Notice of the Great Explosion at Dover. 33/ 



and South America give 180 and 177 toises. We thus read, 

 so to speak, in these numbers, in what portions of the surface 

 of our globe vulcanism, that is to say, the reaction of the 

 interior on the exterior, has been felt with greatest intensity 

 in the ancient souUvements. (V Institute 5th Jan. 1843 p. 4.) 



Notice of the Great Explosion at Dover. Contained in a 

 Letter to the Earl of Cathcaut, by Captain Stuart, 7th 

 Royal Fusiliers. Communicated by Lord Greenock. 



DovEH, 2Gth Januaru 1843. 

 My Dear Lord, — An operation in engineering was success- 

 fully performed near Dover to-day, which, from its magnitude 

 and novelty, must be a subject of deep interest to every person 

 acquainted in the least degree with practical science. It was 

 the removal of an enormous mass of the cliif facing the sea, 

 which formed an obstruction to the line of railroad. To give 

 you a distinct idea of its position, it may be necessary to in- 

 form you, that a portion of the clifF which was penetrated by 

 the tunnel made through Shakspeare's Cliff gave way about 

 two years ago. About fifty yards of the tunnel were carried 

 away, and a clear space was so formed for the line of railroad, 

 with the exception of a projecting point, which, prior to the 

 slip alluded to, was the extremity of the part of the cliff pierced 

 by the tunnel, and to remove which was the object of the ope- 

 ration in question. Mr Cubitt is the engineer, under whose 

 management it took place. The expense of clearing it away 

 by the tedious process of manual labour, would have exceeded 

 L. 12,000, and this consideration, as well as the time that 

 would have been lost, induced him to try the bold experiment 

 of blowing it away with gunpowder. It cannot be denied, 

 that there was apparent danger in the undertaking, for the 

 weight of the mass to be removed was estimated at 2,000,000 

 tons, and the quantity of powder used was more than eight 

 tons, or 18,000 lbs. 12,000 lbs. was the quantity used in 

 blowing up the fortifications of Bhurtpore, and this, I believe, 

 was the greatest explosion that ever (previoiisly) took place 

 for any single specific object. I had several opportunities of 



