Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1876-09-28
Hell. cateIass.

New YORK, Sept. "a.
The great engineering feat of rending
in pieces the rock which INSTRUCTED nav
| igation at He'll Gate, has been success
fully accomplished in the precise time
and manner intended, and without a sim
quarters of the city gathered on the New
York side of the river to view the explo-
sion despite the heavy rain which fell
all the afternoon. ThOus ands on thous-
ards of carriages and vehicles of every
description crowded the heights and
cross streets from which it could be
seen: Great alarm prevailed amongst
many residents of First Avenue and
cross streets from S2i to seth streets and
some houses were entirely deserted
through fear of rocks being hurled across
the river or a huge wave being caused
/ by the upheaval. Every house in that
| vicinity had its doors and windows open
as q matter of precaution, but the great
mass of people had no fears whatever
/ and spectators swarfned on the piers and
| low grounds directly in line with the
| rock, where they would be drowned by
the thousand in case Of g wave. Police
lined First and Second Avenues and
were stationed among crowds and rocks
to be available ia the event Of palic. The
| spot directly opposite Hsllet's Point was
chosen by the city officials as the place
/ from which to witness the grand blow
up. The inmates of the Lunatic Asy-
lum on the island were taken out Of the
building as matter of precaution. Prob
ably the finest view of the explosion was
/ from the Heights of Astoria. Some
seven hundred yards east Of Hallet's
Point the ground is high and He'll Gate
| did not appear more than two hundred
yards away. 1t was from this point that
| Gen. Newton and the telegraph operat-
ors sent the electric fluid rushing into
the mine. Mrs. Hoyt's grounds and the
roadway in front were lined with spec
tators, all of whom were admitted by
special tickets. The police and soldiers
excluded every one not provided with q
ticket, the line being drawn 1900 yards
off, where nothing could be seen.
! After the firing of the first gun the
| excitement became intense, and many
ladies' got nervous and uneasy. All the
occupants of the houses opened their
windows and doors and vacated their
premises by the advice OF Gen. Newton.
The rain descended in torrents and the
second gun went off, causing a general
scramble for a good position and
a-consultation of watches. Every
minute as it passed WAS now eagerly
counted, and at one-half minute Of the
time off went another gun and many
thought it was the mine. Every eye
was kept watching the expanse of water
under which the explosives were known
to be. Suddenly cloud of water
turned into white spray, shot up just
off Hallets Point This was followed
by cloud of black smoke rocks and
t lumber, and at the same moment q
shock ran through the ground and gave
one the impression of being lifted about
2 inches. The sound of the explosion
was not loud, but low, deep runbling
A cloud of yellow smoke followed, then
the rocks and the entire surface OF the
water had become again level, Lo
traces being left but a large yellow
space caused by mud and other substan-
ces thrown up.
The moment the explosion was over,
small boats, tugs and steamers of all
kinds shot out from every quarter,
their objective point being Hallets
Point. Not window in Astoria was
broken or the slightest damage done.
At the works il was found that the
Golfer dam, which surrounded the shaft,
was entirely gone, and small house,
which stood close by the shaft, was
thrown distance of ten feet, but lhe
other buildings were just as before the
explosion. The affair was complete
success, and whole reef WAS blown up.
Seekers after relics made raid on the
great bunch Of wires, by which the mine
was set off, and soon but few Of them
| y
changed by the explosion, and now the
current sets directly on Little and Big
Mill Rocks.
/ The mine then hau to DC exploded
next on the New York side, directly OPP
posite The scene of action. At the mo-
ment of the explosion dali thpd
was heard. Rocks tumbled beneath she
feet of the multitude as If from two
quick palsations of au earthquake. The
water, which appeared to remain sta
tionary for ah instant, broke and squirt
| ed up in irregular dark yellowish masses
about twelve feet high, marked with
| dark smoke from the dynamite. Then
| il fell back and in moment the river
resumed its usual pacifed aspect. Three
mighty cheers arose from all the north.
! east side of the city and from the steam
ers and boats. Steam whistles were
blown and bells were rung out joyously
and all was over. The report was
scarcely noticeable. There was no con-
cussion in the air and not pane of glass
was broken in the city or on Wards
Island a slight shock was felt, so
slight was it that every person was dis
appointed. The fears Of danger to
buildings were happily no. realized, as
neither were the anticipations There
can be no doubt of the success of
the undertaking, as The police
steamed over the ground several times
subsequently, which could not be doue
previous to the explosion. Shorty Of
ter 2;61 a dispatch was received at the
| S7th precinet station, stating that the
shock was telt at that place. Another
coelmanication from the penitentiary
/ on Biackwells Islank stated that the re-
Isport was dull and vibration very slight.
7! & telegram from the 23d precinct sta
| ton stated that no accident occurred any
swhere. A dispatch from Yonkers re-
i ported that slight tremor was percep'-
4 sl)ie there. DIR. Punod. in CHARGE of the