Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-10-30
FlOod-Rock Explosion.
A Mass sf Rock Thrown Two Hundred Feet
into Tho Air,
The Daughter of General Newton Sets
Free the Electric Current.
All New York and Vicinity View the
Spectacle from Afar.
The rnpfosfon Betieved 10 haze been a
Complete suoccss.

vi uiHc years ago, WntH I1ell Gdle was
blown up, were enacted over again.
This morning the horse cars, elevated
roads, carriages and. wagons were
jammed with people Fastening to the
scene OF the great explosion. All the
morning people poured in from the
country, and Brooklyn Bridge was
crowded as it never was before since the
day it was completed. The waterfront
was lined with sight-seers and the city
presented every appearance Of holi-
day.
In order to protect life and property
the most careful and adequate police
arrangements were perfected. A force
of $50 policemen, in addition to the
harbor police, was detailed near the
scene of action, 800 OF whom were
located on East river front. Black
Wells Island contained 100 men, while
fifty men were on duty at Wards ISL
and. All the buildings on the north
end of Blackwell's Island we're cleaned
Of their inmates, including the Aims
house, the Workhouse and Lunatic
Asylum, and they were massed on
lawns at safe distance from the ex-
plosion and carefully guarded. In the
Penitentiary all the doors were throw
open and the prisoners conducted to
the halls. The prison was surrounded
by the police while large force was
stationed among the convicts to prevent
escape or riot, and to give aid in case
It was found necessary.
EFFECT OF THE EXPLOSION.
The 100000 pounds of dynamite
under Flood Rock, He'll Gate, we're
exploded at II:IS A. NJ The shock
was plainly felt at the lower end of
Manhattan Island. The shock Of the
explosion was similar to that of the
earthquake experienced here a year
or two ago. No rumbling preceded
or followed it, and it did not occupy
more than one second. To the crowd
on top Of the Western Union building
all that could be seen was high
column of smoke and water, which
rose to an immense distance Imme-
diately after the explosion the craft on
the river commenced blowing whistles
and fog-horns, and bells were rung.
The morning was very hazy. The roof
tops all over the city were black with
people and many iin,id citizens tool
up position in the middle of the streets.
EXPECTANCY.
All points on the shore from which
Flood Rock could be seen were densly
packed with people. The police we're
kept busy in keeping the crowd outside
OF the danger line. Ropes had been
stretched across the river and the
launches from the Navy Yard patrolled
the river to see that no vessels attempted
to pass through. The bell in the tower
of Stann's school building struck tine
hour Of II and 5000 people waited
expectantly for the explosion, which
was advertised to be on hand at that
hour; but at that moment there was
still number Of people on Flood Rock.
A few moments later, however, a tug
took them of, and then the spectators
braced themselves for the expected
shock. Ladies and gentlemen in car
rlages stood upon the cushions and
leveled their glasses toward the island.
A hushed expectancy fell upon the
vast crowd, who seemed almost afraid
to breathe for fear the act would dis
turb their view Of the explosion should
it occur at that moment The river in
the vicinity of Flood Rock and Hallet's
Point was now clear and the vessels at
a respectful distance. However, scores
OF excursion steamers, their decks
black with people, yachts, tugs and
even a Sound liner waited for the pres
sing of the electric button.
THE EXPLOSION.
AT precisely 1913 o'clock the earth
trembled and the bosom of the river
was pierced with mighty upheaval of
rocks and timbers. Up, up went the
gllttering masses of water, until it |
seemed as if they would never STOP |
AT the height of two hundred feet the |
upifted waters paused and fell back |
again into the river. AT this moment, !
when the air for hundreds of feet in |
each direction was filled with white
masses of sparkling water, the spectacle
was grand beyond expression.
MARY NEWTON TOUCHES THE ELEc- |
TRIO BUTTON.
Mary Newton, the eleven-year-old |
daughter Of Gen. Newton, who, as
Chief Engineer, has conducted the
operations at Hell Gate since the start,
touched the button that set free the
electric current that exploded the sub
marine mines and shattered the noun
tain ofrock, lifting it out Of the bosom
of the sea and crushing it into millions
of fragments. 1t was little Mary New
ton who, when a mere baby, touched
off the first Hell Gate explosion, few
feet from the point where she. stood
TO day
EFFECTS OF THE EXPLOSION.
The shock of the collapse was felt
1nly slightly on the Astoria shore, and
the noise resembled far distant sub
tcrranean thunder When Flood Rock
had lifted its strong back mass OIL
broken wreck was seen on top of it,
the big derrick that had been lett to its
k..... - u.