The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-10-16
Flood Rock Exploded.

On Saturday last at little after
eleven o'clock the explosion of Flood
Rock in the New York harbor took
place. In 1866 General Newton con-
ceived the idea of blowing up the rocks
in the harbor and Immediately began
the work. On the gath of September
1876 he was ready to try his first work
of exploding the rocks. The explos-
ion was made by electricity, and
little daughter of General Newton's,
then but two years old, pushed the key
and sent the mighty rocks asunder.
So successful was it that work was
begun on Flood Rock and has been
progressing steadily. Two shafts were
sunk and then tunneling was begun in
all directions. Eighty thousand cubic
yards of rock were taken out TO make
the 2l,600 feet of galleries, leaving
275,00O cubic yards to be disposed of
by Saturdays explosion. The rock
was irregular and badly fissured and il
was delicate work to drive the headings.
In places both roof and sides had to
be supported by timbers. Another
difficulty was to keep the mine free
from water, which trickled in at various
assures. Rackarock, comparatively
new explosive of the dynamite order,
was principally used in the form
of cartridges Nearly 225,000
pounds of this compound were
used, with $4,000 or 10000
pounds of dynamite. Each cylinder
containing the explosive was water
tight. In the works at Hallett's Point,
out Of $500 cartridges all but 800 were
fred by direct ignition through the
agency of platinum wire heated red
hot. The wiring for the same proper
ton of tho $4,000 cartridges in Flood
Rock would have been an enormous
job, and less than one.ffth were thus
treated and exploded by direct ignition,
the others being exploded by sympathy
or concussion The cartridges fired
by ignition were divided into a score
or two of circuits, the current for each
Of which was supplied by battery.
The circuits were closed by the action
of an electro magnet under control of
another circuit. The action was the
familiar one of number of relay bat
leries in telegraph office.
General Newtons daughter, now
II years of age, again touched the
electric button,s the current was re-
leased, each man held his breath for a
particle of second of time, and be-
fore the sixtieth part of the minute had
been ended Flood Rock was shivered.
There was dull, reverberating report
and then mighty mass cf water went
up to meet the sky. 1t was u sight
sublime. The water was as white as
purest snow. 1t went up in three big
blocks, each tapering into peaks as it
reached its highest attitude and glis-
tening in the sun like molten silver.
The centre peak was third of an acre
wide at its base and yard wide at its
greatest height, which seemed one hun
dred feet, On either side of it were
two greater blocks of water. which as
cended at least two hundred feet into
the air and tapered off at the ends
just like any mountain top as seen in
the distance The three great sheets
of water seemed to pause few mo-
ments when their highest altitude was
attained, and then they looked as if
they We're snow capped peaks trans
planted fr,m the Sierras. AS they
came down slowly, grandly, solemnly,
as befitted them, the sun played against
the glistening sides and depicted ev
cry shade of the rainbow. 1t was an
enhancing picture. The descent of
the mighty mass of water took three
seconds of time, and then the white
foam was lost in the angry mud boiling
up from the bowels of the rivers bed.
The seething waters churned up solid
blocks Of rock weighing tons apiece
and sent the surrounding waves rolling
in upon the land. Then as the rocks
and mud sank from sight heavy pill.
lar of dark cloud shot up. 1t had a
sulphurous smell, and those who asked
were told that the cloud contained all
the noxious gases that had accumulated
in the niue in all the years since work
was first begun. Then as the cloud
iioated up to meet the sky the waters
began to settle down to their normal
condition, the mist cleared away and
the last sign of the mighty blast was
gone.