Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-13
RENDING FLOOD ROCK
Bra chips oENTLE ToUcH--


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BrA CHIPS GENTLE TOUCH
s<sSlss me impuise ~ which tbs Wort was
Done.
New York TImesl
General Newton nodded 70 General
Abbott a. he landed. indicating that oil
was ready. Then be turaed toward
his wife and daughter. "A path was
made for them in the gathering. Inc
child stepped quickly forward and stood
81 the edge Of one Of Lieutenant Lask's
cameras, her cheeks glowing, and the
breeze waving her loose brown hair.
The others moved back, exposing her to
the scrutiny Of thousands OF eyes
turned on the pier. There was only
moments delay in making ready Tor
the touch that was 70 tell how well the
work of years had been done. Pre-
sently General Abbott stepped to the
side Of the child, holding the keyboard
that was 10 control the circuit in his
hands. Before 1t was attached to the
wires he allowed the little girl to ex-
anime it, and showed her the key
which. under the pressure Of her finger,
was to discharge the mine.
"You must just touch ii like this,
he said, giving il tap with his finger.
The child looked at him with spark
ling eyes, but without evinciog the
slightest nervousness.
Al know" she said, like this"
And she touched the key with tiny
gloyed finger.
Zone side, gentlemen keep five
feet from the wire" commanded the
sentinels, under instruction from the
Lieutenant.
No one seemed anxious to remain IN
proximity to the wire after the ex-
tremely ticklish process Of attaching
the ends to the keyboard was begun,
and slight sensation Of nervousness
began TO permeate the little group OF
ladies and gentlemen. There were
several anxious faces in the throng, and |
one young man suddenly stole away. |
and. after getting out Of sight behind an
adjacent ice.house, he ran with all his
speed in the direction Of Hunters
Point. Others shifted their positions
pneasily and speculated mentally upon
the probable consequences If General
Newton, who was calmly observing the
operation Of connecting the wires, had
BY any possibility underestimate the
force Of the explosives. Flood Rock,
with the tremendous forces so soon to
be turned loose, confined underneath,
was only 1000 feet away, and 1000
feet under the circumstances seemed
very short distance, and it began to
seem still shorter as the seconds wore
on and the four wires were one after
another connected.
General Abbott held the keyboard in
both hands and kept the key away from
contact with his body or his clothes,
while the child at his side watched
every motion with the utmost eager
ness. her eyes dancing with impotence.
Finally the last wire was connected and
everything was ready. The ladies' and
gentlemen moved back, leaving only
General Newton, General Abbott, and
the little girl in the open space before
the pier-house, General Abbott, still
holding the keyboard between both
hands. raising the lines of wire which
trailed down under the water and led to
the mines.
Almost inyolnntarily the spectators
IL H.. t,,A nf al
sbrank closer together as General Alb
bott nodded to the child. who stepped
up TO the instrument, and. after the
merest moment of hesitation. touched
the key.
There was a single instant of breath
less silence. Then there came a sud
den jar of the solid rock underneath
the feet Of the little group Of specta-
tors, and, with a choked crash and
mnflled roar, the great volume of seeth-
ing and foaming water sprang into the
air.
All eyes were turned toward Flood
Rock until the first commotion had
ceased, and then the officers rushed up
to congratulate General Newton, and
at once turned to shower compliments
upon the little girl. who seemed very
we'll poised little girl indeed. She only
smiled brightly in response to their
pleassntries. and turned to her father,
who kissed her tenderly, remarking, as
A S.eat tidal wave rolled in upon the
beach, "There, just see what you've
donc!"
YVES. indeed" said General Abbott. |
"You have probably created more
commotion this morning than any other
little girl in New York"
AS soon as the display was over the
Runaway's passengers, General New
ton among them, were summoned
aboard, and the pier was left to the
engineers and the guards.
General Newton's neck bore scratch
from the swapping Of a wire attached to
one of the cameras. The wire struck
him, making slight cut. ~ an the
only person injured" he said, laugh
ing, as the boat bore him away.
Telegraphic signs conveyed iniorma-
ton Of the explosion at the instant of
its occurrence to the observers at Bay
Shore, Patchogue, Pearsall's, and West
Point.
Although official observations were
made at the dock, it will take several
days to work them out. General All
bott said that for common purposes the
area Of upheaval covered 200 square
feet, and the water rose $50 feet, and
rock from 40 to so feet, and that the
explosion lasted thirty seconds.