The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-10-16
A TERRIFIC BLAST.
Blowing Up Nine Acres of Rock in
the East River.
An Explosion Which was Felt all
Over the Metropolis.

Details OF the tremendous blast by which
Flood Rock, the great obstruction to navipa-
ton in the East river at New York. has been
demolished after work Of preparation
winch lasted nine years, are as follows:
Atpreciscly thirteen minutes after II o'clocl,
A. NJ a shock like that of an earthuuake. ac-
companied by dull, rumbling sound. passed
over the CITY, announcing to the people of
New Aork the successful removal of that an
Gent obstruction in the East river channel
known as Flood Rock. To the thousands Of
people who had gathered upon both banks of
the stream opposite He'll Gate the spectacle
was probably the grandest one which it will
ever be their fortune to witness. MANY
hundreds more witnessed the explosion
from excursion boats and river craft
OF every description which swormad
In the stream both above and below the rock.
occupying every point OF vantage within the
limits of safety
r.. 10 the i, tie eleven-year old daughter Of
penerai John Newton, under whose SUPER
VISION inc GreaI work was begun and COM
pleted, be'ongs the honor of having fired the
tremendous NINE which shatterad in an in
stant n mountainous mass of bedrock nv
touching the button which conveyed the cleo
drlc spark to the dynamite cartridges below.
The results hoped for seems to have been ac-
compliShed to the complete satisfaction of all
interested in the work
thousands of eyes were centerel on Flood
Rock at eleven o'cock. but at that time two
tugs were seen to approach it, and men also
We're seen walking about near the derrick.
Az eight minutes past eleven the tugs quickly
steamed away, and five minutes later the
NINE was sprung. Instantly a great column
of water at least one hundred feet
IN height, covering the entire surface
of Flood Rock, rose in the air IL resem-
bled an immense fountain with two giant
pillars of water, which, it is estimated.
reached height of 200 feet springing from
the centre, and from the SUNNI. Of which a
yellowish smoke luated 1t appeared in
view put second, when the immense vol
ume Of water and the debrls from the rock
fell again. Then was witnessed q terrific
commotlon over the exploded mine. and a
great, seething, whirlng wave raliatcd from
over what was onch Flood Rock. 1t
1iew fast and furious on either side but
ana not extend more than n Thousand feet
from the scene of the explosion. The derrick
ana the tank which had been left standing.
since General Newton had nisgivings that IL
removed they would interfere with the wires
leading to the mine, did not shoot up into the
air as had been antcipated but were thrown
down, and when the mist and spray cleared
away they were seen torn almost into frap-
ments and resting on a small part of the
upper end of the rock which escaped the
crash.
immediately. after the explosion fire
broke out in the wreck and burned Justify
amid the seethnL waters. As far as il was
possible to determine from the position and
appearance of the wreck, the explosion had
been an entire success, though for the present
the vicinity of the blasted rock Will be even
more dangerous than heretofore until the
wreck has been removed
Navy yard steam launches had kept He'll
Gate clear for half an hour before the ex-
plosion took place. The shrek of steam
whistles and ringing cheers from both shores
that greeted the completed task was the sig
nal for a vast fleet of craft of all descriptions
from harbOr and sound to make for the ex-
ploded rock. In few minutes it was sur
rounded by vessels and boats Preparations
to ascertain the exact extent to which the
explosion was successful, by sounding around
the rocks, were promptly begun by the en-
glneer in charge.
The work upon Hallct'S Point reef at He'll
Gate, was begun in 1869, and the obstruction
was blown up on Sunday, September ~. 1876.
As soon as the great value of what had been
done was aScertained work was begun upon
Flood Rock,a reef Of about nine acres in area,
which INSTRUCTED the main channel be.
tween Hallets Point and the New York
shore. An island was constructed on top Of
the rock and a shaft was sunk to depth of
sixty four feet below low-tide level From
this main shaft radiating galleries were
blasted out and the reef honeyJombed. The
total length of the galleries was Il so feet.
The roof of the galleries was drilled
with l3,2SG holes Of an average depth
of nine feet These holes were loaded VITA
cartridges containing six pounds Of explosive.
About - ,OJ) pounds of No dynamite and
24O, 900 pounds of rack a-ro"k, n mixture of
chloratc Of potash and Ginitro- benzo.e were
used. The blast was six times as large as
that Of September, 1876, which was the
largest ever known up to that time