then until the third gun,
a. -. which was followed, AZ precise
" ? 81. blythe explosion. In straight
and seemingly narrow line. running
north and south for about SD wards,
TIE water whitened and arose even
three OF four feet A high. dull thud
E1s heard, and the rocks trembled
beneath the feet Of the multitude as II
firm. quick, short p1lsations u an earth
quake TIE Eater. which appeared o.
remzin stationary for an instant, broke .
and sp-rtei Up IN irregular, dark yell
-
81 with dark smoke from the dynamite. .
then Il feil back, and IN . moment the .
river resumed is usual peaceful aspect .
Then a mighty cheer arOse from all the
northeast side q The city, and from the
steamers and b0ats. and steam whistles
Eere blown, and bells were rung out
ioyously. and AL Wa over
The report <as scarcely noticeable.
and not 50 much A. . ripple was caused .
upon the w2ter, save Just over the spot .
where the explosion took place There
was no concession IN the AR. and not a
pane Of glass VAS broken IN the city or
On Wards Island.
Immediately after the explosion hun
drets q TOW boats sei out ai their best
speed for Hell Gate. each anxious u
have the honor u first passing over the
scene II the explosion That the work
EAs efeciually done j. the gen
eral feeling. and this also appears from
the fact that the pOlice-bOar passed over
the sp0: safely Wards Island vas con-
sideret a fav0-ite place 20 view the ex-
PlosiOn, and the applications to 20 there
BIZ the poiice-boaf seneca and the boat
u the Commissioner Of Emigration
we're very numerous. but the invitations
issued Eere limited 90 = select party Of
city officials and politicians
Probably the finest view Il the whole
explosion was from Hgyt's Place, some
30 yards east IF Hallett's Point Tie
ground - high and Hell Gate did not
appear more than 30 yards away. II
Wss from tins point that Gen. Newton
and the teiegraphic operators sent the
electric =rid rushing into the mine