The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-10-22

Flood Rock, in New York Harbor,
Torn AsDder by Powerful
Explosives
Interesting Account OF the Destruction
Of Nine Acres Of Dangerous
Rock.


New York special
The nine acres of rock comprising the
famous Flood Rock Island were shattered
into fragments this morning. The 800. 900
pounds of explosives with which the tun-
nels were charged went of simultaneously,
and, so far as to-day's examinations have
shown, the reef was completely destroyed
1t is believed now that clear channel has
been opened for steamers from the East
River into Long Island Sound, and that the
dangers that have beset the mariners In
those waters for centuries and which caused
the old Knickerbockers Of early New York
to call the place He'll Gate are now a rem
infscence. No damage was caused to sur
sounding property by the explosion. In
deed, those who were within thousand feet
of 1t felt little or no commotion, either In
the air or in the earth. A greater distance
from the scene. however. almost through
out the entire city, a slight tremor was felt
In some places a decided shake-up was OBJ
served About $4,000 people witnessed the
scene from the surrounding shores. Miss
Mary Newton, the young daughter of Gen.
John Newton, touched the electric button
which set offsthe battery and caused the ex-
plosion. 1t was she who performed the
same act nine years ago for the Hallet's
Reef explosion. Gen. Newton and Lieut.
Derby express themselves entirely satisfied
with the result of their operations, and say
that they will have the channel cleared of
the broken rock before six months have
passed.
1t was precisely Ills o'clock when the
people waiting to see Flood Rock 60 up in
the air heard a dull, cracking noise as If a
thunder cloud were bursting in the middle
of the earth instead Of overhead. There
was nothing sharp about it as the report OF
1vn IN ,,crolIx, &c tho
tremor of the earth so great as to cause
alarm. It felt just as il an immense ball
were rolling around underneath the surface.
trying to find some opening through which
to get out into the air. On the spot to
which all eyes were directed. however,
there was quite commotion. An immense
wall Of frothing, seething water was rap
idly rising. apparently out of the
very rocks they had just seen. First
but a thin column of light blu
ish tint was outlined against the
sunny sky of the morning. 1t rapidly in
creased in volume and in height, however,
and as it did SO it became purer white.
Another column and still another shot up
on either side of the first one, but the diff
ference in time between their rising was SO
short thar the three shot up almost stimuli
taneously.
When they had reached a summit Of
fully 800 feet the spectators imagined that
they were gazing from afar off on short
range Of snow-capped mountains, whose
white tops were hidden from view in q
pale-blue mist The cracking noise had
ceased, however. and only dull rumble
could be heard: The three geysers
gradually lowered, but they subsidized
much slower than they had shot up.
AS they got lower they lost their
-. h. 90
rock, and sticks was at the height of fifty
feet the column assumed yellowish tint,
which changed further down to clay color.
Finally the whole mass broke up into hum
dreds of pygmy mountains, almost black
with dirt and rock. 1t looked like a circus
field with the big performing tent in the
center and the side show tents scattered all
round il. The first thing that was dicern-
able through the mist was the old derrick.
It's outlines could be seen in the midst Of
the column when il was about twenty-five
feet above the ground. 1t was still intact.
and landed on its side on the scattered
mass. Then the sticks and stones began
TO fly. Thousands of fragments shot in
the air as fast as they could be pushed out
of the opening in the earth, but their
course was fortunately straight up and
down. In less than half minute the rum
bling noise had ceased, the flying objects
had fallen back into the river, and oil was
over. The waters eddied about the spot
with great fury, and lashed themselves
into big waves of foam, but 100 yards away
there was not the faintest sign of the i'm.
mense commotion that had taken place.
In the meantime the steamers were blow
ing their shrill whistles, thousands of peo-
Pile were waving handkerchiefs and shout
ing, and flags were thrown to the breeze
from innumerable stats in sight from the
shore. The spouting of the water seemed
to be the signal for vessels of all sizes to
make for the spot where Flood Rock had
stood. Hundreds of little rowboats SEEM
ed to have come up from beneath the
water and made its surface black, while
steam launches, yachts, schooners, and
even the excursion steamers started
to make tour around the spot
Some were looking for little souvenirs,
others for more substantial reminders in
the shape of huge timbers that were float
ing about, while others busted themselves
in filling their boats with the thousands Of
dead fish which had been killed by the con-
cussion. The rock had been so little scat
tered that the channel was at once declared
open for steamers as usual end he police
line withdrawn.
While witnessing tae sxplosicn Charles
Merritt, of Chicago, fell FROM a tree and
was severely injured. Re was sent TO the
hospital.
Gen. Newton was slightly injured on the
neck by piece of the fuse attached to the
photoOraphic camera