The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-18
lTURDAY MORNING, JANUARY IS, 1879.
.rr,e rc..-1au.1

~ g Tae Ics-Jam. s5s,ssl
EFFECT OF MR.. HALL EXPERIMENTS IN BLAST
| ING THE ICE IN GRAVEYARD REACH-THE
OPERATION NOT a sEcCEs5-THE WYASOKE
on HER WAY TO THE Seattle ICE R0TTISG
AND BREAKING UF--THE CANAL OPENING
RESUMPTION OF EXPRESS TRAINS ON TIE
CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO Road.
Several days ago two Of the most ex-
perienced men IN rock excavation in con.
nection with river improvements stated
that, in their judgment, it would not only,
take very. long time by blasting 20 clear
the river of ice, or, rather, open channel,
but that there was not enough nitro
giYeerine within d thousand miles to accom-
lplish the end SO much Desired However,
lin compliance with the wishes Of many per-
|sons Interested, the experiment has been
tried, and tried fully and has failed; and
in. the opinion OF the gentlemen who sln-
idertook the responsible and hazardous
lidutv, after fair trial, Il cannot be success.
fully accomplished. 81 - EaSs
On Thursday, as has already been stated
lin this paper, Mr.! LE. g.. Hall, superinteB-
dent Of rock-excavationto OF the James-river
/ Improvement, went down to the lower end
LOT Graveyard Reach, on the south side of
James river, with aSluantity oi9explosives
to try The eXperimen OF making channel
through the ice by means OF blasting. 4&.i :
He fired three charges The frst was
| equal to about four hundred pounds OF gun
powder. Mr.. Hall took q long pole, and
feeling his way over the blocks OF ice, went
out as fur as, it was safe for him to go, ind
deposited his charge where he Thought it
would be>most effective, and where he him.
self would be safe in the work. Mr.. Hall,
OF course, had an assistant. He would feel
his way along over the ice, foot by foot,
following Mr.. Hall, who used his pole to
test the strength Of the ice. At one time
the assistant, while crossing a piece OF ice
with the can OF explosives in his hand, went
down into the water waist deep. Had that
can struck the ice, neither Mr.. Hall mol. his
| assistant would have ever been heard OF
again. The accident, however, did not de-
ter them from prosecuting their work. The
first charge was very carefully deposited at
point where it was believed it would be
most effective. The two gentlemen went
ashore and fired the charge, equal, as we
have stated, to about four hundred pounds
OF powder. A mass of ice and water was
thrown into the air, and q gap, or hole in
the ice about fifteen or twenty feet in di-
! ameteE was made, but it was immediately
filed up again. Another charge was put
in ut another point, but the result was ex-
actly the same.
Mr.. Hall now made a third trial. He Sc
lected this time place where the high water
had piled up the ice near the middle OF the
river, or formed jam, leaving an immense
bank, partly covered by the water. He put
bis charge in one Of the creyices, and ram
med it down until it had reached the bottom
NJ fha river hot yyaon ha ,,iococ of ino This
accomplished, he went ashore, and by means
OF his battery fired of the charge. The re-
suit was the same as in the first and second
trials. The gap filled up with immense blocks
OF ice, and appeared to be just as bad as
before blasting. He then (about II O'Clock
Thursday night gave up the job and came
home. 1@
There has been no change in the ice
| blockade since Monday, except that the
jam has possibly moved down the river
short distance; but the ice is soften
ing, and very soon, If the mild weather con-
tnues, it will be more easily broken to
pieces or penetrated. The blocks are filled
with sticks, poles, logs, &C., which will OF
course aid the thawing. 'iEso'.s''"1i ~
The Wyanoke, on Thursday night, was
| Just below Cbapn's Bluff. y .G~i5i:>.t I.
| Il Captain CIV. Allen, with small party,
went on the tug Arnold nearly to Drewry's
| Bluff landing yesterday at about P. NJ.
At that point the ice; was found entirely
across the river. Between this city and
that point the channel'is clear. The ice was
slowly moving down, having moved bodily
about 5000 feet since morning. The river
| is about elk feet above ordinary low tide,
with gentle current. From the top OF the
pilot-house the Wyanoke could be seen in
Kingsland's Beach, near the schooner Oakes
Ames. She had then about one mile OF the
pack to penetrate. rfa.. d.. ~;
| The ice on the shores Of the river is from
six to eight feet tbick-a mass OF broken
ice, the interstices filled with river mud. IT
is evident the steamer has made her way
through about eight miles Of such ice, al.
though not in so frozen state.
Unless severely cold weather follows it Is
probable that the channel will be open in
three or four days, but not clear OF floating
ice. Large steamers like the Wyanoke, and
with determined commander like Couch,
would come through SUCH ice as is now met
at the Bluff without serious detention.
A correspondent has sent us this account
OF the jam and the Wyanoke:
RICHMOND, January II, 1879.
Messrs. Editors, s,-Ye esterday (Thursday,
was carried by curiosity and good.sad.
dle-horse to the localities OF the now famous
ice-gorge.
Your readers are familiar with the extent
of this unusual blockade, but may not be
able to form correct idea OF how it looks.
AS I approached the river at Wilton ii
had the appearance Of cluster OF lime
kilns, or OF large granite quarry. Al
closer quarters it very much resembled the
top Of well-fIled country ice-house. But
the best illustration ] can recall is that oi
large blocks Of ice thrown upon landing
Of pond by the eatherers. When ar.
rived at Wilton the Wyanoke could be seen,
half Q mile this side, slowly cutting through
ice Of about four feet thick. i watched her
for an hour, For the first quarter oi
a mile she found it hard work
taking forty-fve minutes TO cover that dis
tance. Four squares this side OF the land
ing the vessel encountered very thin body
Of ice, and in passing through this she was
enabled to get good "running start" and
did not again stop until she had traversed a
good quarter mile. This was doing well,
but she cannot possibly pass Graveyard
Reach without the assistance Of the ele-
ments or OF nitro-glycerine.
The ice ut and near Wilton will probably
average two and half feet, while that in
the vicinity Of Graveyard Reach Is about
SIX feet; in the channel several OF the
:. drifts" near this point will measure ten
to twelve feet from top to waters surface.
Many persons from the city visited dur
ing the day this gorgeous sight, and no
doubt were repaid, though having to travel
road almost as difficult Of passage as the
river, with mud from three TO twelve inches