Milford chronicle., 1928-11-09
TON OF DYNAMITE
OPENS RIVER CHANNEL
Water And Sand Thrown $50 Feet
In Air; ShOvels To Complete Job

With a roar that was heard fol
several miles and which caused
geyser of water, sand and dust anC
stove pipes to rise in the air for
distance of at least 100 feet, 22O(
pounds of dynamite Saturday after
noon removed the sand bar that
blocked the Indian Bay river from
the Atlantic Ocean in Sussex county
near DagsborO.
The dynamite was placed by ex-
perts from the DUPONT Company and
80 holes had been drilled in an area
of 20 by 200 feet. Lengths of stove
pine were sunk in the holes and the
dynamite was dropped down the
pipes and connected with wires to a
battery.
Former Governor John G. Town
send, Jr, chairman of the commits
sion appointed by Governor Robert
P. Robinson following an act of the
legislature which appropriated $4O,-
900 for the purpose of opening the
inlet, pressed the button that let
loose the charge that opened the in
let. The charge was set off at four
o'clock in the afternoon in the pres
ence of a throng of more than 6OO
persons who went TO the scene to
witness the spectacle.
AS the button was pressed there
was a detonation that threw the
sand and water into the air for more
than 100 feet and the water on each
side of the hole caused by the eX-
plosion, receded for many yards As
the reaction ensued the water began
to run toward the ocean and at six
o'clock Saturday night was running |
steadily toward the sea. The hole |
caused by the explosion is estimated |
at being 20 feet wide and Ia feet |
deep and unless it fills again will re-
lieve the situation which resulted in
the death of many fish and ending of
the crab industry at that point.
Following the appropriation of
money to remove the obstruction in
the Indian River inlet a commission
was appointed which was headed by
former Governor Townsend. The
other members of the commission
are w. ]. P. White and P. D. Lingo.
who were present at the opening of
|
neer for the commission, had charge
of the operation.
Congressman Robert G. Houston |
and a number of other prominent
Delawareans, particularly those who {
had formerly been engaged in the
fishing industry in that part of the ]
State, were present to see for them
selves what effect the blast would
have in opening up the channel to S
the ocean. v
Before Saturdays project was un- v
dertaken a Baltimore concern dredg2 '
ed several hundred feet down to the
point of final barrier which separat- c
ed the bay and the beach. The a
dredging alone was done at an eX-
Dense of over $4,000. Il
The blast was a success, according v
o John S. Roster, of the technical il
livision of the DUPONT Company, n
who was in charge of the operation a
Former Governor Townsend eX- "
pressed the opinion that the blast C,
lad accomplished the desired result
If restoring Indian River Bay and
RehObOth Bay which adjoins it to
idewater salt bodies which it is m
lOped will re-establish a S750,00O IL
nnual seafOOd industry. vi
A force of men with shovels will III
,e put to work to deepen the channel 80
ut by the dynamite.
From the engineering standpoint
he blast was considered unusual
ecause of the great difficulty of
uccessfully blasting sand This has
cen the subject of much discussion
Y explosives experts and engineers.
EN- and fifteen foot sections of stove
ipe were sunk into the sand at in
ervals for a distance of 140 feet.
here were two rows six feet apart
nd forty pounds of dynamite were
'aded in each section of stove pipe. |
ClOgging of the inlet with sand |
ashed in by the ocean had created |
serious problem in Indian River
ay The once tidewater bay had ii
ecOme a land-locked body of water.
ith no outlet. The water had be-
'me more or less stagnated, killing III
e fish there and destroying a fish HI
dustry that for years was profit II
de to residents of the Indian River II
ction. II
Efforts to get adequate Federal aid II
Delaware's Senators and Con- II
essman had been unavailing. The III
ate of Delaware appropriated some
Oney for that purpose but it was
It sufficient to provide a permanent
let, where the tidal flow and back Ii
lsh of sand from the ocean have
be recl1Oned with.
Indian River Bay is regarded by
my persons as the most beautiful
dy of water in Delaware and the
;idents of Sussex county are
eatly interested in having a tide->
ter flow restored to preserve that
iy of water at its best.