The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-31
FLOOD ROCK.

WORK.
The HERALD reporter was in strange place re-
Gently Very dark it and smoky, while here and
there phosphorescent lights fitted around him,
throwing pale and htful glimmer, not bright
enough anything distinctly. but only sufficient
to render the darkness visible The walls were
high and black. Shiny with mud and besrimed
with powder. Nor was this all. Ever and anon I'M
earthly yells and means and shrieks resounded
through its cavernous Had any one been
placed there in deep sleep atrance and then sud-
denly awakened. he could easily have imagined him
self in the abode OF the damned Such was Flood
Rock forty feet below low water mark.
Excavations now in full progress at this intor-
estng point. and when the work is fully completed
and the rock removed no doubt great benefit will
he conferred on commerce. The rock first tapped
about three years ago. but soon after operations
had been begun appropriations failed things
left in stata quo for little At the end
of that time the work renewed with vigor and has
been carried continually day and night ever since
but is only recently that the serious part the
work has been begun. The success of General New
ton in the far greater undertaking of blowing up the
rocks little further to the north is sufficient
guarantee for the successful completion Of the work.
The reporter escorted through the "mine." it
is termed by the workmen by Captain Mercur. Of the
United States Engineer corps, and Superintendent
Boyle, who has charge Of the engaged in the
cavations.
APPEARANCE OF THE NINE
A deep central shaft about ten feet square had
been first sunk perpendicularly in the rock.
Through this shaft every few moments box, like
a wheelbarrow without handle wheel. would come
up loaded with masses Of rock. little handcar
drawn near the side of the shaft and the con-
tents of the box dumped into it. They were then
transferred to a mud scow and carried off.
'Step in. sir, said Mr. Boyle, after the one-sided
box had just finished its errand Of dumping a
quantity Of rock. the reporter had previously been
cased in oskin and capped with helmet made OF
some heavy greasy material and footed with arctics
in preparation for his voyage of exploration he
stepped in, rather on, the nondescript vehicle,
which was all coated with wet rock filings which,
when well prepared. make very respectable mud.
The next moment the box was whirling through the
air, the passengers holding fast to CHAIN and one
of them at least in mortal fear that would
give way. After a brief course through sunlight
the machine plunged with rapdity into the darkness
beneath After descending some forty feet the box
was landed on the main floor Of the mine, where
few stray CLEANS Of light penetrated from the hole
in the roof above. The reporter, already half
formed he by the strange costume, had no
difficulty in recognizing his brother gnomea There
wore lights on their heads consisting of little greasy
smoky lamps, stuck in the rims of their caps. Two
OF these were soon produced and thus equipped the
guide and the writer started tour of the mine,
the latter not without great misgvings that might
in. From all sides and from overhead water
was constantly Gripping ana tr1ckl1ng down. This
water leaked through from the river and would soon
render it impossible to work IL not for large
steam pump at the base of the main shaft connected
sucked the water out whenever aver it be-
came foot or two deep. In one place
drain distant part and carry its waters to place
that could be more easily reached by. the suction
pump. Captain Mercur met the reporter at this
place and conducted him to the points where the
were at work. Deafening and unearthly noises
greeted the ear at every step and were constantly
varied by the angles of the passages.
WORK DoNR.
You see, said Captain Mercur. "there are two
sets of men who work here. Those who blast the
rock work during the night and the blasts gen.
orally fired ut that time. The day men excavate the
rubbish aud falling rock put it into little handcarts
and wheel it to the mouth of the shaft All this
work, OF course. has to be done by hand. and the
operation consequently takes some little time"
After blast has been fred and the fallen rocks
pickaxes shifting the roof sides and door rs heavily
possible. to dislodge any rock that might be LEFT
loosely hanging to the general mass At Flood Rock
the nature of the stone to be drilled renders the
work slow. but much perfect az regards
the entirety Of the excavation. 1t is of the very
hardest kind Of gneiss that the hastings do not
fork out and make large cracks in the rocks but
rather limited in their effect. The workmen. there
FORE blast much to the surface of the
water and the columns of rock sustaining the roof
be reduced to about ten feet in diameter without
any danger. At one time in spite of the Of the
men, large quantity of rock. weighing several tons,
fell from a part of the roof but fortunately
no one was injured and no damage was
has been completed the drill is brought g to
the end of the passage and placed tranversey
it. The drills at present used at Flood Rock consist
of stout upright bar Of iron reaching from floor to
ceiling of the passages which generally about
six feet high in the beginning being widened after
ward. Across this bar the drill works. It resembles
large crowbar. with several teeth at the end
to cut into the rock, turning around as it
pierces All these drills are worked by means
the mouth of the mine through iron
pipes until within a short distance of the working
air right to the drill This process has the advantage
of introducing ut the same time a quantity of pure
air into the depths of the mine The amount of the
compression is fifty pounds to the square inch and
in escaping 1t creates very strong current Of cold
air directly from the ends Of the and toward
the shaft
STILL LOWER DEPTHS.
After being conducted through maze Of narrow
passages that would have puzzled the kngly builders
OF the ancient Egyptian labyrinth the reporter
conducted by his courteous guides to still lower
depths on level seventeen feet below tho one
already explored. This is the level which IL to be
worked out furthest under all the jagged outlines
Vow said Captain Mercur. on reaching the end
OF one OF these deepest passages there twenty
six feet of above you beside the rock compos-
ing the roof. II it should cave in now you would DO
would you like to see what darkness is?" he
added and on the reporter assuring him that any
useful information he could give on that subject
would be heartily welcomed ali the lights were
blown out and a darkness such rs the reporter had
never seen before at once reigned. Not the fancst
guishcd. and the hand held close to the face
was absolutely invisible; not particle of
spsfh or , CLEAN OF phosphorescenee
scmblance OF light apparent. few mo-
ments were thus spent I'm darkness and silence
whom the ascent to regions above was begun. The
return TO daylight was accomplished, not by means
OF the whirgig bucket but by series OF very inter-
estng forty foot ladders These suggested the basis
for new mode of pedestrian contest. Why should
not an international ladder scaling match be inau-
gnratcds Flood Rock would be just the place for