A TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION.

Colonist, Volume XXII, Issue 2551, 20 May 1879, Page 4

A TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION.

::'' ;(!_W-7.,.__._.raZ_a»^ .;:.„.'.. ,-■-?. i- . - ■•-. .i'i; ;:;■;< »-: >■ '.i.F. -.-! <'.-!.•>. j-j-.; Tn e ' fir.Bif, sensation al, ( lijas fe j'at: ,t he ; #i£fcer Harbpr^B^ea^w^ter,^ the: J_.rge.Bt. ever 'firedin/Aus'^jjaj^ day afte^ prpYfid_a great, succe^:^ A. grand .sighti to'-witness,-. jarijst v b^.e^UjSpiiQOP.M^. AQ.OOQ ■ toiiy-oi'^pcf^and'ieayth weje|disp.aped.)'_?Eor f ; months psi^.t" -.hjji^expiftaiont^aaj l sefj_i«cintiQi'. paiii.l with'.ep.cqe^^^^ bj>. ti.o more "nervous amongjthe local residents, and with a good deafo.' curiosity far beyond the Soutbera^diitri'dts. TH_>' iiihar^e.'consisted ot --five itons.,ofj gunpowdei-,< o^ besides abojit7slb of'dynamite'.»,''''lV;-V'ali''c-il'i' culate&'.that;.this. would: raise'or'di'-place 10,000 cubic;yards i (6r:>2oiooa.ft6ii_j 6f 'rock1 and... earth.ou.'lthel.* tunnelling^'driveßZ-ahd-cliambersjn which th'e)exploßiVei v. ere'stdfed* were j rajtber>;au'jelaborate .and* i_eßtly?unfler-( takings[[i;Theyifwereealmoßt iw _he fortn^dfl a' double, .barred.croßß.l .;The drivesWere?*'all. sft,,,6inrin [wid%nßO iaibto 'alioW;thf.e'e1 men' j to -work J_m-.the.m^<_nd(iat certain-infeirvais' ther.eiwer.e powder.chambers i'tih'__js_tslow.Jj'r; thapi £h„e.level:,oflthe drives. I'Alli'thel -drives 5 were ihorizdntaliui The im'ainituriwel^hs'Slft^ long, .andifrdld thesendrofcifc--hß_,e^:b_'ahche'd ofF-aj very; irregulariTlhead pf > _CtdtalJ length of 91ft. o)ThQ,dxploßives;were--iptpu- iirthe^ driyesji but. an; .thei nYeichdmbersi brSti diiirigl off^heseT^fchreeroff^the-iTihead^and Wo^off' the. mai_.turinel >abdut. mid way- betwefen- thes _no,uthn uanda/.thetHends'ipf^ithe" ,s taiinelP Abput. ajiton'-bfapowderjwas'-tola^ed^n each 1 chamber,!.a_ditha_..bole 6£>th_i charges ifiiffc coaq.ectedj hysa>long A.saußage^b'fl dynamite in small cartridges. Tbe powder!wa,8ij)U_,inG zinc cases, in order to-pretect it from the effects pf damp, and^ifc,i^s then jSjacked up in calico bags a'nd coVere.cl wi__i']Feit to pre-., vent..its being inju_ed;by dr.ppib{2(ssfroth'tile! roof.u> Each tMm^t'^iiß^WUPV^i' boulders sof _ttbb'teynbe'i.vßll| -bei_ig';buil^" about plSiir-* from^th.pp'^de^ io. uHb _l_ow * of adittle- e_t^_li6D9^'^^ lttalii v,drirfi 3a_itf' tunneli w.ere> thet. «^tT_C_i_'p__. K^Mlled' ri_f' with stohes rand^dii. t ,'«:p_,i_aWd ih_me;'. ,ai!A_' electric wire Vati'Jthi.dUl ghithe',th,m fp% >.o sa v poinfri_b__Mh&.,te_t_¥m_ th6edfeto'uato_.<(#__!<p.i__^ dynamitß'.'^Ba_li_g«..«^_?__awi_S waSfatfout' 20aya_ds'lorig,*the'instrdirii-ift^i. W^alo-" cle_t.r.c'_xttlsd_._t%e.^ bacl^^rdmi«thefii-/oUthieaVt ri_Brhm _t fef__' _slahd>wbdi_.the tt^heavM'Was'to^t-i^e pi lce. 0 TheM'^aflMfctf'Mc&'neto^ chambers^ and <<$_._i-lf-?q^_% li-_tich o-hore' rapid i Sin ii.e»a6tio.i f*th-.ft,'pWds. !_'-Wal.eii! pectedi-that^aliwt__h lc.h„_p^ l wf-..d i"f_! ffl simuitaD-obtiyiq mti *m\t J §mwm% E correctnQßS?dfqtHis4'_iti'cipatlß-lJ as1 Bfiiy'onT dull, heavy report wal^eard. TheJunnel was abotifl2of_3__p_. tliWnffitYi&WWktf, and^t,thebT.hga.d>*hoUt 40ft.u U jicwK-oa' The vibration-w_B<n<.t f felt1 *# all' :&_.*_-«_', town_hip.\..Nwond ih_ard>*h_' 'blast .beyßhd/' Port-Victor, nEveniwhertJ tb& firi_g!(j>a_-/1 were^apft ya^dw away frd __ the fez sbW&^ the ( «ihratioritwa*:_l vety tol.|ht < tfkW _hdeea*.*' After. MiiVKobb had thri_ed!thd little -.indie 1 which idideallthe work*« ? li g Ut. Vibfa_i6__ W&> felt.,thenitt secon'd «r .twb• totfof 1 tlfc s__B_es' and dust were »««-,• and 'lou. or fit Je»ec6_di'

afterwards came the report and Xtffhblirig^ .found •_ r ._.._ r .„..,- ;T: ™ .._._.- — j tbin_j" wonderful. Its immense aimeupipji--ahvf|led every one who had seen the blow-up, ■iit- ii < f'deiifcht-cP ' th 'e « _ 6__t_-ket _r™(Mi. vHdy>h*). _...«& star j $§.; piac'e^.^aVbe^epn^ f butpnfprtuhfttely'the rocK was not of the best kindj; and'! there 'w_»si>_-*_o_r-<of earth ■ amphgst<-"it:' •" The-'' vvholb'triaas '-(b'ov'e the | drives had^^erl lifted •cife_-'-^-^^s.^[ n . • tion, and huge rock?—_XQ.m 50 to' 100 tons i(one-was.about. 150, :toos)i_ar..weighfcvhadj ! been gentlyvdropped'down again a fenr yards ■ from tleiry' original': po-iti^nT'^'Th'ere'VeVe I four pr; _iV-5 hlptks^pf aj^^;'7tf,#|'^^tpfls. eachr^tanding^n^ |c.n.'t-ie.fnrt-)e-.Wi!ie.-.6f!.thß igreat..irregular.! iguiiy-iwhich' bad! ibeen -artificially" fbrmfedp Thechastn 'was about 100'ft-'-ih' LleiSf{^i' o_fed!' 80ft,or 40ft wide, .fey, fvo^pjy^o^t deepV !On !i._ie bng.sidp '''^'ki.-^efj f#,ce ip_.,thei r.solid.,; iroclrrTan:.eicplleniiiface.that.^ ! capital 5 start for-the next 'big' blast—a_-d c bi? ithe t ottieV'; was -lh& .diainte^t|i^;^,i.sß:.^r: ih^urfod" sea.^ rS,'\ls^ jot'Jlie^-fndT.yjW jbut; it,' bad'no'.dojibt; been t_l|*__enV-and J»wiil> [be more readily removed hereafter. *C-Tdwii, d'9 i; 'the^outh-easlj^he^bla'lfc had. done all. that wac required^ud a Mtle-m^e^ooj ,ilt,had. cpyered .pactj.pffMr,. HpjyblppriYa^ct.ramv-ay on the embankment ]eadii.gjotbi<;fehe:,vbce_k-( jwater, andtornnup'SOifie of the_ra}ls and twisted5 th'em'like 1 'cSrl.scVf?v_/i'lfc bad e%j b.d-Wa aboWt1 lsm"tf iWWkmwayiaMt'r the ? spffc,jfto_t which the rails haa pjeylously; he'en_ita'k)__-i -ip^l-But-^. hirf is % mereitrifle: cOtflpaVeE' witlihtho\grektl ad.^ahtp' k_e of havingl tke's't]).!^ scf neair' .he^'eaa fiif 1 the1 fu'ture break Water." - * ; 9 ,: J: i i Tjie Jb!aßt r an i d i .J;h.e preparation for it, are saidjtp.ha.v.e coß:_'_QearJy'-Slooo^.l<The-povvder kloni_itwas'Worth^o'ver-S_!00 (eveh'at 5d per' lb), .and L-'.th'ei *Idyni_i_ite,':: andV^other,'^ items brbught1 iip _h'e.y.a|ue ofJthejcbarge-.t'o^m.pre. t_ia^lS^o.jy.B^ in this instance the big blast: has'proved'a inost rarrangemeritjitideed,' the, saviD'g is said to be rW shilling;_.; or.';twp,per; ' cubic.yard. ■„ ;/ „.,,,,:, y....-,..,;'.'.'. t,.'_;...r,>.,>/:.'.- ; .'•.