The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-12
SHOOK THINGS
UP AT EVANSTON
Blast Containing 1900 Kegs of
Black Powder SET OF.
WORK ON THE UNION PACIFIC
THOUSANDS OF TONS OF ROCK
LooSENED.
rsneciaI TO The TTeraIdl

OGDEN, Aug. 1.-THE Utah Con-
struction company at O'Clock
this morning exploded a big
blast in Evanston which loosed 40
about $4,000 yards OF roeA and
from 1000 to 10000 yards Of ce-
ment gravel with which il was over
laid The shot cost. i'm labor. powder
and other materials about s. SEQ and
has been I'm preparation for several
weeks. For exploding the powder
three electric batteries were used In
order TO insure exactness i'm the time
Of the explosions the handles of the
three batteries were dashed 20 bar
laid horizontally over them and when
the signal was given the bar was
pushed down, sending the eXpi0dinS
force along each wire at exactly the
same instant.
Earth Trembled-
There was a duh muf1ed roar ard q
tremor of the earth. The big point II
rock raised few feet and settled back
4 little OF the debris spread out over
the main line of the Onion Pacific
This had been counted or as posi-
buity and an outfit Of teams had been
shipped To Evanston the day before
by the construction company. Before
the dust had settled a large force ~
men and teams was at work uncover
ing the track so that only a little de-
lay in traffic resulted
Black Powder Used.
The explosive was placed about for
ty-five feet below the surface. blacH
pOwder being used because of its lift
ing tendencies. The preparations OF
the blast were under the immediate
direction OF Foreman #. l. Scott, with
A II. Christensen OF the Utah Con-
structiOn company in general charge
Seven Tunnels Dug.
The powder was placed under the
hill by means Of seven tunnels. which
were dug III the face Of the embank-
ment, their level being about ten feet
a bOve grade The reason for their be
ing above grade was that there the
workmen were enabled TO work IN dry
material. while water was encountered
at a depth below the floors of the tuu-
nels- After boring i'm a depth of 100
feet crOss-cuts were made and shafts
sunk TO the grade level through the
wet material. 1t was necessary To
construct strong. water-tight boxes iu
order to keep the powder dry, but by
means of the seven tunnels. each con-
nected with drift crossing ii at right
angles. the powder was distributed all
along under the mass OF earth that
was TO be moved Electric wires at
tached TO explosive caps were con-
nected with every charge o. powder
About 1.500 kegs-37.50o pounds of
black powder-were used, the idea be-
ing simply 30 lift the mass OF earth
I.and rock and loosen 80 wv SO as to
make it possible TO scoop it out with
steam shOvels-
Work Near Evanston.
The location Of the work on which
the big blast was placed is about a
half-mile east Of Evanston It is for
the purpose of eliminating q sharp
curve in the Union Pacific through
line. Instead Of going around the point
of the hill the new line viii cut through
il. One very large blast was fired al
this point some weeks ago and disiu-
{ tegrated hundreds of tons Of material
so that it could be removed with
steam shOveis. On this occasion the
quantity Of powder necessary was
judged so nicely that although the
work was almost alongside the pres
/ ent track, none Of the upheaved ma
teriaI fell on the rails and trains were