Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-07-05
A Big Blast.

"For three months past preparations had
been making for great powder blast in the
granite quarries at Syenite," In st. Francois
county. The blast took place on the 21st ult..
"when 1000 pounds of powder were dis
charged and over 80, 600 tons, by'actual meas
urement, We're lifted and turned over in
masses convenient for cutting into pay ement
blocks, and some 10000 or $4,000 tons more
moved so as to make future quarrying oper-
ations comparatively easy. The place where
the enormous blast took place, the greatest
| that has ever occurred In any quarry in the
United States, was on the face of granite
hill fronting to the north. At or near the
| foot Of the hill a cutting some twenty-five
feet deep had been made for quarrying in
the usual way, but after this depth had been
| reached the rock was found so tightly bound
| that an ordinary quarry blast had no effect
| on it, the forcesof the discharges coming di
rectly out Of the drill holes. Under these
circumstances It was decided to run Il tunnel
from the bottom of the cut southwards
through the hill. This was done, and an en-
trance made Sc feet into the body of the rock.
When this had been done it WAS found that
the tunnel, which had started from the bot
tom of the cut % feet below the surface, was
At feet below, the rise of the hill accounting
for the difference. Then at the extremity of
the tunnel a chamber feet in length was
bored to the west, and about midway of the
tunnel another chamber Of the same length
was bored to the east. In each Of these
chambers forty kegs, or 1000 pounds, Of
powder We're placed and then rough mason
ry was built up in front of each chamber and
down the length of the tunnel to about 20
feet north of the middle chamber, Insulated
wires being carried from each charge to the
mouth of the tunnel and thence about 900
feet over the crest Of the hill to the electric
batteries" ''There are about 1000 inhabit-
ants of the village OF Syenite, and they were
exercised about the safety of themselves and
their houses. Most OF them took the win
dow sashes out of their dwellings and care
fully slowed them away in cotton or wool to
prevent the blast smashing the glass, and
some took the precaution of getting behind a
bill about three miles away. 1t had been
agreed that half an hour before the time for
exploding the charges the steam whistle
of the works should be blown, and when the
II
ernoon, it was amusing to see the people
scamper off over the hills to places Of safety.
The blasting. party, headed byn Mr.. w. r. |
Allen, President of the Granite Company, |
"were the last to leave the cut. They picked |
their way quickly up the face Of the hill be- |
low Which the volcanic charges lay" After |
seeing that no stragglers were left behind in |
places of danger, Mr.. Allen said, 'Shoot her |
OFF," The battery operator turned the key,
Probably not half a second from the time /
the battery key had been turned, a slight
CULVER under foot foot was felt. The giant
below had commenced his struggle. Then
low rumble, like the muttering Of distant
and then n loud roar which rever-
brated through the distant hills and that was
followed by the sound of falling rock in vast
masses. This last sound was followed byt
,he appearance Of vast volume Of dense
smoke which rose in great white columns
md f1oated over the entire valley. But the
blast had been successful, aud thousands of
ons of rock lay ready for the hand of the
he stone-cutter, and so perfect had been
he arrangements that not a soul was hurt"
Then the people who fled with go much pre-
,ipitation commenced to throng to the place.
eight of the advance guard OF the rushing
rowd Were taken by the gasses and prompt
Y yasphyXiated. Others took warning by this
nd promptly withdrew in time to save loss
4 consciousness. Those who had succumed |
we're dragged out and finally restored to con- |
ciousness and life. ''The effect of the blast
vas most satisfactory to all concerned. The |
0 1000 tons of rock absolutely moved from it's !
ed is of the best quality, and 1T is broken by .
he discharge into clean-cut masses, some !
early cubical in shape, others with square
aces, and all convenient for the use of the :
plug and feather men who cut and shape !.
be masses for final use. The actual meas
rements of the mass completely removed :
nd broken up, as above described, or dis r
lrbed SO as to make the granite convenient !,
,r future quarrying, are 100 feet south from =
ne mouth of the tunnel by 200 feet wide =
long and extending each way beyond the r
ice of the cut, and 40 feet deep on the aver
ye. The calculation therefore shows COOK .
,Ox4o--SGO, 900 cubic feet, OF about 10000 :,
,ns.D
A Warning to Others. Lei
L