The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-10-05
HE'LL GATE.
The Great Explosion in New York Harbor
How Little Mary Newton Fired OFF the
BIast-A Thrilling Scene.

BlasG--A Thrilling Scene.
From the New York Heraldl
Proceeding to the battery house, the
plates were safely and expeditiously
lowered into the acid beneath, the party
stepped quickly outside, the workmen
closed the doors of the structure and
bolted them, and the party set off on 9
run toward the wharf where the steam
launch was awaiting them, the engineer
standing with his hand on the lever,
ready to start the instant their feet
should cross the gunwale. Jumping on
board the little vessel flew across the
cove to the firing point, where the party
jumped ashore. The General handed
Mrs. Newton to the little battery house
described, where camp stool provided
for her accommodation. The nurse fol-
lowed with the child, and the General,
taking the latter in his arms, placed her
standing upon an empty cartridge, which
brought her up to the key. y lsfn
Mr.. Striedinger stood near his bat
teries on the east end of the platform,
the improvised table on which the key
was laid, on the west side of that stood
the little girl and between her and Mrs.
Newton stood the General. 5st
"Come, little Mary" said the Cen
eral to the tiny, blue-eyedi little 3-year-
old maiden as she stood upon the box
with the nurse beside her, "play with
this" at the same time placing her hand
upon the key. The little girl smiled in
her mothers face as she toyed with the
silver knob.
"Come, what are you going to do,
Mary?" said the General "you have
been talking about it for some time.
The General nervously watched the
river. It was quite free from craft. He
looked at his watch.
"Six minutes yet" said Capt. Mercur.
go, now," exclaimed the General !;
"what is the Pleasant Valley coming
away down here for. don't under
stand it, he added, in tone of vexa-
ton. "They had strict orders. They
will spoil all. :"
| The boat indicated appeared to be
drifting down toward the mine. Her
progress ceased in minute, however,
and the General said in relieved tone,
go, well, she is not too near, anyhow. !"
"There, the white flag is up on the
scow," cried Capt. Mercur. ''Why not
fire it now?"
"No," replied the General ''I gave
the people notice that would wait ten
minutes after the gun to give them time
| to get out of their houses, and will
stick to it, although feel exactly like
letting it go I"
"There the white flag is up again, .
exclaimed some one.
All was breathless silence among the
little group, and even the spectators,
straining their necks over the fence
above, seemed to feel the awfulness of
the occasion.
co." said Mrs. Newton, sit seems
| just like waiting for an execution -
Two men near the battery now closed
the switch, and little Mary's hands are
kept from the key, for the slightest touch
on the delicate silver knob would now
precipitate the climax.
A few moments more of breathless wait
ing. Capt. Mercur's watch declares the
time arrived. Mr.. Striedinger's fingers
twitch nervously about the wires. Sud
| denly the white flag is seen moving from
the scow. The General says, in col
lected and affectionate tone:
"Come, little Mary, touch this key
again
The chubby white little hand of the
child approaches the key. Mrs. New
toms eyes are fixed on the little girl with
motherly pride, and the General seeing
the direction of her look, cries
"Come, come, look, out here toward
the blast. You dom want to look here. :"
The lady's eyes follow the direction in
Dictated, as do those of all within the
structure. The child's hand rests limo
Gently upon the key, slight tremor
shakes the earth, followed by dull,
rumbling sound, which seemed to travel
along the direction of the ledge, and to
come from an enormous subterranean
depth. Ere the senses have fully per-
ceived these, the water over the blast
seems to boil for period not exceeding
half a second, and then column OF
water 800 feet wide and IS feet high
shoots up from the midst of it. The
| top of this mass was cleaning white
foam, towering up into pinnacles like
inverted icicles, while near to the surface
of the river the column is darker, until
near it's base it is dark yellow. In the
center of the mass q monstrous stone
weighing many tons twirls around Like
spinning top. Half second after this
| column arose thus q second one ascends
in toward the shore. It evidently comes
from the mouth of the shaft, and it rolls
in dense black clouds like smoke. The
blackness is the mud from the bottom of
the heading. This column rolls over
the shore 200 feet inland. Descending
it strikes the top of the bombproof, and
washes off a couple of feet of earth
placed on it's roof. In its passage it
strikes the little one story office described
and washes it five feet away, throwing it
partially over on it's side. Strange to
say, Quigley's plan of opening the win
dows was successful, for not single
pane of glass is broken .E,c,
The party gaze in silent awe on the