Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-10-12
CRE-DOOM-M-M!!
100000 Pounds of Dynamite Blow
Up
The Dangerous Flood Rock in He'll
Gate.

explosion to-day, the most careful and
adequate police arrangements had been
perfected. A force of $50 policemen, in
addition to the harbor p lice, were detailed
Eear the scene of action, 800 of whom we're
located on the East river front. BlackwelPs
Island contained a 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
GLIDING the slmsbouse, workhouse and
lunatic asylum, who were mssscd on the
lawns at Fafe 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 riot, and to give
aid, in case it was found necessary to reach
the building.
All points on the shore from which Flood
Rock nay be seen were denssly packed with
rfople. The police were kept busy in keep
. the crowd outside of the danger line.
F. pes ad been stretched across the river
l., We md below the place of explosion, aud
l.rLcbes from the Navy Yard pstrolled the
river 10 see that no vessels attempted to
psks through.
lie bell in the tower OF St. AIMS school
building struck the hour of IL.
Fifty Thousand People Waited
expectantiy for the explosion, which was
advertised to be on hand at that hour. But
at that moment there was still a number OF
people en- Flood Rock. A few moments
later, however, q tug took them of, and
then the spectators braced themselves for
tie 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
that moment.
The river in the vicinity Of Flood Rock
and Hallett's Point was now clear Of yes.
sells. At a respectable distance, however,
scores Of excursion steamers, their decks
black with people; yachts, tugs, and even
q Sound liner, waited for the pressing Of the
button.
A Grand Sight.
At PRECISELY lib 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 il seemed as if they never would
stop. At a height Of two hundred feet the
uplifted waters paused and fell back again
TO 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-year-old daugh-
ter of General Newton, who as chief engin-
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
Battered the Mountain of Rock,
lifting it out of the bosom of the sea and
{ rushing it into a million of fragments. 1t
VAS little Mary Newton, who, when a mere
bt by, touched OFF the first He'll Gate ex-
q few feet from the point where she
stood to-day.
The shock Of the collapse was felt only
on the Astoria shore. and the noise
resi- mbled far. distant subterranesn thunder.
v hen Flood Rock had lifted its strong back,
a mass of broken wreck was seen on top of
it all, the big derrick, that had been left to
its fate, turned over on it's side aud was
broken. A huge tank there had been left
at the north end of the island, and still
in its place, tilted over q little, asst
had settled when let down from the angry
from its aerial fight.
The Wreck on Fire.
INN ediately after the explosion q fire
broke out IN the wreck and burned Justify
amid the setting waters. Four. instaneous
photographs were taken by officers of the
corps of engineers from the firing point at
Astoria.
AS fsr as it was possible to Judge from
the position and appearance Of the wreck,
tie explosion had been an entire success,
though for the present the vicinity of the
blasted rock viii be more dangerous than
heretofore until the wreck hos been re-
moved.
The Shock
vss felt to y slight extentin the CRY. 1t was
distinctly felt in the City Hotel building,
the structure trembling for The space of five
seconds. At the County Court House the
shock was also distinctly felt. In the upper
part of the building the floor shook, and
the windows trenbled when the explosion
occurred.
General Newton was slightly injured in
the neck by the explosion of q illuminate
torpedo. He claimed the honor Of being
the only man hurt.
Boats Pass Over the Spot.
When the explosion occurred big
were sent swelling to the shore sAd vessels
at the docks rocked and tugged s. the lines
which held them. When the water sub
sided it was a peculiar y~ello~ish color and
an ordor of carbonic acid gas filed
the air, which was unpleasant to
inhsle. The crowd on land
and water cheered wildly and waved their
QhIh huO TIC 5tcohACIo wv" IACAt NAoNSo-
Scarcely had the seething mass Of yelloWish
sea become calm before steamers tugs and
rowboats made for the scene in An attempt
to be the first to cross the place where q
minute before lay one Of the most dangerous
reefs in these Esters.
"a stalwsrt oarsman in q little rel boat
was the FIRST to reach the spot, and his little
boat hobbed IN and down on the boiling
water. At Flood Rock, where previously
there was only from 4 to FIVE feet OF water,
now Ia from 4 to 9 faiboms. 1t vas intend
ed to buoy the place, but Captain Somsrs
Of the lighthouse bost, John Rogers, found
no necessity for so doing, and vessels can
now safely pass over.
Effect of the Shock.
PRrScErox, n. J., October l0.-Saccess-
ful observations Of the effect Of the shock