The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-08-08
Blasting Under the River.
New York Evening Post. ]

Blasting Under the River.
New York Evening Post.I
General Newton Is again at work un-
der Flood Rock, East River, with force
Of about forty men, which will soon be |
largely increased. On the oath of June |
last, to use the words of Captain Mer-
cur, who is in charge of the operations,
" we commenced to prepare to begin to !
get ready" The first thing to do after
the long inactivity was to test the three
boilers which had been lying idle, and
which, for aught that the engineers
knew, might have gotten 50 rusted as to
be useless. This took until the 9th of
the present month, on which day the
pumps were started for the purpose of
removing the water that had leaked
from above in the shaft and the sub
marine galleries. The shaft is fifty feet
deep, and the galleries which run from
it in many directions are now about six
hundred feet long. On the 18th inst
began the task of cleaning out the debris,
getting the steam pipes and drilling
machines in order, and propping the
sides of the galleries where these sides
are cracked or otherwise in danger of
falling. This morning the preparations
we're nearly finished, and tomorrow
morning or the next day the drilling and
blasting will be resumed.
A reporter of the Eueaing Post, on the
| invitation of the engineer in charge, yes
terday inspected the excavations already
made in Flood Rock. Accompanied by
| BOYLE, he jumped down from the As
| - 70 he laoB of Ef<1o an
tug, and in about five minutes was
landed on Flood Rock, in the center of
the stream, due north of the lighthouse
that adnrns the thin extremity of Black
wells Island. He was conducted at
once to Mr.. Boyle's private Office, where
all three of the party clothed them
selves in rubber coats, freman's hats
and galoshes. Then he was led to the
yawning mouth of the shaft, from the
bottom of which, some fifty feet distant,
had Just been draw up by steam an i'm
mense shovel-shaped receptacle full of
mud and stone.
"Rold on a minute" said the en-
gineer to the men who had dumped the
load, and were about lowering the
vehicle to the bottom; "hold on; ]
think we'll go down with her."
Like other descents it was easy and
fast Presently a thud, jar and a
;; grating announced that the car had
reached the bottom. In the damp and
chilly atmosphere the several galleries
lead out from the shaft and into the
thick darkness. The party entered one
of them. Two members were provided
.. with torches in whose light the thire
member (that is to say the reporter) re
joiced. The way was rough and labor
ious. Pools of water of uncertain deptf
stood in it, and little streams tricklec
: upon it through the rocky ceiling from
: above The size was more or les
circular at times, with a diameter O
l. eight feet or so; at other times the gal
!; lery became cutting forty feet deep
1 One gallery runs into another, and thi
= into third, at the head of which sew
L eral others were focused. Finally tn
s party reached the end of the extrem
!, northern one.
al should think" the reporter oh
served, "that in blasting down her
e you are liable to force an openin
!, above, and to let the river in upon you.
u "Oh, that is the least of our dangers
) Still, we have to feel our way prett
carefully, and mind what we areabout.
= What are some other dangersW
n "The falling of rock is the principa
l. one. Sometimes the sides split off an
5, drop when least expected. You Sc
q those cracks there?" The reporter sa,
e large and long ones which the concui
IL sion had made. "We have to keep ou
} eye on those. Look at that rock i
L front of you. That is what we call
l. slidding rock" Its strata were diagona
d and it projected considerably.
e seemed as though it might slip fro1
= under the mass above it and do terribl
g mi chief. In almost every Girectio
le props had been laid crosswise betwee
Is the walls of the galleries to keep the1
y in place. Occasionally we came upo
D. large slabs which had been sliced off an
v tumbled to the bottom. They locke
c. ugly and nasty in the presence of th
't thirty or forty laborers near then
re Listen,' the engineer said softl,
re Do you hear that?' 1t sounded lik
se the tumult of waves above.
c The gallery the party were in is 500
p to be blasted again. Holes three incht
q wide and nine or ten feet deep are to /
IN drilled across the bottom of it, an
= eight feet length of bottom blown ou
M Then similar holes, eight feet furth,
e. on, are to be made, and another strete
y of bottom torn away, the process beiI
repeated until the depth of the CALLER
ST is thirty, forty or fifty feet. In fe
IN years the whole of Flood Rock wi
ne have been undermined, the top of
pc mostly under water now, becoming
ne roof supported by pillars. When Il
r. time for the final blowing up arrives tt
y top will be pierced upward In thousan,
sk of places and the pillars sideways, ar
W both will be stored with nitro glycerine
ng Handling the nitro-glycerine," Il
e engineer replied, "is the worst sour
y of danger to the men. No one of the
X has been killed yet by any thing els
's' except fellow who ran direct into
or blast. They get consumption, thoug
70 and other diseases, and seven of the
70 one day were upset in our row-bos
IN while crossing to Astoria, and near
'e- drowned, the tide was SO strong and Il
OF waves so high. But we use steal
oy tug now for crossing" Application
az for work, however, are constantly col
In ing in, and a thousand fresh lahore
IN IN could be engaged within twenty-fo
~ hours. The prices paid vary with t
nl- work done. The men employed a
", those who were tried in the Hallet
ed Point excavations, and Captain Mere
or desires it to be understood that there
ne room for no others.
We The ascent from the mine was ma
eo by ladders. After that labyrinth
las tour in the bowels of the rock, in
IN darkness, under deep water, perha
yes in peril, certainly in chilliness, in d
OF and in continual drippings, the ST
nm a shine and the sky were pleasant. VIII
ne the blasting is begun Flood Rock W
uo certainly be dangerous to visit.
a
A BeacOnsfield's Courage.
is When Lord Beaconsfeld first came