Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-11-12

go bout yO' bis mes an MT. Snalk WON'T
bite you" Dassid, my bredren, dassit.
You mus put de stone on de head, an
gwine about yo' bis'ness, an de Snaik won't
bite YOU"
THE GREAT ENPLosIoN.-Ofg great inter-
est to the scientific world was the recent
blowing up of Hell Gate, in Long Island
sound. BY it some nine acres of rock were
rent from their foundations and scattered
in fragments upon the bottom Of the sound,
ready to be dredged out by boats. The
work is United States government under
taking, and has been in progress altogether
some ten years. Flood rock was very
ugly impediment to the navigation of the
sound. The engineers honeycombed it with
holes drilled through and through it. These
were plugged up with dynamite cartridges,
until 100000 pounds of this tremendous ex-
plosive was placed under water. They were
connected with a station on shore by cleo
trical appliances, SO that when all was
ready they could he discharged simulta
neously. The key was touched Off by
little daughter of General Newton, OF the
United States engineer corps, who managed
the work. A portion Of the Hell Gate rocks
was blown up in the same manner nine
years ago. The same little girl, then II baby
years old, exploded the mine.
A quarter of a million of people witness
ed the explosion of October 3. Acres Of
water rose in the air to height of $50 feet.
The earth was feltto quiver five miles away.
When the acres of water subsidized sitting
cloud of yellowish smoke and gas filled the
air. There was no terrific sound, apparent
ly, yet the effects were experienced after
wards more than seemed possible at the
time. Many persons felt as though, some
how, their head and eyes had been subject
ed to terrible strain. In some cases there
was nausea and bleeding at the nose and
ears for several hours after the explosion.
Now it is hoped that large ships will be
able to enter New York through the sound.
\ SINGULAR STORY.-Here is story,
every word of which is true, which is about
as strange as anything ever evolved from
fiction. In a Pennsylvania town the pro-
prietor off store received an invoice of goods
SO valuable that he departed from his usual
custom and placed guard in his storage
room. The young man on duty was no.
vice, and it is probable he had never
handled pistol. The darkness of the
room was sure preventive OF sleeping, and,
for want of something better to 90, the
watchman concluded to test his pistol. So
he raised it and fired it at random, the thick
walls of the house preventing the sound
being heard any great distance. The rest
of the night was passed in a deSultory man.
ner, but when daylight streaked the sky the
guard was startled by a knocking on the
door by the early risers in the village. He
took down the bars and pushed back the
bolts, and saw the villagers surrounding the
body of man. A barrel covered by.
board stood in front of the door, and the
glass in the transom was pierced by a bull
let which entered the mans forehead. 1t
10 hQ6
been standing on the barrel and peering
into the room. The dead man was recog-
nized as one whose life had been checkered,
and who was regarded as a notorious thief,
and the random shot caused more JOY than
sorrow. The Watchman'S hair didn't turn
white, nor did he become raving maniac;
but it is certain that the events of the night
are still fresh in his memory.-Philddelph
Bulletin.
How THEY ONCE USED Me FOR A STAT
UE OF LIBERTY.-lr remember once, a great
while ago, was asked by friend to go
with him in the evening to the house of an
acquaintance, where they were going to
have kind of musicale, at which there
was to be some noted pianist, who had
kindly consented to play few strains.
/ did not get the name of the professional,
but I went, and when the first piece was
announced I saw that the light was very
uncertain, so kindly volunteered to get a
lamp from another room. [ held that big
lamp weighing about twenty-nine pounds,
for half an hour, while the pianist would
tinky, tinky up on the right hand, or bang,
boony to bang bang down on the bass,
while he snorted and slugged that old con-
cert grand piano and almost knocked its
teeth down it's throat, or gently dawdled
with the keys like pale moonbeam shim-
mering through the bleached rafters of
deceased house, until at last there was
wild jangle, such as the accomplished mu-
sician gives to an instrument to show the
audience that he has disabled the piano and
will take slight intermission while it is
sent to the junk shop.
With sigh of relief carefully put down
the twenty pound lamp, and my friend
told me that 1 had been standing there
like liberty enlightening the world and
holding that heavy lamp for Blind Tom.
l had never seen him before and slipped
out of the room before he had chance to
see me. BILL NYE.