The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-06

A premature explosion Of Ditro-glyccrine
occurred at Dutch Gap yesterday afternoon
between 8 and 4 O'Clock, by which, NJ. Y.
Hergartv. contractor; Elias u. Hail, III
charge OF rock excavations for the United
states Government, and Alexander Brown,
nr Miller. as he was sometimes called. were
killed, and Elijah Hill and Henry DAVIS
hborers, were injured.
THE WORK ON DUTCH GAP.
Some time ago the Government awarded
tho contract for widening Dutch Gap to ID.
q uerrarty, OF this city, and 1t was while
This work was in progress yesterday that
the distressing accident occurred. Prepa-
r,tions had been made for blast OF con-
siderable magnitude, and much interest was
manifested in the result not only by Mr.
HALL who had charge OF the blasting,
bDt bv others connected with the river
improyemeut. Mr.. Hall had invited the
chairman Of the Committee on the I'm
movement OF James River to go down
and witness il, but meeting OF the
committee Yesterday afternoon prevented
his doing so. MIR. Hall went down in the
morning on the steamer Craighiil, first to
Graveyard reach, where the work Of taking
up some OF the wrecks OF vessels sunk du-
ring The war was in progress. Subse-
ouently he went down, TO the Gap, and
commenced his preparations for the blast.
The work OF blasting the hard earth on
the north side OF the Gap had been going
Oh for some time, and satisfactory progress
had been made.
how THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
In order to make one of these blasts an
excavation OF about six feet square and
six feet deep was first made. This much
accomplished, small hole was bored from
the bottom OF the pit we have Just do
scrbcd to 4 depth OF about eighteen feet,
so that the entire depth from the level OF the
ground down to the bottom Of the hole would
be about twenty or twenty-four feet. After
the small hole is bored canister containing
the nitro-gy cerine is placed, and the charge
then covered over with sand. This done,
the operators leave the pit, &c to safe dis
tance, and explode the glyceriae by means
OF battery, the wires from which are con-
peaed with the canister. The tin canister
containing the giycerine is generally about
three inches in diameter, from four to five
feed in length, and contains some thirty-odd
pounds OF the powerful explosive.
The blast OF which we write was, as we
have said, a considerable one. Three pits
had been dug about twenty feet apart and
the holes bored, on The north Tor Henrico)
side of the canal, and the caniSters Of TIVE
OF them filed and deposited ready for ex.
plosion.
THE FATAL CANISTER.
Mr. Hall, Mr.. Heggarty, and two negro
mez were at work upon third charge inside
the PIT, Davis being on the outside bringing
c3nd fnr Afr Hall RI I1sq n Pnypr thp can
when it had been properly deposited in
The cavity. 1t appears that there was
some dificultyin getting the can in pro-
perly- 1t would not go down to the bot
tom as smoothly and easily as was desired,
and Mr. Hall. anxious to send it to the bot
tom and make the blast successful, COM
menoed to ram it with stick which be
kept sor the purpose. Mr.. Heggarty, more
cautioEs than his companion, thought the
operation rather risky. and said to Mr. Hall,
according to the statement OF the negro
Hill, @That's dangerous; you'd better
not ramit so hard. Let it go asi Is" Mr-
Hall replied that it must 60 down. Dir.
Heggarty turned to come out, but before ne
had hardly taken step the explosion took
place, and so great was the conclusion that
the TWO ,canisters in the blast-holes in the
other pits we're simultaneously exploded.
THE PIT EXPLAINED.
The following diagram OF the PIT and the
mole bored to receive the charge will give
the reader;a clear idea Of the positions oe-
cupled blythe four men who were within
the excavation, and Henry Davis, who was
employed en- bringing sand with which 10
cover the charge: