The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1885-10-17
He'll GATE. OPENED
The Last barrier to New York Harbor
Ha- Been Erln0yrd.


raugements had been perfected. \
force of 80 policemen in addition to
the harbor police were detailed near
the scene Of action, 800 of whOmi<were
located on the East river front.
BINcliwell'S Island contained a de-
tatchment Of 100 men, while fifty
were on duty at Wards Island. All
the buildings on the nOtth end Of
Blackweli's Island We're cleared of in
mates, including TIE almshouse,
work-house and lunatic ASYLUM, who
were masSed in the towns at q safe
distance from the explosion and care
fully guarded. III the penitentiary
the cell doors were thrown open and
the prisoners conducted to the halls.
| The prison WAS surrounded by the
police, while large force was sta
toned among the convicts to prevent
escape or riot, and to give all in case
it was found necessary to reach the
building.
All points on the shore from which
Flood Rock could be seen were dense
ly packed with people. The police
were busy in Keeping the crowd out
side Of the danger line. Ropes had
been stretched across the river above
and below the place Of explosion, and
launches from the naVY-yarI pat
rolled the river to see that no vessels
attempted to pass through. The bell
in the tower of st. AIMS school build
ing struck the hour of eleven, and
O,OOO people waited cXpectantly for
the explosion, which was advertised
to be on hand at that hour. At that
moment there were still a number Of
people on Flood Rock a few min
utes later, however, a tug took them
off, and then the spectators braccd
themselves for .hr expected shock.
Ladies and gentlemen in carriages
stood upon the cushions and leveled
thoir opeta-gla3@es toward til" Island,
a hushed expectancy fell upon the
vast crowd, who seemed almost
afraid to breathe for fear th, act
would disturb the view of the eXplo-
sion should it occur at That moment.
The river in the vicinity Of Flood
Rock and Hallet's Point was now
clear of vessels.
At respectable distance, however,
4 scores of excursions steamers, their
decks black with people; yachts, tugs
and even Il Sound line steamer, wait
ed for the pressing Of the electric but
ton. At precisely 1l:f3 O'Clock ihc
earth trembled and the bosom of the
river was pierced with mighty up
heaval Of rocks ana timbcrs. Up, ul
went the glttcring mass Of water,
until it seemed as if Il WruIh never
stop. .Ata hight Of POO feet the up
lifted waters paused and fell barh in
to the river. At this moment, when
the air for hundreds of feet in each
direction was filled with white masses
of sparkling water, the spectacle WaH
grand beyond expression. Mary
Newton, the clcven-ycar-old daugh-
ter of Gen. Newton, who, Us chief
engineer, has conducted the opera
tions at He'll Gate since the start,
touched the button that set free the
electric current that exploded the
submarine mines and shattered the
mountain of rock, lifting it out Of the
bosom of the sea and crashing it into
II million Og fragments.
1t was little Mary Newton, who,
when u mere baby, touched Off the
first Hell Gate explosion q few feet
from the point from where she stood
to-day. The shock Of the collapse
was felt only slightly on the Astoria
shore, and the noise resemn!cd far
distant subterrancan thunder. Where
Flood Rock had lifted its strong back
Il mass Of broken wreck W1s seen on
top Of it all. The big derrick that
had been left to its fate turned over
on its side and was broken. \ hug"
tank that had been left at the north
end Of the Island still stood in its
place, tilted over little a~ If had set
tied when let down with the angry
waters from its ierial flight. lmmr-
diateIy after the explosion Il fire broke
out in the wreck and burned Justify
amid the seething waters.
-Four instantaneous photographs
were taken by officers of the corps Of
engineers from the firing point, As
toria. AS far as it was possible to
judge from the position and appear
ance of the wreck the explosion had
been an entire success, though for
the present the vicinity Of the blasted
rock will be even more dangerous
than heretofore until the wreck has
been removed. The shock was felt
to slight extent in the city. II was
distinctly felt in the City Hall build
ing, the structure trembling tOr tine
space of five seconds. At the County
Court House the shock was also dis
tinctly felt. In the upper part OF the
building the floors shook and the
windows trembled when the eXplo-
sion Occurcd.--II
What about the steam fire engine
which our city was talking 50 ear