Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-10-12
HE'LL GATE EXPLOSION
4 PRELTMINiRY FNAMI>I IRON
SHOWS S4TISFICTORY RfSULTS.
Facts and Figures showing the Imm y
OF the Undertaking Comparison with
the work of Blasting Haiietrs Point
Ten Years Ago.


From Morning Editionl
NEW YoRK, Oct. | ! A large number OF
people visited the scene OF yesterdays ex-
plosiou at He'll Gate today and carried away
memeutoes OF the occasion. The northern
end Of the reef still projects from the water
At high tide, but the officer 10 charge declares
the explosion a complete success. He says
that the projecting portion was honey-combed
pieces when operation begun f,r removal.
| To casual observer, however, it appears in
tact. II any further blasting sIould be
necessary, the system OF sur ace blasts will
be resorted TO.
The preliminary examination OF the
He'll Gate rocks, which were blown
up yesterday, shows that the ex-
| plosiou was in every way satisfactorily, and
tine benefits resulting to the shipping interes S
| of New York will be almost incslculsble
Flood Rock has loug been n source Of dan-
ger to nsvigstors IN the East river. II lay in
the course OF travel through Hell Gate Guam
mel from Long Island Sound, and but small
portion of it was visible above the surface OF
the water at all times. From this apex the
rock stretched away under water, and its area
was indicated by spar buoys The strUr & cur
rent through Hell Gate when he tide was rising
and falling made it dangerous ect 10 pilots
and many vessels have in years past come to
grief on Its jagged ridge. BY yesterday'sex ex
plosiou, a depth OF about 26 feet at mean low
water has been secured, and about nine acres
Ct rock has been scattered about the river
bed. These fragments will be removed with
dredges.
The rock was | 200 feet in length and 300
to G2j ct in breadth. This solid pyramid
Of rock has heeu tunpeled by patient lab Or,
the r. Of ten feet thick being kept up by over
450 stone pillars LETT standing. Ia the cen
ter. where the rock was highest, the cham Der
wIch was drilled out was forty feet
below the surfsc-, utour Uus
acre 10 area. The hundreds OF stone
pillars were fifteen feet square and were
drilled with deep holes pOintiLg upwards aud
into each one of them was put about twenty
pounds OF high explosive.
The root TOO, was similarly perforated and
charged with dynamite. Altogether there
were l3,2s6 OF these peri tpratons into the
solid rock OF the roof of this submarine
cavern, aggregatng in length il they might
be imagined as consecutive, about twen,y-
two miles. Into ths:v holes 100000 pounds
! Of explosives we're Cut.
iuf NOih VI Tue rDCh anu
drilling it full Of holes was done with com.
pressed air drills, and men and mules by the
score have been at work here tor several
years removing the necessary 10000 cub c
yards Of rock, IN order at last 10 blow up the
remaining 2Ij 900 cubic yards.
While the work was in progress much diff
Guilty was found in keeping the cavern from
beirg flooded by the water, which found its
way through the rocks from the river over
head, and pumps having a capacity OF OJO
gallons OF water a minute have been busy re-
| turning to t9e tide above the water which
stole through The assures in the rock
The first attempt to remove by explosion =
the distractions in Hell. Gate channel was
about ten years ago when Hallett's Point was
blown up.
An idea Of the immensty of the pre- jent
work can be oblaiuei by comparing it with
that at Hall It's Point. There The total
length Of galleries was 1925 het, against
2 go in Flood Rock. la the former there
were 73 piers, each 10 feet rqusre; in tie
latter 49, each if'een ieet square. There
81 1000 cubic yards OF rock had to be re-
moved; here there were $50, 900 cubic yards
taken away. Ia Hallett's rect 3 673 holes
were drilled, in Flood rock there were 49,.
2s6 and while only 47,7sl pounds Of dyua.
mite were used there, SIX times that amount
was slowed away under the waters OF Hell
Gate