Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-10-17
HELL GATE EXP OSION.
The Great Blast Believed to be an EEtire

The Great BLAST Believed to be an Entire
The $4,000 rounds Of dynamite unde
Flood rock, at He'll Gate, New York Har
Dor was exploded Octo Der 10. The shock
was plainly felt at the lower end of Man.
haitian island.
In order to protect life and property at
the Flood Rock explosion recently, the
ments had been perfected. A force of four
hundred and fifty policemen in addition to
the harbor police were detailed near the
scene of action, three hundred of whom
were located on the river front.
All points on the shore from whichthe
rock couldbe seen were decsely packed with
people. The police were busy in keeping
the crowd outside OF the danger line.
Ropes had been stretched across the river
above and below the place of the explosion
and launches from the navy yard patrolled
the river to see that no vessels attempted to
pass through.
The bell in the tower Of the school build
ing struck the hour Of eleven and $4,000
people waited expectsntly for the explosion
which was advertised to be on hand ct that
number of people on the rock. A few min
utes later, however, the tug took them off
and then the spectators braced themselves
for the expected schock. The ladies and
gentlemen in carriages stood upon theCu
ions and leveled their opera glasses toward
the island.
flushed expectancy fell upon the vast.
crowd, who seemed almost afraid to breath
for fear the act would disturb their view of
the explosion. The river in the vicinity Of
Flood Rock and Hallatt's point was now
clear of vessels. At . respectable distance,
however, scores, of excursion steamers,
their decks black with people. yachts, tugs,
etc., waited for the pressing Of the electric
button.
At precisely 11:3O the earth trembled and
the bosom of the river was pierced with q
mighty upheaval Of rocks and timbers. Up
and up went theglitteriDg masses Of WatR
until It seemed q if they would never stop.
At the height Of 800 feet the uplifted waters
paused and fell back again into the river.
At this moment when the air for hundreds
Of feet in every direction was filed with
white masses Of sparkling water, the spec.
tacle was grand beyond exprsssion.
Mary Newton, the u-year-old daughter
and conducted operations ct He'll Gate
since the start, touched the button that
sent the electric current that exploded the
submarine mine and shattered nountain
ofrock, lifting It out Of the 80 and crush-
ing it into . million fragments. II was
Mary Newton who, when . mare baby,
touched of the first He'll Gate explosion, .
few feet from the point where she last
stood.
The shock of the collapse was felt only
slightly on the east shore. The noise 10
sembled far distant subtnTanean thunder.
Where Flood rock had lifted itsstsong beak
. mas Of broken rock was seem on top of
it al. A big derrick that had BEEN LEFT to
it, fate, turned over on. IT. side unbroksn..
A huge turret that had BEEN LEFT undie-
turbed, still stood In IT. placs, tilted cyse .
little % It had settled when let down with.
theangy waters from fl serial fight,
Immediately after the explosion, . fre
broke ont on the wreck and burned lustilv
among the seethipg waters.
Four instantaneous photographs vue
taken BY the officers Of the curps Of enein-
esrs from the firing point. A. far q il W.
possible to judge from the position and ap-
pearance Of the wreck, the explosion has
been IN entire success, though for the pres
ent the vicinity Of the blasted rock win b
sven moro dangerous than heretofore until
the wreck he's been removed.