The Republican journal., 1885-10-15
Flood Rock Blown In.

THE HELL GATE MINE OF DYNAMITE SUCCESS
FULLY EXPLODED. THE GREAT UPHEAvAL
NOT AS VIOLENT AS WAS EXPECTED.
Saturday witnessed the contamination Of
long-chershed wish to blow up Flood Rock,
one of the most dangerous impediments to
nav igatlon near He'll Gate. All the plans had
been nicely laid, and the only accident report
ed in connection with the explosion was the
burning of Gen. Newton slightly on the neck
by piece of fuse attached to Photographic
camera. Soon after 10 O'Clock the river was
fairly alive with craft, the most yenturesome
being driven back by the police boats, while
fully 100000 people lined the shores. When
everything was in readiness for the final blast,
Mary Newton, the 12-years-oId daughter of
Gen. Newton, touched the button which set
Tree the electric current and exploded the sub
marine mine, SCATTERING the mountain of rock,
lifting it out OF the bosom of the sea and crush
ing 1t into millions of flying fragments The
shock of the collapse was only slightly felt on
the Astoria shore, and the report resembled
1ar-dlstant subterranean thunder. A tremen-
dous volume of water rose to the height Of
100 or 2O0 feet. and masses of white foam shone
IN the sunlight. presenting the appearance of a
fantastic iceberg. The shock was felt to a
slight extent in New York CITY. 1t was dis
tinctly felt in the City Hall building. the struct-
ure trembling for space of about five seconds.
A few seconds before 1915 there was a dull
rumble, similar to thunder and the earth
seemed to sink. Those who were watching
Flood Rock could scarcely tell when it disap-
peared SO rapid was the transformation. In
place of an island in the middle of the stream
an apparently solid mass of water and foam,
many acres in area had risen to a height almost
equal to that of the electric light tower at
Hallett's Point, with here and there let OF
foam or spray rising still higher. For about
half second the mass seemed to be motionless
and then with noise and crash of seething
boiling water the whole collapsed into an
irregular mountain of water, foam and debris of
the island and buildings which had been upon it.
before the fall of the mass, and while it was
yet apparently suspended in the air, the resem-
Dlance to an immense iceberg in color and out
line was very marked. A solid wall of white
streaked with dull green, 800 or 600 feet in
length, and fully 100 feet high seemed to rise
straight up from the bed of the river. The ton
OF the mass was irregular with sharp peaks and
Jets OF spray shooting up as high again into the
air. From the heights on the New York shore
the tOpmost spray obScured the electric light
tower at Halletts Point completely, 50 that in
all probability the water was thrown 200 feet
high. A curious feature of the picture was the
absence of all rocks or debris of anv kind until
the mountain subsidized. Nothing wa. seen for
second after the explosion but this magnifi-
cent mountain of white and green water, tipped
with It's Jagged crests of spray.
1t was predicted that the broken rock would
make an even more dangerous reef than before
at least to appearance, until removed by Crap
ping, and the appearance of the rock after the
explosion seemed to verify the prediction. Gen.
Newton, however, expressed satisfaction with
the explosion as apparently successful. The
work of removing the rock to the deep hole
north of Blackwell's Island, where there is
room for 1t all, will be begun at ouce.
-Four instantaneous views of the explosion
were taken by government officers, all success
fully, and number by private photographers
During the explosion electric communication
was established over the Western Union wires
between Ferry Point, at Astoria, and observa-
ton parties sent out to Patchogue, Bay Shore,
Pearsall and Millett's Point, on Long Island,
for the purpose of testing the duration and ex-
tent of the shock. The shock of the explosion
was felt at Flushing, College Point and East
New York, in Long Island and at Astoria. AT
lilo there was perceptibe vibration of the
earth, and distant report, like rumbling thun-
der, which reminded all Of the earthquake of
August, 1884. So sensible were many people of
the shock that they expressed the opinion that
the houses near Flood Rock must have been
demolished.