A BIG BLAST.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 189, 26 July 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

A BIG BLAST.

Shifting 20,000 Tons of Rock.

Owing to the insecure foundations of a great overhanging rock poised 3000 ft. up the side of a mountain, the inhabitants of Tormery, a little Savoy village near Chambery, have had their lives endangered for many years. On May 22 part of the rock was blasted away, but now, according to experts, the unhappy villagers are in greater danger than before. For many years the villagers have appeared to the French Government to provide means to enable them to rid their village of its danger. A short while ago they received a grant of £4OOO for the purpose of destroying the rock and

providing compensation to the owners of any village property that might be damaged by the blasting. It was understood that half the sum was to go to the cost of the blasting operations, and half to compensate the t illagers. The latter, however, considered the compensation insufficient, and it was decided to expend only about £lOO on the work. The overhanging rock was estimated to weigh about 20,000 tens. Of this about 5000 tons which was considered Hie most dangerous were destroyed, and now what is left is believed to be more dangerous than ever.

Thu force of the explosion has moved it an inch or two away from the_ mountain and towards tho village.- Nothing could save the village from partial destruction if the great mass rolled over. The blasting operations were conducted with great ceremony, the whole countryside turning out to watch the explosion and the possible destruction of village buildings by falling rocks. In the latter respect, however, they were disappointed. So effectually did the dynamite do its work that the 5000 tons of rock were scattered into small fragments, which caused no damage. Une thousand jrouhds of dynamite

were used in 237 mines bored in the ! rock, which were exploded simultaneousj ly'by the.“new cordo” exploding fuse, a 1 patent of the contracting firm. This fuse travels at the almost inconceivable rate of over three miles per second. | It was a strange sight during the few I days preceding the blasting operations to see the general exodus of the inhabii tants of Tormery. For at least a week | or ten days no persons were allowed to remain in the village. This was to guard rgainst the possible fall of loose rock The greater danger which was thought to exist will, it is now believed, be obvuited by the building of a strong retaining wall.