The New York Herald Newspaper, September 25, 1876, Page 3

e we HELL GATE OPEN Successful Destruction of Hallett’s Point Reef. A TRIUMPH OF SCIENCE. Thirty Thousand Tons of Rock Blown to Pieces, : A GOOD SUNDAY’S WORK What Followed Little Mary Newton’s Touch Upon a Key. THE MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE How Hell Gate’s Waters Sprang to Heaven—and Fell. Elaborate Precautions Against Accident. NOT A BONE OB A GLASS PANE BROKEN. Croakers and Headshakers Now Say :— “I Told You So,” NEW YORK RELIEVED OF 179 NIGHTMARE. Diverting Scenes on the Streets, Cars and Steamboats. — A victory for General Joon A, Newton greater than any he achieved in war! A jubilee forcommerce! a triumph, above all, for science! The soven yeura’ toil of the drill and the blast on Uallett’s Point Reef at Hell Gate culminated at ten min- ‘utes to three o’clock yesterday afternoon in a grand explosion, which was success{ul in every detail and in Whe full accomplishment of all tho results expected of lt, and without a single disaster to human lile or limb. Begun upon a carefully matured plan; carried on with the quiet, painstaking persistence of science, the long Jubor of demolishing the great reef has been completed in @ manner leaving nothing to be desired. The shock of the explosion, so far as coucorned the island of New York and the portions of Long Island adjacent to the scene of the great blast, was perceptible only in the faintest vi- bration, Never in New York’s history was thero so much excitement over an expected event. Despite the assurances of the scientists that there was little or nO danger of fatal consequences an un- @efined fear was in the breasts of thousands Precautions, often of the most ludicrous nature, were taken to guard against a shock which was to be com- municated, sume thought, by the underlying rock ridge, others by the atmosphere, Many fearcd the effect of the noxious gases that were to be liberated in hundreds of thousands of cubic feet. ‘There was about the coming of the blast one thing which bad a sobering inftuence even on the most assured. Itwas the Unknown After science had said ‘Mts most bopetul and confident word there was a margin of the possible loft which might cover many dangers ‘andreamed of. | So New York slept uneasily on Sunday wight, and arose early yesterday morning full ot ex- peetancy and curiosity and with a slight tremor of fear ler the most assuring smile, A lefden sky and a @rizziing ram did not put our citizens in a bettor bumor, and by nvon tens of thousands who had made up their minds on Saturday to get a far-off Glimpse of the great blast had decided not to risk a Grenching in addition to a blowing up. such often is ‘the influence of the smaller dread over the immensu- vably greater. Tens of t! ousands, however, flocked by Boon to the places overlooking Hallett’s Point trom the NewYork shore A passing survey of tho works at half-past twelve showed a group of nino or ten men going two and fro upon it. The Astoria ferry was running. | An oceasional tugboat glided past and one or two trad- ng schooners in tow came down from the Sound through Hell Gate. General Newton’s launch glided back and forth from the works on the reef to the firing point and thence to the scow anchored off Ward's Island, wheretrom tho signal guns were to be fired, The rain had ceased lor a spell by one o'clock, and Shouranas began to pour along the lines of the ave- Bucs to the northeast of the island, crowaing the horse ears tilt there was literally room for normoro inside or outside. The groen varpet of grass, sloping down from Third avonue, above Nineticth street, to the East River, was rapidly becoming black with people. At two P, M. the baromoter hud fallen from 29.98 to 29,97, and soon after tho rain came on again, this time heavier, @amponing, but not quenching, the ardor of the ex- pectant multitude now intently watching for the final wignals, The dull roar of a signal gun comes {rom the seow. The four guard boats to police the four open- ings on the rock-dotted basin of Hell Gate arrive and take their places respectively between Astoria and Blackwell’s Island, Blackwell’s Island and New York, Astoria and Ward’s Island, Ward's Isiand and New York, Thoy are crammed witn spectators, Small fowboats hang in the rear of tho mar- Bhalled steamers and tugboats. Perfect order is maintained on the water and ou shore. The Astorians @eem to have evacuated their dwellings and gathered @loug tho water's edgo in the rear of the firing point, The tnmates of the Wara’s Island Insane Asylum havo been removed t@ tho vpen air; the prisoners on Black- Well’s Island aro locked in their cells; the winuows of the houses within a radius of a mile anda buif on } Vue New York and Long Island shores are eponed and | Dhe poopie begin to stand out of doors, for “the Gen- Peal said s0.’* Two millions of people in New York, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, J y City and Westehester are listening almost paintully for the dreadgd thunder foar. Tho docks of tho East River down to the Bat- tery have their hundreds of occupants. Before overy Church and building with a clock tower trum Harlem to Trinity church hundreds and hundreds are massed, Watching for the moment which is wo tell to Whe fsonses by a shock to the ear; to the boay by, mayhap, some unknown cataclysm, shat Hell Gate stands open wide. People who have deem to the churches and swallowed a hasty dinner Swoll these throngs, penetrated with an infinite j Survosity that not all the Sabvatarian Dodges north or | south of Hell Gato could curb, i Tuore are fully 200,000 people whose eyes are fixed | ‘pon the reef. It ts ramming sinartly, but the drenching, #0 formidable in the morning, has become a secondary ®onsideration to them now. They are damp, tremu- | lous and vigilant, The minutes wear on. The steamers im their marshalled lines are shifting uneasily behind the beavily laden guard boats, which arc miidly com- mended to the warmer regions for their momentary | obstruction of a view of the works, as they jie dark | tnd silent at the ond of Hallett’s Yoint, just as they have | fain Sunday after Sunday for yours pust. The outline of the coffer dam is seen from the opposite sbores, with tbe dark brown buildings bunched benind and straggling out, The great charged mine, with tho dark water filing its tunnels that the teeth of the driil And the snap of the blast have holiowed out, hes stil snd silent—u monace and a promise. Tbe second gun @ Qred at twenty minates to three. General Newton with bis assistants ure still busy at tho bombproof, hore ts no undue huste; everything has Ueen calcu. fated and foretimod. ‘Tho cranks ure turned complet- | ing the vattory. Tho bombproot door 1s voited; the Matle white lauach steams atrauuously away to the NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1876.—TRIPLE SHEET. fring point—a tiny along the shore, 700 feet from the mine. The hearts of the thousands are quickening, apd silence reigns evory where, In the hittio but a wee, small gi ot three years old, is playing with a ke: She 1s standing on a cart- ridge box, and thinks it iwfne fun. This is Mary New- ton, the General’s child. Science, about to perform a miracie, means \o show how weak the hand may be it works the end of its Mightiest afforts. The infant Jove, as ho played with thunder, is paralleled in tho child within the little but, “Beauty leads us by « single hair.” Science tosses mountains with a single wire touched by an infant band! But the multitades that watch atar off know nothing of all this. They are gazing intently at the outline of the slumbering mass by the water's rim under the rata as it pours from tho leadon sky. It 1s all buttwo minutes of the appointed time, as the watch tells. A hush is over the séene, almost unaccountable when the cye for an instant takes in how much lifo is throbbing there, The blank waste of waters around the dam is surgeless and retlocts the cold gray of the sky. The seconds are charged with an intensity tew ever felt before. . “Now, little Mary, touch the key again.’” The hand of the child presses gontly on the key. ‘The miracle is done! “Look! look!” An immense white mass of foam- ing water bounds fifty teet toward the sky in a second of time from above the reef; vaporous jets ascend through it like ribs of steam, while a dull, rumbling boom, deep-mouthed and sepulcbral, fills the air and slight vibration shakes the solid earth. Suddenly shooting above the white vaporous mass towers for an instant a dense column of black water, with a horrid crest of shivered beams and splintered rock. The beautiful is overshadowed by the torrible, 1p an in- stapt the waters, full of trouble, are at their level again, and a low yellow wave roils out in a semi. circle from the shattered reef to the shores beyona— tho first that ever rolled in presage of an open seaway for tho mariner from the jagged reef of Hell Gate. A greenish yellow smoke win a pungent odor bangs above the yellow waters, Science does not scent its nimbus with cau-de-eologne, “Sublime! sublime!’? shouts a man of science in his ecstacy. “Is this all?” saysa gaping wonder monger, who expected to see steeples topple, houses fall in ruins, the sea lashed to a tempest and the carth shake with palsy, while he was moaning over at least one shat- tered limb, . “There 1s just chough power,” said General Nowton the other day, ‘to do the work required, and no more.’ Yes, gentle wonder monger, though the roof of gneiss rock, ten feet thick, aud the 172 rock columns under the roof wero smashed to fragments, there was not enough surplus power to upset an old woman’s tea cupboard within 200 yards of the blast. Tea cupboard! Why, nota pane of glass in tho framo houses on the verv works was broken! No such accurate gauge of what seems to the unprofessional mind an immeasura- ble explosive power bas ever been made, This is per- haps the greatest triumph in the muracle of* science that yosterday gavo New York an attack of the nerves. Now it is a burry for home. The cara are again cramined inside and oat uatil the horses seem to draw only a black muss of men. The steamers stationed north of the blast pick their way through the floating débris of the crib of the cofler dam as It sags with the waters und among the small boats that aro swarming from all points to pick up dead fishes, of which there aroa fow, and floating timber, of which there is plenty ; some for furtive profit, others for relics. Thus, amid the eager wutcning of 2,000,000-of people, with 50,000 pounds of dynamite, after seven years of tun- neliing, Hallett’s Point Reet crumbled to pieces yester- day ufternoon at tbe finger touch of achild. The age of miracles is not past; some of us undorstand them nowadays, that is all. AT HALLET?’S BEEP. Awore forlorn or dismal scene than that presented by the government groands at Hallett’s Point at seven o’clock yesterday morning could hardly be conceived. The workmen engaged in making the connections at the battery house had got through their labor at half- Past two o’clock im the morning, and bad gone home, leaving the place in possession of five stalwart and well- armed watchmen, and’ now at seven o'clock the place 1s seemingly as deserted as the suburbs of any country town, Eight o’clock arrives aud briugs with ita few straggling visitors who epsconce themselves upon the veranda of the saloom. of stare vacantly at the puddles in apd at the danger sign on the government {pce alternately. The thrifty German soon opens the place and hoivts from its roof three flags in {eeblo attempt to give the structure a gala day appearance, He suc- coeds, however, in only making the dreariness of tho scene more palpable by the weakness of the attempt, From the flag pole at the boundary of the grounds Barney Boyle, the foreman of the miners, flings @ national ensign to the damp breeze and the bunting clings limply to the staff. Inside the grounds a long row of sashes, removed for safety from the various buildings, are leaning against the fence and a little distance beyond them the tastelul little two-story brick cottage, occupied by Thomas Code, the night watchman, stands dismantled. The fur- niture had = been removed on Saturday night ond the windows © removed from the easements, Bare and lonely, it improsses the spec- tator with a feeling of sadness and adds to the general depressiug nature of the surroudings. In a tasteful garden in front the rose bushes are carefully trained against a trellis and a well kept Madeira vine climbs the wall and beneath it balsams = and China asters are blossoming. A grape arbor and a lot of tomato vines bear evidence of having been plucked of their fruit im baste, anda number of chickens uninterruptedly seratching up the plants show that, once asource of pride to some one, tho garden spot had boon abandoned. PREPARING FOR THK BLAST. At eight o’clock Captam James Merour, General Newton's assistant, appears on the scene, and sets a couple of workmen to taking down a clock iroi the gable end of one of the machine shops, and to doing va- rious other little things necessary. While thus eo- gaged, and at balf-past eight o'clock, the steamer Neversink arrives with General Abvott, who brings forty-eight soldiers from Willett’s Point. They con- sist of detwcbments from A, B and C companies of the regiment stationed at the Point, and they are under command of Captains Millor, Livermore and Handbury. ‘he soldiers are immediately marched into the enclosure, ranks are broken and the men take sbelter from the drenching rain in the various sheds about the place. In afew minutes Captain Wood, of the Long Isiand City Polico Department, arrives with thirty of his men under control of a sergeant. There is no crowd of spectators ussembled, and the captain deeming it useless to get his men wet for nothing they follow the example of the soldiers and get under cover in the little deserted house re- ferred to, where they pass the time in telling stories and playing practical jokes upon cach other. Now Mr, Striedinger, the electrician, arrives with a dozen workmon and proceeds to make the closing preparations on his battery. General Abbott has se- cured a bathing house along the river bank a short distance {rom the firing point of General Newton, and thither he scts about leading a wire. One end of it is attached to the circuit cioser, in the sume man- ner us are the exploding Wires, and the other 18 carried over the poles erected for the wire to General Newton's firing battery. The tugboat Staris in attendance, as well os the steam launch Fash, which has been especially cburtored tor the occasion, and a couple of General Avbott’s troops carry his battery and other arrangements on bourd the latter, which transports | them across Pot Cove to the scene of his experiment. At nine o'clock a drenching rain 18 still falling. Hero und there about tie grounds the police are chut- ting ia groups of two or three, disregarding tho shower, which rolls harmlessly from their oilcloth coal ln the bombproot battery house tho workmen have begun pouring into the battery cells the electro paiao fluid, Skilful hands remove trom the frames one by ono the little boxes, each contaming ten celis- They are carefully wiped dry with cotton waste and re- placed, They are then filled with the acid, of which about 150 gallons are used in the ontire battery. From the windows of tbe little steds about the place the soldiers watch theso preparations with curious eyes, General Abbott has finished the laying of his wire, and is now across the Cove, at the spot from which he will view the expiosion, arranging the battery and relays by means of which he is to test tho rate of speed at which the vibration of the oarth will travel. So the work goes on upon every side unul twelve o'clock, whon General Newton, who has been anxiously awaited, crosses the Ninoty-second street ferry from the Now York side ali alone, and walks qaiesly to the works through the group of about 100 sightavers who | conversation with | launch nears the dock the tug mo have by this time arrived and sre s:anding outside of the gute. Making bis way to the bombproot, he joins Captain Mercur and Mr. Striedinger, and is intro duced to the former gentieman’s brother, Mr, Frank Mercur, superintendent of the colleries or the Lebigh Valley Coal Company. Three visitors approach the battery, and Mr, Striedinger permits them to examine it, ‘They are Rev. James Henry, pastor of St. Law- rence O’Toole’s chureb, St. Louis; Rev. Father M. M. O’Reily, St. Columbkill’s chureb, St Louis, and Rev, Father Maloney, of St. John’s College, Brooklyn, They explain that they have been to the Centennial, and before going home had determined to seo the great and much talked of triumph of enginecr- ing skill and witness the monster blast, Two workmen assist Mr. Striedenger to Inft the upper disk Of the cireuit closer, and it ts fastened above by a turn ofthe sash cord which suspends it to an upright, Meanwhile the end of the cord has becu passed through a hole in the roof of the structure directly above the centro of the contrivance. Three men on the outside of the roof catch the end and pull it through. Upon the roof is a frame of wood not un- like a gallows, From the horizontal bar of this, which is about twelve fect high, the men suspend, by means of wire hooks, a torpedo, iu shape and size similar to one of the tin bdottles made to hold vermin poison. It lies horizontally in the wire hooks, and around it the workmen tie the cord which supports the upper disk of the circuit closor in the room below. The two wires which lead to the firing battery are fixed inside the torpeao, where their ends are joined in a little case of fulminate of mercury, When the time arrives to fire it is calculated to sond a thrill of electricity through those wires from the fring battery, This wiil explode the torpedo, and that being destroyed will release the cord attached to it, permitting the disk of the circuit closer to fall and complete the circuit through tbe mune, discharging all the explosives within it, The disk is now carelully propped up to prevent it from falling down in case any accident should happen to tho torpedo above before everything is ready. The brass cups in the bottom disk are now lifted, and one by ono filled with clear mercury from a bottle to insure @ good contact with the pins and are then replaced. THE MODERN ORPHECA Looking on for a moment at these preparations and secing that all is going right Goneral Newton walks across to the shaft where he meets and holds u brict ptain Woods, of the police force, and Captain Mercur, about the formation of tho guard linea, Captain Mercur carries slung over his shoulder a fleld glass, through which he intends to view the explosion, The water in the sha{t bas reached almost the level of the river, and everything 1s going along in a satisfactory manacr. The General seems even cooler and more confident than usual. To those who inquire about his health he replies that he has passed a good night and never felt better. : ‘At half-past twelve everything about the battery in readiness, the connections are ull made and the cells are all diled with acid. General Newton stands qui- etly outside talking with Mr, Striedinger, and the work- men retire to the turther cad of the awning in front of the battery house and eat a sandwich lunch, eyeing the whi the two gentlemen in conversation beside them. Within tho structure tho two skillod electrical mochanics are picking up their scattered tools; Cap- tain Mercur leans carelessly upon his umbrella, con- vorsing with the reporters, and there seems tobe a universal cessation of labor. The crowd of sightseers Just without the onclosure is being rapidiy augmented, and the few police on guard atthe fenco are being troubled with their attempts to get within, The rain is atill pouring down. One o’elock finds everybody busy sgain. The crit 18 approaching; everybody except the Goneral looks anxious and expectant General Abbott is hurrying to and fro, making his final preparations. 1n a vacant spot between the worksbeds Mr. William Preuss, a surveyor, who has done much good work on the place, is busy with two assistants in measuring off a sound- ing line and inserting tags of bunting at intervals to mark tho fathoms. This lino t# to be used im making soundings alter the explosion. It bad Deen arranged that the various Sound steamboats were to look out th:s morning for ignal—if a red one were displayed it was to mean that navigation was unsafe, and a white one was to tiean tho roverse. At the firing platform, on Mr. Ramsay’s place, at Pot Cove, a crowa has’@ollected on the street above, wheneo they can look through the railings down upon the platiorm at the water edge, filtcen feet below, ‘Along the narrow stone steps which lead in a long flight from the sidewalk to the platform a number of soldicrs have been stationed wih fixed bayonets to preserve order. Tbe assomblage 18, however, a vory quiet and respectable one, The river is almost entirely freo of craft, even the nomerous small boats which have dotted its surface during the day bearing + ight- seers over the mine have returned to the shore on eithor side. Inthe Ii wooden office perched on the brink of the shaft Captain Mercur is laughing at the sim- plicity of Mr. Quigley, the young bookkeeper, who hus Just opened the two windows in the shed “in order to prevent them being broken.’’ Tho Captain thinks that the structure will take @ flight. General Newton ts holding a consultation with the captains in command of the troops relative to the expediency of now form- ing lines outside the grounds, as the crowd is becom- ing large. In another moment Captain Wood, of tho police, draws up his men ia lino and marches them outside tho grounds, where thoy form a cordon. Cup- tain Mercur meantiue is standing near tho mouth of tho shaft and glances somewhat un- easily at the slowly rising wator. He fears it will pot reach the level of the river until after the tide shail have turned to ebb. Barney Boyle rushes for an axe, and ina moment he has half a dozen men with spades upon the coffer dam. It is evident that he intends to dig out the clay in one spot and cut a hole through the dam to admit tho water more rapidly. General Newton finishoe his converse with the officers and approaches the dam. “We are going to cut hole through,” says Captain Mercur. ‘Don't you think we had better, General?” “Oh, yest” is the reply, ‘but I would not make it go big. Idon’t think it is necessary.” As the General says this he turns away and walks toward the little whart, where tho steam launch Flash is lying with steam up. Gouing on board ho stcams across the river to whero the drill scow is anchored, off the Harlem Flats. In (en minutes he lands upon her deck, Tbree soldiers from Willett’s Point, under command of Sergesnt Conklin, stund guard here, over a brass six-pound field gun from which the signal platform erocted on the deck of the scow for the ac- commodation of the guests invited to stand there and witness the blast, Men eminent in tho government service in the State and municipal officers have been invited, The General strains his eyes down the river in soarch of the tugboat Juniata, which is to bring up from the city a party of guests. A number of row boats and tugs sail around tho scow, gazing curiously at the persous upon her deck. TEN MINUTES BEFORE TWO the Juniata heaves into view around the ond of Black - weil's Island. Genera! Newton receives (rom her deck a purty of some twenty-five ladies and geatlomen, to- gether with a number of children, Among tho guests aro ex-Governor Lowe, of Maryland; Judge Pratt, of the Supreme Court, Brooklyn; General k P. Scammon, of South Orange, N. J., and Cincinnatus Newton, of Norfolk, Va., brother of | the General The son of Genoral Newton is also in the party, and he takes from the arms of the nurse and carries on bourd the scow a little chubby sprite of threo yoars. Foliowing him came Mra. Newton. Thero is somo question in the minds of some strangors as to whose the child is; but the doubt is set at rest in u moment, for, as soon as tho little thing catches a glimpso of tho General, i cries, “Ob, papa! Yapal’? and stretches out its arms. Tho General approaches, amd with tender dignity kisses the cbild, and turne away to provide for the comfort of the visitors. Camp chairs are handed up from the hold for their accommodation and they are soon seated. A boy of nine bounds forward and cries, “Ob, Papa, are you going to test the wires?” He 1 taken in charge by Mrs. Newlpn and his scien- tile aspirations nipped ip the bud. The Juniata nas now steamed off aud ihe General returns to the launch and directs lis course toward the firing platform at Pot Cove, 660 feet distant from the battery, and ag which point the tugboat Star is lying, As the off trom it. On veing signalled, however, she comes alougside, and on her deck are discovered Mr. Stredenger, the electri- cian, and General Avbow, “Everything ig now ready, General!” cries wwe | “All the connections comp‘ete?” shouts General Newton. “Yes, sir!” The tug goes ou her way to the wharf at tho works and the General lands at the ferry station and makes a general inspection. A rude, tomporary boat lapding bas been erected and at the water odge a little board platform twelve feet square has been laid down and & piece of canvas forme the roof, In one end is a rough wooden box containing three small batveries of nine cells cach, and to theso the wire connecting with the torpedo on the bom proof are attached. Two empty boxes which had bold dynamite cart- Tidges, one on top of the other, formed a platform on which hes a Morse telegraphic key. It is of rosewood, fF mounted, and on the top of tho case isa gold with the following inseription:— eteccccoecoceresevecsceconcorscsene rset ® Nt COLONEL JOHN NEWTON, 3 Engincer corps, Brevot Major General. 3 Hell basa tember 24 3 78, Qercerenereveessecsoe ne nee tebe a0 teat ne MOON DOO This instrument was specially made for the occasion. After secing that a switch was open in the wire the General jumps into the lauuch and steams back to the works, Here, there and everywhere he moves per- fectly cool and collected overseeing everything. Standing togethor in final consultation near he shaft are Generals Newton and Abbott, Captain Mercur and Jeutenant Willard, General Nowton directs Mr, Willard to see that a man is’stationed at the scow across the river, with a white flag, which he is to wave when tho moment for tho biast arrives if the river should be clear, so that the party above at the firing point, who cannot see down the river, may know that all is right) Mr. Willard is also to escort Mra Newton, the chila and nurso from tho ecow when ho leaves. The tug reaches the vessel the signal man is stationed, the passengers tamed embark and the cra({t steams on her way across to Hell Gate again. When she is about midway in the river all are startiod by the ring of tho first gun, which announces tbat but twenty-five minutes romain before the time for firing tho mine—ten minutes to three o’clock P. M. The tug lands five minutes later and Lieutenant Willard jumps ashore and reports that be hus fulfilled allorders. A few gentlomen to whom has been ac- corded the privilege of being present at the Mring, em- bark on the tug, her captain is directed to Ho at the firing platform with Mrs, Newton on board till the General shall come to them ia the launch, and the tug moves or toward the placo indicated, where she = arrives in a few minutes. Meanwhile there are left on the ground the General, Captain Mercur, Lieutenant Willard, Mr, Striodenger, Barney Boyle and two workmen of the scow, who are to lower the plates into the acid. There were about sixty of these men employed on the work, and when volunteers were called for to remuin and lower the batteries all advanced. Lots were drawn to see who should have the honor of running tho risk of death and these two wore the lucky winnors. NEARING THUR RND. Proceeding to tho battery house, the plates wero safely and expeditiously lowered into the acid beneath, the party stepped quickly outside, the workmen closed the doors of the structure and bolted them, and the party set of onarun toward the wharf where the steam launch was awaiting them, the engineer stand- ing with his hand on the lever ready to start a United State 3 the instant their feet should cross the gun- wale, Jumping on board, the little vessel flew across the cove to the firing polut, whore the party jumped ashore, The Genoral banded Mrs. Newton to tho little battery house described, wherea camp stool was’ provided for her accommoda- tion, The nurse followed with the child, and the Gen eral, taking tho latter in his arms, placed her standing upon an empty cartridge box, which brought her up to the key. Mr. Striedinger stood near his batteries on the cast end of the platform, on his left sat Mra, Newton, in Jront was the improvised table on which the key was laid, on the west side of that stood the little girl and between her and Mra. Newton stood the General. “Come, little Mary,” said the General to the tiny, Diue eyed little three-year-old maiden as she stood upon the box with the nurso beside her, ‘play with this,” atthe same time placing her hand upon the key. The liste girl smiled in ber mother’s faco as she toyed with the silver knob. “Come, what are you going to do, Mary ?”’ said the General; “ygu bave been talking about it for some time.’* The General's eyes nervously watched the river, Was quite free irom cratt. He looked at his watch, “Six minutes yet,” said Captain Mercur. “Oh, pow,” exclaimed the General; ‘what is the Pleasant Valiey coming away down hero for. 1 don’t understané it,” ho added, in a tone of vexation “They bad strict orders. They will spoil all.” The boat indicated appeared to be drifting down to- ward the mine, Her progress ceased in a minute, how- ever, aud the General eaid ia a rolieved tone, “0, |, she is not too near, anyhow.” “There, the white flag 1s up on the scow,” cried Cap- tain Mercur, “Why not fire it now ?”” “No,” replied the General; ‘1 gave the people no- tice tnat I would wait ton minutes after the gun to give them time to get out of their houses, and 1 will Stick to it, although I feel exactly like letting it gol” “There, the white flag is up again,” exclaimed some one. All was breathless silence among tne little group, and even the spectators, straining their necks over ti tence above, seomed to feel the awfulness of the occa- sio It ,? said Mrs, Newton, “it seems just like waiting for an execution !’? Two men near the battery now closed the switch, and little Mury’s bands are kept irom the key, tor the slightest touch on the delicate silver knob would now precipitate the climax. A few moments more of breathless waiting, Captain Mercur’s watch doclares the time arrived. Mr. Stried- enger’s fingers twitch nervousiy about the wires, Sud- denly the white flag is seen moving from the scow. ‘The General says, in a collected and affectionate tone: Come, littleMary, touch this key again.” The chubby whito little hand of the chila ap, proaches the key. Mrs. Nowton’s eyes are fixed on the little girl with mothorly pride, and the General, sceing the direction of her look, cries:— “Come, come, look out there toward the blast, You don’t want to look here.” Tho lady's eyes foliow the direction indicated, as do those of all within she structure, The chiid’s hand resis innocently upon the key, a slight tremor shakes the earth, followed by a dail, rumbiing sound, which seoms to travel along the direction of the ledge and to come from an enormons subterranean dopth. Ere the senses have fully perceived these, the water over the blast seems to boil tor a period not ex- eceding half a second, and then # column of water 320 fect wide and seventy-tive feet high shoots up from the midst of it, The top of this mass was gleaming white foam, towering up into pinnacles like inverted icicies, while ucar to the surtace of the river tho column 1s darker until near its base it is a dark yellow. In the centre of the mass a monstrous stone weighing many tons twirls around like a spin- ning top. Half a second after this column rose thus a second ono ascends in toward the shore, It evidently comes trom the mouth of tho shaft, and it rolls in dense black cloads, like swoke. ing. This column rolls over the shore 200 feet inland. Descending it strikes tho top of the bombproof and washes off a couple of feet of the earth placed on its rool, In its passage It strikes the little one story office described aud washes it flve fect away, throwing it partially over on its side, Strange to say Quigley's plan of opening the windows was successful, for not a single pane of glass is broken! The party gaze in silent awe on the mighty mass of water until it subsidesina low wave which traverses bali the river, Turning toward the party the General says, Jocularly :— “That's sometLing ke an explosion, gentlemen.” Beture the words have left his mouth a spontaneous cheer for the success of the work and of adwmiration for its ditector risox from the throats of the assembled thousands, aod is re-echoed from the other sido of tho river and from the Astoria shore. The General and bis party at once got on board the tug and steamed to the scene of the blast, Although the trip occupied bat a few min the irface of the river over the reef was covered with tugboais, steam- ers, and hundred of small boats long before the Star reached. the serene, Hundreds of people juwp ashore from the boats and wander over the ground, Scores of boatmen pull hither and = thiber picky up the scattered déore of the coffer dam, tho steamers and tugs biow their whistles, and allacethar the scane presented is 8 lively one. Simultaneously with the dying away of the ex- plosion hundreds of spectators from the Astoria side break through the lines of police and soldiers aud a column of them come rashing down the narrow road toward the site of the excavation like a mill stream which bad carried away its dam. They were irresisti- bie, amd swarming over the place they demolished the wires, carrying off whole coils of 1t as mementoes, One man managed to steal somo mercury from the bat- tery cups, und proudly exhibited it, The Ninety- second street ferry carries over ull that the boats will hold of the crowd that bad viewed tho blast from Har- lem, and in a sbort time the grounds are fairly black with the moving, shouting, excited crowd. Even the wires on the poles leading to the ferry battery wet cus down and stolen, aud it required all General Abbott's energy to save bis special wire, WHAT GENERAL MALIEFERT Says. General Maliefert, long identified with the works at | Hell Gate, and a civil engineer of great repute, wan found at a late hour Jast eveuing at his home ju Astoria. Ho told the henacp reporter that no teats or soundings had yet been made, but of course would be at ouce. It wag, gectdedly his opinion, trom his knowledge of the subterranean structure and the manner of the mining, that the explosion wus a decided and wonderful succe: There was not ashadow of doubt in his wind that the whole super- incumbent rock (or roof) iad fallen, and this would be demonstrated, he thought, at an early day. The dome- like shape of the roof and the very thorough under: mining, leaving but the arches as « support, would in- Suro its destruction with a biast like that of yesterday, This opinion from so eminent a source of course seer to make it certain that the work was a succoss as far as the crambling of the entire reef is concerned, ON WARD'S ISLAND, It was clear to the expectant visitor, as he stepped ashoro yesterday at Ward’s Island, that sometning very unusual was ta progress, Crowds of well dressed people were moving about in every direction. A strong force of police was scattered over the grounds, and oficials were constantly going and coming with a busy air. This was the state of things trom the Jatter part of the forenoon up till about two o'clock. At that hour the majority of those on the island might be seon waking their way to the nearest point from which visitors were allowed to view the great upheaval. Previous to following their example the writer walked through such portions of the grounds as would afford interosting ineidents, in company with Commissioner Starr and ox-Commissioner Stephenson. It was ex- pected that the certainty of a shaking of some sort, with the supposed possible contingencies of tumbling ceilings and rent walls, would prodvce a considerable effect upon the untutored minds of tho denizens of the island. Too H«natp representative was not therefore surprised at scoing the wards and detached buildings vacated by the ablo bodied and such of the sick as could walk some timo previous to the explosion. But it wag with very considerablo as- tonishment that he observed, soon after two o'clock, bed-ridden patiénts lying in the open air in a sharp drizzling rain, This was probably due to the humane account of their upreasoning terror taken by the kind- hearted superintendent, They were, however, very properly ordered back to shelter. At the viowing point, where the police wero drawn up, the crowd cannot be said to have been very large, und still less cam it be called a demonstrative one, When the second gun was fired comparative silence fell upon the long line of eager onlookers, and watches were con- sulted, For tho five minutes previous to the explosion this silence was absolute and oppressive, and every man in tho crowd knew from the tremulousness of his own cardi region how everybody else felt. “Thirty. five seconds more,” shouted out a stulwart man in tho crowd. During these thirty-five seconds tho placid Appearance of the waters right ovor the reef had some- thing of dread suggestivencss about it, The mid rapidly calculated the porteatous latent forces beneath Trendy to leap into mighty activity at the beck of man, and seemed to crave ior some preliminary ferment by which the effect und the result of those dreaded torces could be measured. But the leaden-bued water gave it not Only the crowded steamers and boats just with- out tho proscribed line of water enforced, by their contrast to the ominous absence of all craft within that line, the idea that some huxe and dangerous affair was on hand. After the shout of ‘thirty-five sec- Mentioned above, the silencu of tho asvemblago was unbroken unul a dull, mufiled rumble ran under tho fect of the expect- aut crowd, and that dreaded quivering of mother varth not unfamiliar to the inhabitants of vol. eanic regions, communicated itself to the frames of the statue-like and evicently anxious gathering, nis quivering or jar lasted but « couple of seconda, if so much—timo undér these circumstances is fearfully loug—but 1t was a jar which once experienced is never forgotten. mit, The thing ofall which ought to be the last to undulate, or vibrato or quiver—tho earth—seoms to do all this at once; the motion, or whatever it may be termed, is so composite and rapidly maltiplied that the mind is instantaneously distressed at this uncanny skaking of the tenement which it inbabiis. Much more than is said hero pasred through one’s head in the second or so that the quivering lasted; but the attention was iminediately diverted from this cur- rent of thought, virectly in fromt of the view- Seal clued kent suddenly arose, as though by magic, a solid wall of water, looking, at the writer's distance from it, about forty feet in height, but actually sixty, and resembling an iinprovised waterfall in somo gigantic transformation 6 io long line of this aqueous embattloment was of snowy whitenoss, and oven at tho distance of which we were standing could be recognized in outline as markedly oct in feature from falling w When it had attained its greatest height 1t seomed for an instant to be poised in the air and looked liko a buge but disordered lace curtain drawn across the distant landscape. The beauty of its color on the extreme right was, however, soon marred, for a second body of a durk, blackish gray shot right up into it, seeming to contain within itself sotids of an over deeper hu. All this lasted buta moment, During that moment not a man viewing it breathed. Thou {t was seen suddenly to collapse, the fiver beneath it foamed and fretted toward the spectator of a dirty, grayish yellow, and the great explosion was over, The line which had been kept back by the police now broke forward with one ringing chor to the accompaniment of all the steam whistles on the river, Enthasiasm seemed to bogin and end here. The mind of most present had been worked up to such ao pitch that, stupendous as the sight un- doubtedly wus, it evidently fell tar short of the genoral expectation, and it is very clear that General Newton imay proceed, whenever he chooses, in the same way with ton times the amount of the tremendous ex- plosives used without ruffling the serenity of the moss delicately balanced nerves in the city. The crowd haa secn their sight and mado for the steamers in waiting without making any further demonstration, Uni- versal satisfaction was, however, oxpressed that Gen- eral Newton's long and arduous toil had been thus splendidly crowned. ON BLACKWELL'S ISLAND, Alarge force of police, under command of Captains MeCuilough, Stvors and Garland, leit the Bellevue Hos pital pier, East Rivor, about balf-past twelve o'clock. ‘There were several “invited guests’? on board as well as the Commissioners of Charities and Correction, Thomas 8. Brennan and Ieaac A, Bailey, Thore was | an uncomiortabie drizzle of rain falling ag the police The blackness is the mud from the bottom of the head- | arrived on tho plor and sought shelter under the sneda, The police got aboard of tho steamboat Bellevue snortly after their arrival, bat had to return to the pier again almost immediately, as the bout was sig nalled by tho Minnabauneck jor assistance, which was vainly endeavoring to get to the pier with « huge barge in tow, Thanks to the Bellevue, the barge reached the pier, when, to the horror of the timid ‘in- vited guests,’’ sho was found to be the “Floating Hos pital’ of St, Joba's Guild. “That's strange,” said Captain Steers. “What do we want of a floating hos pital’? One of the officils expiained that it was quite probablo that tnany of the invited guests as well ag some of the policemen would not be abio to stand aiter the explosion had taken place, “Not,” said he, “hat I think there 1s any danger, bat thore is nothing like being prepared for emergen: The Minna. baunock and the Bellovue, aiter everybody had got aboard, with the floating hospital between them, steamed up tho river wi as serious a Jooking body of policeme as ov lott the city, with tho idea of never seeing pay day again, On the way up the Henan reporter om board took Commissioner Brennan to one side and briefly let him into @ great secret, “You seo,” said tho reporter, showing the Commissioner a gl be filled with a highly colored hquid, ‘this tube contains tn liquid form, the samo kind of explosive material used in the cartridges that are to seud Hell Gato hea- vanward.”’ The Commissioner drow beck aghast aad It bas the element of the unnatural | begged the reporter to bandle the tube carefully. “You know,” said the reporter, ‘that there is a if ference of opinion between scientific men as to wheter Bitro-glycerine can be exploded by shock {ri o die tance.” Commissioner Brennan, despite bis apparent dread of the tabe which the reporter made use of dur- ing the conversation as a gesticulating batou, be- came ‘mmediately interested. ow, bere is the Point,” continued tho reporter. ‘Don’t lets tiving soul know anything about this till the result tells its own story, In order to test this question thoroughly that so divides tho scientists, I intend to place this tube on a rock at the west end of Bluckwell’s Island.’» The Commissioner, with his face betokening the utmost alarm, looked down from bis immense hight, and ex- claimed :— “Rut, heavens and earth, supposing this tube should explode?”? The reporterexplained that the theory of those who believed that nitro-glycerine would explole by shock fora distance would then be contirmed. ‘And what would become of the people on Blackwell's Ilana?” gasped the Commiss.oner. The reporter shrugged his shoulders ana replied, “The Lord only knows!” After a deal of persuasion tho re- porter consented not to make bis exporiment, and it may be said sotto voce that the material in the tube was simply alcohol and aniine dye—a spirit level to fact to test the vibrations of the caused by the explosion, ‘Weil’, said the Commis- sioner as the reporter left the boat, ‘that may bo @ spirit level but 1’m on my way to Ward’s Island.” 4 PITIFUL SCENE, The saddest sceno that human cyes probably ever witnessed on Blackwell land, took place alter the police left the boat at the landing and were distributed im patrols along the river front on all four sides of the island. Before their coming tho jama' of the Alms House had been murched out of doors toa point far south of their usual quarters, aud the pris- oners in the Penitentiary securely lodged in their cells, Then came the trying scene, tho removal of the in- sane females from the asylums In troops, accom. panied by thelr keepers, the barmiess women were allowed to wend their way toward the storehouse and the other buildings near tho boat wharf, where they were to be kept until the explosion had occurred. Mostall of thom bad blankots thrown over thels shoulders, some shawls, others noitnor blankets nos shawls; some were barefooted, others in their stock ing soles, and yet others with but one shoe ou, the other being hugged in the arms of its ewner, as though itwere something too precious to be basely used, Thore was no disorder, no confusion, The roadway was lined with policemen, so as to prevent any of the poor creatures from taking a tatal fancy to the waves of tho river which beat a mournfui cadence against the rocks, and tho motley procession passed on slowly for a half hour, somo gesticulating wildly at the passing steamers, others singing stray snatches of different songs, and, with but few exceptions, each one apparently oblivious of the existence of the other. It was a sad sight; indeed, it must have been truly sad, when (t drew forth trom one of the policemen, whose eyes were suffused with tears, Rubelais’ saying, “One half the world reully knows not how the other half lives.” But if this procession was a sad one, the removal of the violent patients was sor- row itself, who were ull taken in wag- ons from the asylum to a large one story building on the westerly sido of the Island, near the Almshouse. Thoso who could least be trusted were conveyed in a sort of back, with wooden blinds tightly closed. The lady keepers appeared to bave wonderful control over the poor unfortunates, » word from one of tbom apparently acting like ofl to the troubled waters, Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting them into the wagons at the asylum, and even more in get- ting them out of them at the place of assurod safety. Several of them were in strait jackets, moroso and savage, even the men keepers baving to give the lady keepers a helping hand occasionally to prevent dis. order, if not worse. None of them, of course, k: what all the fuss was about; most of them appeared te Jook upon the removal as a recreation. ‘What a nice picnic!”? exclaimed a really pretty girl, as she stepped from the wagon and glanced about the room where others more violent had preceded ber. She took a seat in a corner and nover uttered a word afterward during tho whole after. noon, One of the most violent was an Irish girl who was ina strait jacket. Even in her maduess ner Dative wit flashed out occasionally io bright sallies, ‘Thore was a small sign “No Smoking Allowed” bang- ing in the middle of the room. An attendant came im Smoking @ pipe. ‘Stop that smoking,’ she shrilly cried, ‘or take down that sign,” In a moment she had forgotten the man and bis pipe and was singing { Malloy” ma sweet and melodious voice, One woman attracted the attention of the reporter more than any other on account of her profanity, The oaths and blasphemics she uttered fairly made the listener's blood grow chill ‘That woman,’ said one of tho doc- tors in attendance, ‘before she becaine ifsane, was @ devout member of the Church, and irom ali I can leara was pure and good from her girlhood. The worst blasphemers among tbe insane, my experience has taught me, arothose who, when sane, wore any- thing bat profane’? The reporter, on bis way to the north end of the Island, camo across a mother, erying on tho shoulder of ter son, who had come over from New York to visit her to se that she was out of the reach of danger. It was heartrendiog. Sho begzed to bo taken home, aud the policemen who were lookers on turned to one side to conceal their emotion, When the two were parted the old lady went back to her place among bes fellows, and in ® moment was as contented with hes Jot, apparently, aa though she bad chosen it of her own free will, There were but few visitors on the Island, as the Commissioners had not been, wisely enough, too free with their passes; aad those who did prefer to land there than to proceed to Ward’s Island, appeared to have .their interest equally divided between the expiosion and the removal of the insare pationts. When the first gun was fred all who had passes made thoir way toward the north end of the Isiand, near the lighthouse, where an excellent view of Haliett’s Point was afforded Though it was raining quite hard at the time the New York shore opposite the Island was biack with spectators, the umbrellas under which tho multitude had sought shelter presenting a wierd appearance through the delicate mist that at the time bung over tho river. The tower on the Island was invaded with eagerness at firut by tho spectators, but after tho first gun every body scampored down im hot baste oxeept the man ia charge, who said he was ‘goin’ to keep out of the rain, no matter what happened.”’ Strange to say, as every visitor stepped out of the door and rapidly walked a respectable distance from the tower,- each had the same excuse for his retreat—“‘You caa’t seo any better up there thaa down bere.” Finally the second gum was fired aod after that overy ono awaited in breathiess suspense the moment of the explosion, It may have beew imagination on tho part of tho re- porter, but, as he cast arapid glance around, he vhought he detected tho policemen and visitors “vracing up’? for the occasion; all struck attitudes with feet firmly planted and limbs wide apart, while canes aud clubs were jeaned apon as though there was acharm about their steadiness which no explosion could weaken, Then came the blast, There was alow rumble, and the ground beneath one’s feet seemed sud- denly \o upheave, with a quick, short motion, once, twice and they everyshing was whore it was before The tower had not fallen and the canes and clubs had not moved an inch, and all that could be seen to indicate that the blest ha¢ really taken placo was the agitated muddy-looking ator in tho distance and the smoke just above it, that had the appearance of dust irom a roudway on a Sumy mer’s day. Then, while che cheers camo over water from steamers and crowds on the shore, every one near the tower looked at everybody else, as much as to say, “And that was the blast, was it?’ Tho po licomen said, “1 told you how it would bo,” and the visitors said “they knew how it would be,” and every one agreed that General Newton bad covered himself with glory, and that for once ® prophet had tound bouor in his owa country—a prophet of evil not to come, at that, GUARD woaT NO, 1, ‘The steamer Pleasant Valley, ono of the four guard Doats, was stationed between Ward’s Isiand and Asto- ria, a littio moro than half « mile from the blast. Her passeugers were nearly ull sciontitic men, who at- tended on the invitation of Goneral Newtou, One lady accompanied the party and looked more at ease as the steamer approached the scene of the explosion some of tho sterner sex. Among those on os Pleasant Valley were the jollowing gentie: om Ale berto W. Ferreira d’Agutar, attaché of the Brasiliua Centennial Commission; Professur G. F. Barker, of the University of Peansyivania; Professor Morton, of Stevens instiate, and Gearse M, asemm mee