The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-10-31

At 4 80 o'clock Tuesday after
noon, Mr.. W. E. Rowell, superin-
tendent of public works, made
his second attempt to blast the
coral bed on the Eva side of
Brewers wharf with giant powder.
During the day Mr.. Rowell was
busy putting cartridges of Her
cules powder in eight holes drilled
into the coral bed at an average
depth of about ten feet. Between
thirty and forty cartridges were
put into each hole, the caps at
tached to the insulated wires being
inserted in the uppermost cart
ridges. Mr.. Rowell completed in
serting the powder into the eight
holes after 4 o'clock. He then left
and shortly afterwards returned
with a No. 2 Victor magneto-elec-
trio blasting battery. During his
absence the wharf was cleared of
everything movable. When Mr..
Rowell returned, he placed the bat
terry about forty feet from the edge
of the wharf. The people ran to
the old custom house wharf, on the
other side, from which a good view
of the explosion was obtained.
When all the insulated wires
connecting with the cartridges were
attached to the battery, Rowell
turned the handle of the machine
once and the battery did the rest.
Within few seconds after Rowell
touched the handle, the several
hundred people on the ships near
by and on the adjoining wharf
all felt shock and heard a loud
report. The sea was thrown up
for a foot above the surface
and that was all. None Of the
coral was thrown up above the
surface. Those on board the barks
R. P. Rithet and Andrew WEIGH
said they felt the shock of the ex-
plosion, while those on the old
custom house wharf asserted that
they felt as if that wharf was raised
several inches and then lowered
again.
Rowell ran off as soon as he had
turned the handle, for he antici-
pated what was coming, but he
soon returned to re-adjust the
safety valve of the engine used for
drilling the bed.
The water was colored black with
the powder, and the stencil of the
escaping gases from the blasting
made the surrounding atmosphere
disagreeable for several minutes.
Under the shed On Brewers wharf
were stored several hundred bags
of grain. On the top of these bags
was seated a native. When the
charges went off the native was
thrown to the ground, distance of
about five feet, but he was unhurt.
The injury to the wharf by the
blasting was considerable. About
two feet of earth along the edge for
fifty or sixty feet sunk down, while
the ground for a distance Of over
fifty feet inside was cracked in
several places besides sinking.
An old iron cannon, placed
in the ground for hitching
purposes, sank over foot,
while one Of the posts support
ing the roof of the shed was
put out of position. 1t was not
ascertained yesterday whether the
coral wall of the wharf had been
destroyed by the explosion or
not, but judging by the way the
ground has sunk it seems
probable that It has. Only six of
the charges went off while two were
left undischarged. Mr.. Rowell es-
Inmates that fully three-fourths Of
.he one hundred pounds Of powder
used expoded.
The blasting was considered sue
,essful in every way. Although
he damage done to the wharf is
considerable, yet Mr.. Rowell is sat
SIZED that the coral bed, which has
or many years prevented the utili-
lation Of the wharf for large yes
'els, has been successfully removed
It last.
The news of the blasting and the
damage done to the wharf spread
'apidly around the city, and coon
! large number Of curious sight
'esrs were on the spot.