The morning call., 1891-02-01
DISPLACEMENT
BY DYNAMITE.
A Bank Blast Under P0trerO
Hillside.
Four Thousand Cubic Yards of Solid Earth
Removed by Three Thousand Pounds
Of Powder.

In response to an invitation about forty
representative gentlemen assembled yester-
day to witness the explosion of bank blast
at the Potrero. The invited guests included !:
Mayor George II. Sandersou. James GiIleran,
Charles S. Tilton, William 5. Chapman, Irwin G.,
Stump, L. Worth, William Hollis. S. A. Marshall,
Samuel j. Siraus, Abner Dube, Monroe Green
wood, Lowell White, c. &. HooSer, II. X Brown,
George X. Porter, p. n. Lienthal James A.
Thompson, William II. Bovee,. p: Il. Cornwall.
Thomas Ashworth, II. Evans, ID. B. Jackson. j.
II. Curtis, DIR. Washington Aver, l.. r. Ebert, &.
A. Carnes, y: j. Coffee, Albert Heyer, ID. ID.
Hunt. {. W Taber w. Wilkinson, William Il.
Symmes, Z. w. Randall A. S. Baldwin, w. Nc
Aiee. G. u. CliDch, j. o.. Refs. Samuel Plat,
Edward M. Hall, w. b. Lyon, }. II. Burnham aud
Hiram Tubbs.
The guests proceeded in carriages to the
scene of the blasting, at the corner of Con-
necticut and Solano streets, and alighted at
Napa street, overlooking the hill which was
to be forcibly removed. Hundreds of in
terested spectators were scattered about on
the adjacent hilsides. occupying every
point of vantage.
A tunnel had been excavated in the side
OF the hill, running through from and to
end, with side galleries each about 40 fest
in extent and 16 feet from the entrance.
The fuse was % feet in length, and 5000
pounds OF low-grade dynamite were en-
ployed to effect the blasting
THE RED FLAG WAVED
AT 200 o'clock precisely MIR. Hollis of the
Real Estate and Development Company
waved a red flag. the signal for the starting
oil the fuse. Fourteen minutes later, at
2:23, low, rumbling noise was heard, fol-
lowed by an upheaval of the center of the
hill. which overlooked Mission Bay Sec
finn thirtv faa -, dic
placed, and for an instant flames from the
unconsumed powder burst forth and the
flagstaff, which had been erected on the
summit, was inclined at an angle Of in
capacity.
The entire force OF the blast was expended
on the southeast sideo the hill, the opposite
side being undisturbed Immediately fter
The blast, crowds of people swarmed to the
top ard sides of the HILL Huge boulders,
some of which weighed fully half ton,
were thrown up in the general upheaval,
and upon the summit of the hill, which h ad
been recently covered with grass, was a
assure nve 1eet wide, extending alo ng the
entire length of the eminence.
Inc work was a complete success, the
quantity OF earth removed exactly fulfilling
expectations. The effort of to-day will be
supplemented by four or five other blasts,
and the earth and stones will afterward be
icmo'ou ny PICK, sDoYel and cart.
AT THE CoNvIvAL BOARD.
Immediately after the explosion the guests
repaired to an adjacent building where a
substantial luncheon had been spread. Irwin
=. stump presided, and speeches were made
Dy William .. Chapman, President of the
Heal Estate and Development Company, and
william Hollis, general manager, the latter
OF whom sketched the history of the prop
erty from the time of the first Mexican
grant to the present date, stating that the
property had been in litigation for many
years years put that twenty-one pending suits mad
recently been dismissed and title cleared.
Speeches were also delivered by William
w. SandersoD. son of the Mayor, who was
present to represent his father G. W. 1aber,
CHAIRMAN OF the Street Committee. Thomas
Ashworth, ex-Superintendent of Streets,
DE- Washington Aver and others.
Inc Heal Estate and Development Com
Pany own about seventy-five acres in the
fotrero, which Is being graded and laid out
INTO streets. Tram-cars propelled by cable
rope are being used to remove the debris,