New-York tribune., 1876-08-19
TIE HELL GATE EXPLOSION.
ABOUT 4 noSTH MORE or PREPARATIONS ErQyIE
-IIrY CHARGES AND THE METHOD or LNrio


TIE HILL GATE EXPLOSION.
ABOUT NoSTH MoEl. or rErrAEArioSs ErQrIEEp
-JIrE CHARGES AND THE METHOD or LNrL"D-
ISG TiiFL.
The work preparatory 10 the blasting oi the
rool "a JIaliets Point vii tc brought 10 gse In about
month IycTy thing is being pat H. readiness Tor the
nr.l Tremendous explosion which .. To give Sewlork a
new doo-wDy the Atlantic Ocean, ie,syilLg tue time
between this city ana Europe 0y twenty -.'hr hours lL"
las, Of september bccG n.cs uppu hy Gen n
toe Un.d States engineer IN change ol the Worh ~ the
time hen the fiua, e, p.osion i {" take place.
Many sIyVO-c that tDis rOch - IN the middle of the
stream bu Il Is rart oi and projection from. ~ show
Of Long Island, running !ar cut under c water. Bong
on point around wl!ch toe stream make bcnd Oi
nearly 30 Gcr- 1t causes the cdgrcn O. set b" ~ronry
icgar1 oppo,e shore q. wards Ii,ni that wr'L
b inevitable any vessel wlich ptt"upts lo make tie
Iasslrr when .hcrc IS wind enough to carry her
through Persons n'ing the Point That two or
three ye-,c!s a w.ck often thrown upon The Gti
iron" The opposite rock aud that many OF these are 30
sia tered that they dsmanicd and sold for old luu
hr The r, yHl OF the great rocky bar uron the p"ih
VIII give the another and more dir g: cOuse and
greatly de- - the channel
The approach 20 the excavations s noug The shore.
aitcr leaving tie Astoria Ferry ana the visitor comes
suidrni, upon deep pit, caltd "slaft" only guarded
by lew rorts with boards nailed across them. Around
tie lnout the PIT great heaps OF stone gave evidence
of tic ano ant that hns been taken Oat, though much oi
il has been removed from 'hc place. Tha whole quantity
e4caNi,d from the shuu and the unlt bas been over
30 nul cubic yards. This stone s Lornncnlo enoiss
u,etlnDrlic stone o, almost the composition a.
rrauc from which II dnefs by layers Of quartz mica,
snd feIdrlar. II generally has tendency To cicave
along the planes where the mica exists In the greatest
ptaut.:ics Tie stone 10 very hard, harder Than granite
For ,s reason aud OF the In the rock In
some places which admit the water from above into the
,rppc, the work has been very dircu The shaft 4.
nd
cofI dam! n the shape of AZ Irregular pctagoii, kct lr
nt ia ,,,trr on mo laud side OF the shaft are the
various buildings necessary ioT the carry ing on OF the
work ThcIe is engin"house IA ich arr ia, frshi
air by cans o: Sii,h tGc az va. compress
,,I n gave the requisite uuiuher pounds pre- 70
Inc square nrh aud conducted thence In tubes TO
hr Irl,ip. drills far below ia the tunbOis. k"a- this
building ar. the ah"rr, engineers "licer, tc. ,
Ten vast portals, o"hnl Ike the entrances OF great
om.s sIctyatcG IN mount ius, open tlde bi dc around
twotirds ~ tue circumference oi the SHAFT They ar
the entrances to cn Large tunnels and to Tie network "i
tna'l tui ucs lcl undermine the rock NitII Wh'cI
ponfs down III certain points and dt" con
stany az others making necessary tie Continued r'c u
,uiupug engine, which stands In the middle oi Tue
snai CuC Tunnels have been entirely cleared ~ pieces
souc and rihbirh, aud the plan Of eNoayatn@ taft
varying light from 20 iel n'hf the thsl 10 10 or Il
! The entire work OF boring Has btSh compti'n al'.
nothing r,ains 20 be done except she manutactfc "'
tie explosive material aud placing the charges f. the
hol"t prepared ior thr'p IN the paft ui thc Toch "hr
forms the roo: $500 holes have been bored IN an upward
inches in diameter. 1be columns have been pierced
also, IN the manner irom tocr 70 roof Theac hO,h
|
uitc where the rock is haIdrd, 3nd ordinary Vulcan
pOwdc where the supcrncumbcnt mass IL more liable
aBl Ia is VOnhrtcncc. Tho entire roof aud
tho columns Will he demolished at tho sare instant.
hroylycrTne WAS for n time thought oi the most
futbie explosive agent, but mature consideration
10 was rccc.ed--nOt too dangerous but ucon,
ncnt tO account ~ leakage. Dynamite, which IL
composed Of - per cent Of clay and - per of nitro
gyccriGe finally selected for blasting the sod
portions o the rock. The charges viii Le put into oaus
about 2lo inches ia diameter ana varying in length nc
cOrdng the depth OF the hOes. These Will be
PLACED ~ the hO!es, and then connected By short wires
with lhc long wires which extend 10 the batteries
viii De prepared Tor the operators
of the battery Ut distance southeast of the main
yhaft and In the direction oi the RaycnsIOOd road In
this chamber viii bc placed at least 200 Groves gnlyanic
batteries and eaCn Of them vii explode from II 10 20
charges. An ingenious scheme has been Devised by
when AZ these batteries will De brought into action At
the same instant, nnd thus complete circuit viii bo
formed firing all The charges together and utterly de-
ptrOying the great plateau Of rock which has hitherto OH
s,ructed ypti0a except for email eIaft through Hell
| Gate channel
Cen Newton has kept NJ constant series OF expert
ineng 10 insure perfect success when Tie great day
conos and no rcasonabe ground for fear OF any
accident The engineers OF the opinion that the Only
apparent effects oI tho explosion VIII be the bnrDg into
lie air Of huge column ~ weter, with possibly few
pieces Of rocks the rstcnce Of the water viii pre-
yuul any except leu f rho sualer masses from being