The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-10-23
aELL GATE OPEN.

Heed Rock Torn Away and ehe Foeoo0o
Cleared = Successful Accomplishment 81
N uercalsAn Task 90 subm airline Engt
ae~rlng TIE Expio~sea Witnessed ~
Thousands
NKw YoRK, Octobar l0.--The most -
tense excitement existed In this city this
uornlng on account Of the great cx-
ploslon At He'll Gate. whereby Flood Rock
was 70 be removed at eleven o'clock.
Thousands Of timid, but anxious, spec
tators were hurryins forward 70 witness
the great event Horse cars on the East
Side were llied to their utmost capacity,
eGectually blockading the routes, owing
20 the inability Of the horses 70 draw ne
heavy weight Brooklyn Bridge rapidly
oiled with thousand Of people curious
70 see sssomethins," yet fearful Of dam
ages that might occur ~ towers OF
anchorxces. Every available space on
house tops OF convenient altitude WAS
secured for the purpose OF Witnessing
The final work. Inc explosion took
place at HAS, vibrations being felt 10
New York aud Brooklyn. II 10 estimat-
ed that the progress OF the vibration was
n the rate OF seventeen hundred feet per
second. 10 the neighborhood Of the
Post-officc vibration was ielt. At HAS
BROOKLYN Bridge was filed with people,
from Brooklyn aud New York. aud, for
wonder, the police did not inter.
fere. AZ viewed from this
point there was vast cloud
OF vapor, which was soon waited away
by the wind. steam launches from the
Brooklyn Navy Yard guarded all ap-
proaches TO the terrible dynamite mine.
A hundred uen In bright uniforms Of the
United States Engineer Corps guarded
the river front on the Long Il
land shore, while great many
OF the Metropolitan police were stationed
at Intervals along the New York
shore 10 keep venturesomc slght-seers
out Of danger. The beautiful weather
and clearness Of the atmosphere brought
the doomed rock within the vision of
thousands gathered At different points
for miles around. There was perceptible
excitement among the inmates OF the
great public Institutions on Wards and
Blackwelrs Islands. where IL was feared
the shock of the explosion might cause
eome disaster. The engineers we're Just
about . thousand feet away from the
mine. Atll: l2 precisely one Of the party
touched the little key OF the battery.
Instantly ~, 266 dynamite cartridges, pro-
1ruding from that many holes drilled In
the mine were exploded, and the 240, 900
pounds Of rack rock packed back Of the
dynamite cartridges went up second
later. Flood Rock went up TOO.
The report was not - loud IS was ex-
pecled. Three pieces OF heavy ordnance
discharged simultaneously might make
as loud noise. But second before the
report was heard. persons looking
toward He'll Gate saw . rare and grand
picture. great mass OF foam, white IS
snow went into the air to . distance oil
perhaps wo hundred feet falling back Ia
wild confusion, to be met BY swollen up
heayals that came with and after the dull
report that SHOOK the biggest buildings
in town. Big pieces OF rock went into
the air In . perfect shower, but were
covered and almost hidden from vie " By
the great mountain Of foam. A vapoI
covered the troubled waters immedia tely
after the explosion, but the watching
thousands could discern plainly tina
Food Rock was no more. All New York
from Harlem 10 the Battery south
and north to Bronx River, fel
shocks, for there were three Of them
lasting over one minute. The current o
electricity let loose By touch on TN
little battery went over . single wiz
under the river to heavy bchromat
battery on the rock, which ds6used cur
rents through twenty-four independen
circuits into the mine. The inner ends
OF those wires were united BY bridc
OF fine platinum wire. The heat co;nmu
iucated Ia this way made the first explo
sion In the mine. Mary Newton, daughte
OF General Newton, aged eleven, closed N
key which sent the current through ID
wires and ired the mine. General New
ton was slightly injured ia the neck 3
the explosion Of a Illuminate torpedo
He claimed the honor Of being the onl
man hurt. The daughter Of Geners
Newton. who pressed the button, 10 ID
same one whose bay nneers orousf
about the great explosion OF nine year
ago.
when the water subsidized II was OF
peculiar yellowish color, aud an odor {
.carbolic acid filed the air, which va
unpleasant TO innaie. The crowd on Ian
and water cheered wildly aud wave
their hats, and the steamers blew the
whistles. Nothing was left Of Flood Roc
save q little pile Of FRI gments and stone
on which rested a solitary derric
wrcsted firm it, position and aimo
covered with ruins. Scarcely had q
seeming mass Of yellowish sea becan
calm before steamers, tugs and rowboa
made for the scene 10 an attempt 20
drst 70 cross the plac where minu
before lay one OF the most dsngero
reefs Ia these waters. A stalwart oaI
man in little re boat was the hrst
reach the spot. Al Flood Rock, whe
previously there was only from four
i've feet Of water, now 10 found frc
four 10 six fathoms. II was Intended
buoy the place. but Captain Somers,
the Lighthouse boat John Rogel
found no necessity for 20 doing. and v
sells eau now safely pass.
a costly Debsuch.
I.osusvfIlR KY. October l2.=Or.