New-York tribune., 1885-09-20

BLOWING UP FLOOD ROCK.
THOUSANDS OF DYNAMITE CARTRIDGES.

THE EXPLOSION SOON TO TAKE PLACE-How THE
WORK OF PREPARATION Is BEING DONE.
A TE1BUNE reporter went n day or two ago
to the shabby rusty old Government dock at Astoria
lust opposite Flood Rock where the excavations have
been goug on for ten years and drills have been driven
into the solid preparatory to blowing the rock ana
reefinto the mir breaking peces,so hat drcge
deepen the channel The blasting OF Flood Rock and the
reel will 90 away with Of the most tronhleSome i'm
pedIments TO navigation between New-lork aud the
sound Hell Gate has boen a bughcar to navigation
since the time Of Iiendrc Hudson Bcfuro tic miao
exploded nine years ago. at Haletts Point the west
channel between sIill Island and New-York was tie
one most used by vessels though enranc by that
course was tortuous and winding Siaco that time the
channel between Flood Rock anu Long Island has been
the one principally used. his Is also winding aud
broken The coming blast Will make 1t possible to clear
away the reef aud Flood Rock entirely, and leave
straight channel for vessels out into the Sound
Lieutenant Derby superintendent of the work. was on
the wharf waiting for the steamer A. A. Humphreys to
take him of to the works the rock IIe Is young
man with sandy hair and beard and light blue eyes OF
rather slender figure, but with IA decided manner OF
speakinr and acting While waiting for the steamer lac
was called by one of his to look at some fuses and
explosiyes which stored In rcush looking shnniy
on the whar; The picked up handful OF coiled
fuses with caps attached for inspection, after which ho
threw them roughly back into the opcn hox whence he
had taken them.
Don't go TO thrDwing those about In thht way my
man." said the lieutenant.
The Humphreys had come lp by this time, and the
lieacnant and the reporter embarked Tor li Island
Coming around tho vest side OF the Island where DIS
scow was moored. the tug went humping iato her.
iar,ing grim array OF big brass cartridges which were
snreal III Oh this deck. These engines of destruction
were each about foot and half long and two Inches Ia
diameter Upon the reporter inquiilug aHXlpsly
4herher slight concussOn might not set one Of these
of and so start train OF disastrous consequences Lsu
tenant Derby explained that tile explosive which the
carridges contained could only be set Oh by heavy
concussi1n lie tested one by rigging pistol about
four reet from It, such way that hc could discharge
the latter with string. The ball from the pistol pee-
,rated the big cartridge but failed TO explode IT. This
makes II comparatively safe for ordinary handling
though great Is nevertheless exercised with IT, AM
ony limited quantity, about seventy poun L. handled
at time. This explosive, called rack-rock, Is COM
na-ayey now TO and has not been experimental
wuh ON a large scale. 1t Is made by combining the
cborate Of potash OF commerce with di.ntro benzol
Lther compound is In Itself. entirely harmless, but
onahn.a forus AN explosive which Is IL per cent more
uowerfu than dynamite. Furthermore, the cost OF the
rack rock Is O1ly 23i9 cents per pound whllo tho
Lowest hid on dynamite for tie work was AZ cents per
ponnd. 49,. ,, rt,,rnlreva Iargc sIcrhoar1.
on which were Ianted tdc words Danger! Miro
giyserine!" met the eye at every poiut ILI Il not
meant the werkn on mo island gnt Is 70 warn On
tempting as targets for narAsnen VITA various
Kinds OK weapons injndcious or dlotic enough
acnoIIy 10 shoot them before the sienboards were
ut uu IA spite the treIchcrOs materials stored be-
peat which there a. danger OF settling o. TIE
M ,e isl ami is a busy All Of the racl-rOck which
has beeu placed in the drills was mixed on ils Island,
te choate potash being placed at tue north eud AMI
ho henzoI AT tina southern extremity. Tne latter II
yellow OIL with the peculiar somewhat pnngent odor
of some OF tue cheaper soaps belng Ia iact tho same
ntStance which Is lsci In the odOrlzng OF sOag. Tue
chcrto OF Iota.h Is white white % t@|cept ceptr ho M n fg i
The chorate Is slfted through wire sieve Into metal
lined tank and The oil then poured TPSn , y ~ te ppPer &
consistency OF the lower grades OF brown sugar ai
about the same color, though 0i sOhcWAtt DrBLIer
TI,e process Is then cornplre and man with Dg
sugar scO takes the substance out IN portions Ahu as
tributes IL TO the men ranged aroma the oter wan o .o
sbanty at a continuous bench Each ol thcse Is sup
Piled with brass SHELLS ana pcstle OF [anou. ,
the explosive into SHE'LL tue uidn rlS ~ anu lohsl
with an energy calculated TO make the hearers hedrt
fhump az eacn ud when Le considers ibc ueauy eha-
actsr OF tie suDstancc Whieh 70 hus t ALL
nanded After the cartridges are almost nlleh snci
hTa ss case flled with dynamite In which Is imbedded
si smaller cartridge cohtanEs iuano 1t o,id ~ Az, a.
cnry is dropped In. AMI, aier Dehg shtirey niIcG up
WY WIN Inn vo 20 e sealed up This most hazardous
stage Of the whole process. iie ca ~
ron when heated Is nOtter than that IT "ohd be I'M
practicable this explosive. were IL h9t ior the
ogorv ~ thc process which Il empiOyed on the Island
Ina solds- used Is an alloy called Moods metal wnieh
melts at temperature OF l0O r. ms u, 30 s nsteI p
escape steam. which cannot 20 aoo'e @i- - 'N''
assures the safety OF the operator, ., ,o .,,,
In smaller cabin labelled wlIa cue ncr, one a. nr
made The dynamite Is not made on the Island Dnt is
carried there in limited Quantities as 9 rs Praceoo; 70
dynamite in store there at one time 10 was kepl two
Seet under water out OF harms way Having Completed
,hc OF the manufacture OF the cartIg te
Humphreys took the two inspectors over 20 tooa isoeR
Iors were ON bOaId besides the crew ana TWO lassen-
GERS about seventy cartridges ready TO be placed III me
mine The drilling and excavation were hDu
,a nu,ne In of te explosives began on July 30 Thcre
arc at prcscnt In the mine about 2lsOoO pounds OF
explosives When completed ~ WIZ I, Uolsn siu ro ao
men6ous charge OF 100000 pounds OF explosives repre-
senting about 81 100000. ,..., a ,,o
EXPLOSION Will take place after October l. depend
nd mon the prompness with which the contractors M
orders When the explosives are In, every sck VIII pe
removed from Flood Rock and as much OF the lsland
ss "a is nracticabie though the portion above wafer
forms small proportion Of what VIII be acted upon py
iIe bast The explosion will not be controlled from the
shore of the river but by automatic device place
with the battery, over the shaft on the island Lhe
insrument will probably be set by Brgadier 1eheial
Ne1ton chief OF the corps OF engineers ontsu suts
Army whD has had charge Di tue wotk ,,, iron i,s
egniug. Colonel Walter Mcfarland senior assistants
and cnsnant Derby, who has snpeilntended the wort
yor the last four years Immediately after the past
there viii be four feet less water on the reef than tlee
Is at present Tue rock will be broken ny ana pnlSersea
40 incb however that can be dredged cut ana tneTe
IA money o hand 10 begin this work mmediatey aitei