The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-10-11
He'll cate Blown Up.

New YORK, October 1O.-11.13 am
The $4,000 pounds of dynamite under
Flood Rock, He'll Gate, has just been
exploded. The shock was plainly fe;t
at the lower end of Manhattan Island.
In order TO protect life and property
at the Flood Rock explosion TO-DAY.
the most careful and adequate police
arrangements had been perfected. A
force of 450 policeman. in addition to
the harbor police, was detailed near the
scene of action. 300 OF whom were loca-
ted on the East River front. BlaekWeIl's
Island contained 100 men, while fifty
were on duty at Wards Island. All
buildings on the north end of Black
wells Island, were cleared OF inmates.
including the almshouse, workhouse
and lunatic asylum, who were massed
on the lawns at safe distance from the
explosion and carefully guarded. In
the penitentiary all the doors were
thrown open and the prisoners cor
rounded by police, while a large force
was stationed among the cOnYlcts to
prevent escape or riot, and to give aid
in case it was found necessary to reach
the building.
The Flood Rock explosion took place
at lib a. m.
All points on shore from which Flood
Rock could be seen were densely packed
with people. The police were kept busy
in keeping the crowd outside the danger
line. Ropes had been stretched across the
river above and below the place of the ex-
ploslon and launches from the navy yard
patrolled the river to see that no vessels
attempted to pass through The bell in
the tower of st. AIMS school building
struck the hour of IL and $4,000 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 off and then the spec
tatOrs braced themselves for the ex-
pected shock. Ladies and gentlemen in
carriages stood upon the cushions and
leveled their opera glasses towards the
Island. A hu>hed expectancy fell upon
the vast crowd, who seemed almost
afraid to breathe for fear tie act would
disturb 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 of vessels,
and at respectful distance: however,
scores of excursion steamers, their decks
black with people, yachts. tugs and even
a Sound liner, waited for the pressing
OF the electric button. At precisely
ii rs o'clock the earth trembled and the
bosom of the river was pierced with a
mighty upheaval of rocks and timbers.
Up, up, went the glittering masses of
water until it seemed as if they would
never stop. At the height of 200 feet
the uplifted waters paused and fell back
again to the river. At this moment
when the air was filled with white
masses of sparkling water the spectacle
ives grand beyond expression. Mary
Newton, the IL year old daughter of
General Newton, who as chief engineer
has conducted the operations at He'll
Gate since the start. touched the button
that set free the electric current that
exploded the submarine mines and
shattered the mountain of rock, lifting
it out of the bosom of the sea and
crushing it into a. million fragments.
1t was little Mary Newton, who, when
a mere baby, touched off the first He'll
Gate explosion a few feet from the
point where see stood to-day. The
shock of the collapse was felt only
slightly on the Astonia shore and the
noise resembled tar distant subteran-
can thunder. When Flood Rock had
lifted its strong back mass of broken
wreck was seen on the top of it. All
the big derrick that had been left to its
fate turned over on its side, and broke
a huge tank that had been left at the
north end of the island still stood in its
place, titled over a little as it had
settled when let down with the angry
waters from its aerial flight. I'M
after the explosion a
fire broke out in the wreck and
burned Justify amid the seething
waters. Four instantaneous photographs
were taken by officers to the corps of
engineers, from the firing point at As
torla. As far as it was possible to judge
from the position and appearance of the
wreck, the explosion has been an entire |
success, though for the present the |
vicinity of the blasted rock will be even !
more dangerous than before until the /
wreck has been removed, The shock |
was felt to a slight extent in the city.
1t was distinctly felt in the city hall /
building. The structure trembled for 1
The space of a few seconds. AT the !
county court house the shock was also !
distinctly felt; in the upper part of the |
the floors shook and windows |
.rembled when the explosion occurred.