Morning journal and courier., 1885-07-03
THE EXCAVATIONS AT HELL GATE

They Are Visited By Number
 Of Prominent New Haven Gem
 tIemen-Weird Scenes In The Cav-
 erns.
 On the invitation of Colonel Walter Mo Farland. United States engineer corps, number of our well known citizens went to New York yesterday morning on the 9:5O train to visit the excavations (which have
 been in progress for years past and are now nearly completedD under Hell Gate. Among
 the gentlemen making up the party were ex- Governor English, Hon. Colin M. Ingerson,
 Mayor Holcomb, General W. F. Trowbridge, Congressman Mitchell, Captain Charles H. Townsend, Hon. James M. Townsend, Prof.
 Brewer, F. A. Gilbert, N. G. Osborn, John E. Earle and others. They were met in New York by Colonel Mcfarland and conveyed in his yacht to the little island or rock on which is the shaft extending seventy-fve feet below the ! surface to the level of the excava- | tions. Here each of the party were provided with rubber coats, boots and caps ! and lantern fastened to stick like torch. | Thus provided they were taken down the l shaft to the dark cavern under the East | river and commenced their operations. Col \ onel Mcfarland and his assistant, Lieuten- ' l conducted through the avenues, which are laid out with the regularity of checker | board, to the extreme point of the excaVa- | tions. As they proceeded the water came down through the crevices of the rocky roof \ overhead in pailsful, and had it not been for the great pump which throws out con- stant stream of water as big as a barrel, the | chances of their ever seeing the light of day \ again would have been very slim indeed. At \ the farthest point they were \ 4o,, eonA AOfr rra1y nd | teen feet of water overhead. At each point l where the avenues intersect were pillars of rock supporting the roof, and these pillars 1 were ali drilled with holes about two feet | apart and plugged, ready to receive the ex- | plosiye cartridges that will in the not distant ! future, by a spark from an electric battery, | c1umble the supports and let the tens ot ! thousands of tons of rocky roof fall in the | depths beneath The excavations cover a space of nine acres and but little more is to
 be done except to charge the thousands Is, ot holes with the explosive. This work as a matter of course has to be done with great deal of care, \ and it will not be until September or October ! that Colonel Mcfarland will be able to wit ness the final consumation of this great Work ! which, when completed, will leave Hell Gate \ as safe for navigation as any other portion of this great waterway. Among the attrac- tions in the mine or excavation were mules ! that have not seen daylight in five years. | They eat and sleep there and day after day
 drag the drays from one portion of the mine
 to the other. Three gangs ot men arc
 employed, working in reliefs of eight hours,
 the work being continued night and day.
 After half hours inspection the party
 were again conducted to the shaft and were
 safely hoisted to the surface. On going
 aboard Colonel McFarland's yacht for the
 return 6 very handsome collation. was served ' to the visitors, which was heartily enjoyed. | After-dinner speeches followed in which | ex-Governor English, ex-Governor Ingersoll,
 Captain Townsend, MT. Osborn and others
 took part
 | The gentlemen returned last evening and | speak in the highest terms of the attention | shown by Colonel Mcfarland and assist | ants.