, 1880-12-06
BLASTING HE'LL GATE.

~AAVA kNu 41ASk 1A&tE1@AfFV H4&4E1 u
Tunnels.
!: Nttp ror* Herald, De-
Thousands Of passengers by tho Sound
steamers gaze every day with considerable
curiosity upon little island that has sprung
Into existence III tho middle Of the East
1ttrcr, op,nsit Astoria. Rough wooden
buildings with hofst!ng-apparatus and smoke
stacks cover the surface, and little clouds OF
steam putting mp hero ard tlhcro give tho
whole the aspect Of MI extensive nan,1-
factory. The spectator, who from the stcan.-
cr's deck marks tho whit0 caps breaking
round this island, little thinks that tlcel,-
down under Ills vessels keel there is min
tature city whuse streets nre filed with life
at.d activity. Yet 1t Is there. The island Is
built upon tho crown Of Fiood Rock,
the most dangerous obstruction Of He'll
Gate, and deep down iii Its bowels tho
worlsmcn Of ten. Newton arc digging anil
drilling night mid day, obliy1ous Ut the tides
that flow a.1a this vessels that come md 60
nboyc their heads. Already they have ding
uut 0f the solid rock MDre than two miles uf
streets. four or five feet wl.le n1ttl scvell feet
high. The rack 10 lw removed !tas. a sur
tended ~ b. iinally demolished by n single
blast. Already 1Hi0oU cuhlr feet OF stone
have been taken ont. uIakln; II grcat cavern,
I'argsr tl,an was tl!e it!1o'ls ono Ut llalett's
hiEiest cxplestycs. Ihe 4bIowing.np ''ti af
Flond Rock will rclnlTe more thaM ao.9oo
pounds, a't! l'eople WIN waru tfmi.l as to tho
Stnte when t!!ts new blast Is to 10 n!udr.
Three ''..silifts,''' averaging iifty men each,
carry the, work through the twrnty-tonr
honrs wlt!'qat inieT1r!Ini!on, .ttay alia night
There nrc ten tunnels running parallel wltlt
the current of tho rycr, and eacIi Ut these at
present Is 900 feet lnnE These are crqsse.l
sort of n'nze ii whch' Motlltng could 10
casfer ttlan to Ect lust. Indeed tho workEnr.l
themselves occasionally tlu THIS. Only. u
sprinkIing of these men are old miners, tho
Sew YorE Or l.onE i is1aila: siany ' Of these.
however, Ind sotne experience Iii u,o 1Int-
let's Reef excavation is1ld they make g0od
workmcl1, glscal III olsl miner here and tfero
nsninst tho t!angcrs Of Its crumbltnE down.
As the cyes become accustomed to .Illn plAcu
II thick, Black rllhuer hosa ~ noticed srrtteh-
in9 along tic iloor of the harrow passages
alN! emitting occasionally hEss't: SOUND ~
II IT were so1uc great SERPENT Having It's
!u,nc In this Elootny cavern. ThrnuRl tllis
the steam ts conveyed wlllel drives tue drills
Thurs aru ten of, these ltnc!!lncs, alld each of
them drills ~ the twe,l.y:tour hnurs nho'!s
incIies III .lEal.lnter. Thus ,51 llovs nro tn,red
ey1ry ttny. Tie blasting IL dong anly IN tho
HSEllkiEs WIlEsf Ltlt IluIt5 HTG GtalEEEu hsiA
itret Immediately, th[s part Of tho wnrk 0t.-
cNpylng tltret or i0ur hours. Frequently
the eollpNssitns put out tiio iiincrs' lamps:
anu residents of tho river ballks arU trcntcl
10 MI occasional tteulur.- Getting OIL III th1s
way nbollt five hundred feet Of tunnel Is lug
out per no1,th. This stnnD Is re,.iUyctl IN
cArs run IN tracks lnitl down Us the tunnels
IRE driven, hUtsted llp through the Bl.Rft,
whrnct, by MI Ingenious automatic .coll-
triyn.,cr, II Is hnluIIctt intn scDWY
This stune Is disposal Of II, Mtl odd way.
Just llUrtll Ut ljackwel's Island .l,lll between
that a1sd Faott luck Is III immense hole III
tho river lotutli nlul tlltO this tbs tt1brts t9
deposited almost within II stNna'x tnr0W 1f
the place wheneu 1t WIS tlkeIi. Whom t!lls
dumping WIS begun tic hole WIS III ftet
deep hut tho bNttu1M se1lnN to giyU Wny ltlitter
pressure, FIR notwithstanding the tlnlilvllso
quantity OF rock thrown Into u Il nsslnttllIE-
line I'D fuet lung yesterday failed tu tuuCll
b0t.nHl. The nnly "larl0Ms adventure" " ell-
tulln.eretl by thn repnrttr during TUG ntttltr-
ground Trip w:ts lit cuIllecLUn with lhe !ov-
ing Vt this brnkul kttllu nIunE tlle tunnels.
1t IL tnp0ssiIsn ut present IN sNy when tho
tulllltllng will bp finished AMI thn prrpara-
summer Of ths, wilt wlt,N.*s thu completion
to tira t!c entire l'last s!n.!tanrt,!s!y. ~ t:o
lid 1T la!!ctt's lseef. mud tlla tunnel VII! bo
ease, Notwithstanding tc Incredible qlsAlitl.
t. nf explosives to 'bu llaell, lin expects that
thu water will uct n u cushion ntu prevent
AHy damaging custc,sssinit.