THE BLOWING UP OF HELL GATE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2108, 12 January 1886, Page 4

THE BLOWING UP OF HELL GATE.

The terrible sunken rocks known as Hell Gate, in New York Harbour, were " cleared out," as the Americaus would »ay, on Saturday la6t, the explosion being brought about by the chief engineer's little girl proving the button of an electrical instrument. The ordinary traveller knows nothing of the reef, as ihe ocean steamers enter the harbour chiefly through the Lower Bay and the Narrows, missing 1 the strait between East River and the Sound. Hell Gate consists of a scries of reefs and rocks in the East RiTer, where they hare lon# been a menace to vessels passing to and from Long Island Sound. The water ranges from five to twenty •six feet in depth at mean low water. As early a^ 1848 it was estimated that one vail in fifty was hurled upon the rocks and wrecked ; and one naval officer who was located there for two months, reported thdt fifty went ashore during that time- The first explosion removed a reef conta'ning about three acres, while the middle rcpf contains ne<trly nine acres Sin<:e Au<ru-t of 1 i-t \enrtho operations tit this point have 1 een confined to rjcteiiding the millf-ricK in the north-eastern section of the rook, romprisinic about throe-quarters of an hito, and drilling the holes in thereof and pillars f<>r the final blmt. The charging of the hole* was begun during the months of July, end wa« completed the other day. Tliere were nearly four miles of tunneling, or exactly 11,670 ft. The longent trallenes were four block- lonjf, or 1,200 ft. You could walk under the rock and water, a distance equal to strolling from the B-ittery up to Furfcy—econd-streefc. In all tw«-uty-four g.illeries of tunnels had been run from north to south. These were interacted by forty-six' others running neaily east and west. The tunnels were on an average 10 ft. from floor to ceiling •aid nix or eight feet wide. . The rppf of rock they Mipporfcd wa^-fronv.teu^to twenty -five feet thick. The rock taken lioni them measured 30,000 cubic ya da as it lay in its original bed. The 467 huge pillars and loof that remained measure 275,000 cubic yards. In making these galleries fi«i.sures< of water were met with, but they were all successfully plugged. All through these galleries were corridors. Workmen have bored holes nine fpet deep and three inches in diameter. The 467 rude columns were also honeycombed with holeH. Altogether there were 13,286, or one for every working day in the year for four years. These holes were filled with dynamito and powder cartridge. One concussion ignited every cartridges The explosive compound did not need fire to touch it. A pUtol or big firecracker exploded in any gallery would have ■ sent everything skyward. So the greatest care had to be exercised in handling the cartridges. The chances wen/ about even that one of them dropped would explode. There were 275.000 pounds of cartridges to r "be haudled. Placed -in a -line they; would have reached twenty-tw,o ;inile*. The previous explosion at Hell Gate wan effected with 50,000 pounds. Tbe result of the explosion of Saturday last is stated to have f ullßlled the engineer's expecta-tjons-rr-PalJ-tyaU Gazette. , 8 . r .

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v A Michigan girl told her lover that she could never think of marrying a man with less than $10,000, and as he was worth a suit of clothes lesH than nothing, he went sadly away. That night his uncle died and left him ftOOOdols. The next day the dejected lover got a letter. It read — • Dearest George, I'm willing to make it 5000<lols." No.' said the dying punster, with a grim smile, 'no I don't oldest to flower«, luit don't have any violets, please. I shouldn't care to have my grave violeted, yon know.' It was immediately agreed that it was beat he thouldago. Years ago a Vermont farmor lost many hheep through the depredations of wolves. He journeyed to Boston, ,and returned with 11 wolf dog which cost, him mniiy dollar*. He started out' the next rfuy, andsoou his dog was following up a ■-cent rapidly, and dimjipeared in the wood*. The farmer on horseback followed, Mid mpt a chopper. •Wall, stranger, did you see e'er a dog and a wo!f jro by ? 'Ynas.' • Wai, how was it?' 'The dog was a leetle ahead. 1 An inspector, who had been explaining to a class that the land of tho world was not continuous, said to the boy who hap. pened to bo Btancl'ng nearest to him, * Now, conld your father walk round the ■worid ?' * No, sir, was promptly answered. t% Why oot?' ' Bccaun© he's dead', wa» the altoaethor unlooked-for reflponne. As little anticipated, probably, was tho answer' made to another inspector, who a/iked, ' Whai is a hovel P? and wan met with tbo reply, ' What you