A MONSTER BLAST.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 45, 21 February 1880, Page 1

A MONSTER BLAST.

[" South Australian Advertiser," Jan. 8 ] For some months past, Mr Robb.tbe contractor for the Victoria Harbour Breakwater, has been making preparations for a monster blast on the eastern .end of Granite Island, and this explosion, which took place on Tuesday afternoon, was an immense success. Last Tuesday a great blast was fired with Che object of getting a steep (ace to that end of the island, and the ire suit exceeded expectations, about 40,000 tons of stuff being; displaced. The enormous chasm thus made was completely cleared out before Tuesday, leaving a high perpendicular face to operate upon. Behind this a tunnel wae driven', running about north and south from side to side of the point of the island, and from this various drives were made to the eastward. On; the surface the course of the main tunnel was indicated by a line of pitch or black paint, and red spots showed the position of the powder. We were'unable to ascertain how much powder wab | usad, Mr Robb, for business reasons, preferring not to communicate this information. The quantity has been ! variously stated at from nine to fifteen tons, and probably ten tons are not f»r from the true amount. A little dyne- j mite was used for detonating purposes. The shot was not, as iv April, fired by electricity, but simply in the joldfashioned style, with a fuse . As Che time approached for firing, and minute after minute slipped away, the spectators naturally became somewhat j excited, and this feeling reached a criaie when the rush of the crowd back from the end of the fuse showed thatj the torch had been applied. Very quickly after this there was an awful and some : what prolonged roar, accompanied by, a prolonged, rattling sound, as if | the island was being split to atoms. .An enormous shower of earth and stones was shot up to a great height,! aad fragments of rock fell far out to sea, some of the missiles coming very near to the steamer. A dense oloud of dust and smoke hung over tbe sceae of tho explosion and around it, and a considerable time elapsed before this cleared away sufficiently to disclose wh»t had happened. Attention was directed, first of all, with most anxiety, to a group on the jetty, for stones fell all around them ; but,* fortunately, no one was struck. Tbe blast was a magnifi cent saceees. The whole point of the islind was knocked into chaos, completely lifted up, and tumbled about in a moot fantastic style. Besides thousands of tons broken up into useful sizes, there were blocks of granite weighing hundreds of tons 6fCi, rolled over, some lying on tbe top of other blocks of equal sire. Tho scene was very grand, aud it seemed difficult to believe that such a wreck of matter could h»ve been effected by artificial agency. Very little damage was done to the works, though blocks of granite weighine; seyeral tons each were blown over toe railway line. one rock fell, on aMjd heap of large timber, and scattered it, shattering some considerably. lUfge, fragments dropped very near the mooater crane, and a atone smashed! ihe chimney of its engine. There j was little earth io the dislodged stuff, so the contractor has every reason to be satisfied. At least 50,000 tons .were moved. ."■ ■ . i