Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-17
THINGS or CURRENT INTEREST
Getting Ready for Another mig EH-
nInaInn nt Hell asate.

"There are four miles of tunnels in this
mine, said Foreman Bernard Boyle as he
conducted a visitor down into the excavations
under Flood rock, which the government has
undertaken to blow up as IL blew up Hallets
reef, short distance above it in He'll Gate.
"This is all gneiss rock, " the guide continued
Some Of it is so soft that it can be cut With a
knife, and some Of it 80 hard that it has to be
blown up. The dip is at an angle of about
CO., which favors the entrance Of water from
the river above u.s." A dismal rain was pour
ing from the rock and threatening to extin
guish the oil lamp which the explorer carried
On stepping through a doorway he found
himself in water up to the knees Of his high
rubber boots. In the extreme northeast cor
ner OF the mine q roar was heard, and soon
the water was seen rushing down through a
wide seam. Anumber Of laborers we're busily
engaged in cementing and in drilling test
holes in new directions 1--WE are working
carefully now, guarding against any further
outbreak" said Mr. Boyle. There is ST.
100000 worth OF work at stake and we are
exercising the greatest caution. In case Of a
sudden flood the miners would escape through
the door there aud then close il. Then the
compressed cir Of this pipe would be LET
loose and q pressure OF 60 pounds to the
square inch would prevent this section from
filling. The pumps are well able to take care
of the present leaks. We might introduce
the compressed air into the seams and stop
it, no doubt, but as we don't know the width
of the orifce further back we prefer the
slower process of cementing"
"When shall you be ready for the great ex-
plosionr p "In about a year from this month
There are only 80 men engaged here now,
although we have had POO or more in times
past. Our present force can complete the
work by the time we are ready for the expo-
sion. You would be surprised at the number
of men who apply for work in such mine
You see we keep uniform temperature here
the year around and plenty of good, fresh
air. Some Of the men have been here from
the start, aud we keep the old hands as long
as possible. No one has ever contracted the
caisson disease here. The men are temperate
and we never allow the use Of liquor.
Next September you may see and hear
the largest explosion known to history. All
of these holes you see there with plugs in
them will be filled with explosives which
will cost $500, 600. About 100, 600 cubic yards
of rock have already been excavated. What.
ever we can carry out now will not have to be
fished up by divers and grapplers in the form
of debris after the explosion. Men are busy
here night and day. II you desire to count,
you will find about 2j0, 900 two and three
inch holes drilled for explosives already. The
drills have to be sharpened 1000 times
per year in the shops overhead The rock,
after being mined. has to be hoisted, carried
away to deep water and dumped. A hole 20
feet deep, just north of Blackwell's island,
has served largely as our dumping ground
The work requires drilling, blasting, hauling,
hoisting, dumping, pumping, timbering,
transporting, surveying, sounding, and many
other things. Every hole has to be drilled
with mathematical precision to meet some
other hole. We try to keep 20 feet and up
ward Of rock for a roof, which requires an
accurate knowledge Of the depth of water
above it. Ventilation is kept up by fan -
feet in diameter, driven by an engine The
large galleries ventiate themselves. The
pumping operations are necessarily contin-
uous. The average inflow from leakage at
low tide is 40 gallons per minute, but the
last great leak, which you noticed few
minutes ago, has increased it to over 1000
gallons. "-Ner York Sun.