Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-10-11
CHE-BOOM-M-M!!
100000 Pounds Of Dynamite Blow
Up
The Dangerous Flood Rock in He'll
Gate.
thousands of Sishtsesrs Witness
the Grand Affair.
Everything Goes of SmoOthIy---A
Gigantic Explosion.

New YORK. October l0.-In order to
protect life and property at the Flood Rock
explosion to-day, the most careful and
adequate police arrangements had been
perfected. A force of 45O policemen, in
addition to the harbor police, were detailed
Eear the scene of action, 800 of whom were
located on the East river front. BlackwelPs
Island contained detachment Of 100 men,
while fifty more were on duty at Wards
Island.
All the buildings on the end of Black
wells Island were cleared Of Inmates, in
cluding the almshouse, workhouse and
lunatic asylum, who were msssod on the
lawns at safe distance from the explosion
and carefully guarded. In the penitentiary
the cell doors were thrown open and the
prisoners conducted TO the halls. The
prison was surrounded by police, while q
large force was stationed among the con-
victs to prevent escape or mot, and to give
aid in case it was found necessary to reach
the building.
All points on the shore from which Flood
Rock may be seen were dsnsely packed With
people. The police were kept busy in keep
ing the crowd outside Of the danger line.
Ropes bad been stretched across the river
above and below the place ofexplosion, and
launches from the Navy Yard psuoled the
river 10 tee that no vessels attempted to
paEs through.
The bell in the tower Of St AIMS school
building struck the hour Of H..
Fifty Thousand People Waited
expectantly for the explosion, which was
advertised to be on hand at that hour. But
at that moment there was still a number Of
people on Flood Rock. A Sew moments
later, however, tug took them oil, and
then the spectators braced themselves for
the expected shock. Ladies and gentlemen
in carriages stood upon the cushions and
levelled their opera glasses toward the
Island. A hushed expectancy fell on the
vast crowd, who seemed almost afraid to
breathe for fear the act would disturb their
view of the explosion, should it occur at
hat moment.
The river in the 'cinity Of Food Rock
snd HalleLts Point wss now clear OF yes.
sells. At a respectable distance, however,
scores Of excursion steamers, their decks
black with people; yachts, tugs, and even
a Sound liner, waited for the pressing of the
button.
A Grand Sight.
At pricisely ll:l3 o'clock the earth trem.
bled and the bosom Of the river was pierced
With q mighty upheaval Of rocks and tim.
bers. Up, up, went the glittering masses of
water until it seemed as il they never would
stop. At q height Of two hundred feet the
upiihed waters paused and fell back again
10 the river. At this moment, when the air
for hundreds Of feet in each direction was
filed with the white masses Of sparkling
water, the spectacle was grand beyond ex-
preston.
Mary Newton The eleven-yesr old daugh'
ter of General Newton, who as chief eugin,
eer has conducted the operations at He'll
Gate since the start, touched off the button
that freed the electric current that exploded
the submarine mines and
Eattcred tho Mountain of Rock,
lifting it cut Of the bosom Of the sea and
crushing ii into million OF fragments. II
was little Mary Newton, who, when q mere
baby, touched off the fret He'll Ga'e ex'
plosion, few feet from the point where she
stood to-day.
The shock Of the collapse was felt only
slightly on the Astoria shore, and the noise
resembled far.distant subterrsneau thunder.
When Flood Rock had lif,ed its strong back,
a mss Of broken wreck was seen on top Of
Il all, the big derrick, that had been left to
, re tate, turned over on it's side and was
broken. A huge tank there had been left
! " The north end Of the island, and still
stood in lis place, tilted over a little, as il
had settled when let down from the angry
! waters, from its aerial flight
Tho Wreck on Fire.
Immediately after the explosion 6 fire
broke out in the wreck and burned Justify
amid the setting waters -Four tnstaneous
photographs were taken By officers of the
corps Of engineers from the firing point at
Astoria
As far as it was possible to Judge from
;he position and appearance of the wreck,
The explosion had been an entire success,
though for the present the vicinity of the
blssted rock viii be more dangerous thar
heretofore until the wreck has been re-
moved.
The Shock
vas felt to q slight extent in the city. 1t was
distinctly felt in the City Hotel building,
he structure trembling for the space of five
seconds. AT the County Court House the
shock was slso distinctly felt. In the upper
part of the buiIding the floor shook, and
The windows trembl6d when the explosion
occurred
General Newton wss slightly injured in
he neck BY the explosion of illuminate
torpedo. He claimed the honor Of being
he only man hurt
BOats Pass Over the Spot.
When the explosion occurred Dig waves
we're sent swelling TO the shore and vessels
at the docks rocked and tugged at the lines
which held them. Wien the water sub
sided it was a peculiar yelloEish color aud
an e5dor of carbonic acid gas filed
inhsle. The crowd on lard
and water cheered wildly and waved their
bats and the steamers blew their whistles
Scarcely had the seething mass Of yelloEish
sea become calm before steamers, tugs and
rowbosts made for ths scene in sn aItemp.
20 be the first to cross the place where 9
minute before lay one Of the most dangerous
rttfs in these waters
IA stalWsrt carsmaR in q little rel boat
Vas the first to reach the SPOT, aud his litle
boat bobbed up and down on the boiling
water. At Flood Rock, where previously
there Was only from to FIVE feet Of water,
now is from to fathonS 1t was intend
ed to buoy the place, but Captain Somers
of the lighthouse boat, John Rogers, found
no necessity for so doing, and vessels can
now safely pass over.
Effect OF the Shock.
PK1xCEroy, J., October l0,-Success-
ful observations of the effect of the shock