The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-16
He'll Gate Made Wider.

New York Special:-The nine acres Of
rock comprising the famous Flood Rock is
land were shattered INTO fragments at fif-
teen minutes p; st IL Saturday morning
the 10th inst. The 300, 900 pounds OF ex-
plosives with which the tunnels were charged
went off simultaneously, and so far as the
examinations have shown, the roof was
completely destroyed. 1t is believed
now that a clear channel has been
opened for steamers from the East river
into Long Island sound, and that the dam
gers that have beset the mariners in these
waters for centuries, and which caus-
ed the old Knickerbockers OF early
New York TO call the place He'll Gate
are now a Renaissance. No damage was
caused to surrounding property by the ex-
plosion. Indeed, those who were within a
thousand feet felt little or no commotion
either In the air or on the earth. At q
greater distance from the scene, however.
almost throughout the entire city Il slight
termor was felt. In some places q de-
cided shake-up was observed. About
$4,000 people Witnessed the scene from the
surrounding shores. Miss Mary Newton.
the young daughter OF Gen. Newton touched
the electric button which set off the battery
and caused the explosion. 1t was she who
performed the same act nine years ago
Tor the Hallett Reef explosion. Gen.
Newton and Lieut.. Berry express themselves
entirely satisfied with the result OF their
eperations, and say that they will have the
channel cleared OF the broken rock before
six months have passed. ItAwas precisely
lilo o'clock when the people waiting to
see Flood rock go up in the air
heard a dull cracking noisG as if
q thunder cloud were bursting in the
middle oil the earth. instead OF overhead.
There was nothing sharp aboutit, AS there
port OF exploding dynamite usually is, nor
was the trenor OF the earth so great as to
cause alarm. Itfelt just as il an immense ball
were rolling around underneath the surface.
trying to find some opening through which
to get ontinto the air. Onthes pot to which
all eyes were directed, however, there was
quite q commotion. An immense wall Of
frothin9, seething water was rapidly rising,
apparently out OF the very rocks they had
just seen. First but a thin column Oh light
blush tint a outlined against the white,
sunny sky OF the morning. 1t rapidly in
~eased in volumn and in heighth, how
ever, and as it did SO it became q purer
white. Another column and still another
shot up on either side OF the first one, but
the difference in time between their rising
was so short that the three shot up almost
simultaneously. When they had reached 4
summit Of fully 300 feet the spectators i'm,
agined that they were gazing IRON,
afar off ON n short range OF snow.
capped mountains, whose white tops wore
hall hidden from view IN a pale blue mist.
Reports from Weedside. Rosslyn, Coron-
ma and Port Washington state the shock
a felt at those places. many
dwellings being shaken and tho plas
ter being knocked from the ceilings
and walls. In that portion OF Long island
City, which lies on the ridge OF rocks
running east and west from He'll Gate
and about a mile and IL hall from
Flood rock, the shock Of the explosion was
ielt much more than in places near tho
rock. The vibration was sufficient Ia
cause bottles and glasses to fall from
shelves.