Year: 1876

nearly midway in the river, but trifle
to the north, was little island with a
boat-house. The rock TO be blasted lay
beneath the surface, between the little
island and Hallett's Point. The Govern
ment scow and Police and Emigration
Board steamer and hundreds of barges
and row-boats lay between New York
and Wards Island, about opposite One
Hundred and Tenth street. .I ..


At two o'clock faint puff of smoke
arose from the scow, followed by the re-
port of the first gun, and there was an
instant commotion. Ten minutes later
another report and deep hush fell up.
on the multitude The stiffness was un-
broken from then until the third gun, at
$50, which was followed precisely at
2:51 o'clock by the explosion. In a
straight and seemingly narrow line, run.
ming north and south for about 300 yards,
the water whitened and arose evenly
three or four feet high. A dull "thud"
was heard; rocks trembled beneath the
feet of the multitude as if from two
quick, short pulsations of earthquake.
The water, which appeared TO remain
stationary for an instant, broke and
spurted up in irregular, dark, yellowish
masses about twelve feet high, mixed
with dark smoke from the dynamite, then
it fell back, and in q moment the river
resumed its usual peacef ful aspect. Then
a mighty cheer arose from along the
northeast side of the city, and from the
steamers and boats, and steam whistles
were blown and bells were rung out Joy
ously, and all was over.


The report was scarcely noticeable,
and not so much as a ripple was caused
upon the water save just over the spot
where the explosion took place. There
was no conclusion in the air and not
pane of glass was broken in the city or
on Wards Island. Immediately after the
explosion hundreds of row boats set out
at their best speed for He'll Gate, each
anxious to have the honor of first pass
ing over the scene Of the explosion. That
the work was effectually done is the gen
eral feeling, and this also appears from
the fact that the police boat passed over
the spot safely. l0.t


Probably the finest view of the whole
explosion was from Hoyt's place, some
yards east of Hallett's Point. The
ground is high, and He'll Gate did not
appear more than 300 yards away. 1t
was from this point that Gen, Newton
and the telegraph operators sent the
electric fluid rushing into the mine. Sud-
denly a cloud of water, turned into
white spray, shot up just off Hallett's
Point. This was followed by cloud of
black smoke, rocks and lumber, and at
the same moment a heavy shock ran
through the ground, and gave one the
impression of being lifted about two
inches. The sound of the explosion was
not loud, but low, rumbling and deep.
A cloud of yellow smoke followed the
rocks, and in ten seconds the water had
become again level, and no traces were
left but a large yellow space caused by
the mud and other substances thrown up.


At theworks it was found that the cof-
fer-dam which surrounded the shaft was
entirely gone. A small house which
stood close by the shaft was thrown a
distance of ten feet, but all the other
buildings were just as before the explo-
sion. The affair was a complete success,
and the whole reef was blown up. The
tide was materially changed by the ex-
plosion, and now the current sets direct
ly on Big and Little Mill Rocks. They
will have to be exploded next.


The weight of the different compounds
used in the explosion is as follows: