332 HELL-GATE, IMPROVEMENT OF. 



HEN BRICKS, THOMAS A. 



smoke. The vibration of the earth was very 

 slight, the least tremor and a low booming sound 

 only being experienced in the city of New York ; 

 yet the shock was perceptible at a considerable 

 distance in some directions, even as far as 

 Springfield in Massachusetts. No damage re- 

 sulted to property in the neighborhood. The 

 amount of explosive material discharged was : 

 dynamite, 28,901 pounds; rendrock-powder, 

 9,061^ pounds ; vulcan-powder, 14,244 pounds : 

 total quantity, 52,206| pounds. The explosives 

 were contained in 13,596 cartridges. The 

 number of separate blasts was 4,462, and the 

 number of charged holes 4,427, of which 3,645 

 were primed ; the holes were 2 or 3 inches in 

 diameter, and of 9 feet average depth ; they 

 were made from 6 to 10 feet apart. The 

 blasts were connected together by 100,000 feet 

 of wire, and with the batteries, of which there 

 were 64 svith 960 cells, by 120,000 feet of lead- 

 ing-wire. The usual charge was three car- 

 tridges with a primer of dynamite, which was 

 exploded by the percussion of fulminate of mer- 

 cury, discharged by the voltaic current. Rend- 

 rock and vulcan powders were found preferable, 

 notwithstanding their inferior explosive power, 

 to the liquid nitro-glycerine. The concussion 

 was not greater than was expected by the engi- 

 neers, although great fears had prevailed among 

 the people. The success of the explosion was 

 greater than the engineers had looked for, the 

 rock being broken into smaller fragments, and 

 settling to a greater depth, than was expected. 

 Before the middle of 1874 the explosive sub- 

 stances used almost altogether in the blasts was 

 nitro-glycerine. Mica-powder, giant-powder, 

 several thousand pounds of rendrock, and 

 finally a large amount of vulcan-powder, all 

 compounds of nitro-glycerine, were afterward 

 employed. The latter compounds, it was de- 

 monstrated, though possessing less explosive 

 power than nitro-glycerine, did more effective 

 work ; and that notably of vulcan-powder, cost- 

 ing less than one-half the price of nitro-glycer- 

 ine per pound, ten ounces would break as much 

 rock as eight of the pure substance. 



The total amount of money appropriated by 

 Congress for the East River and Hell-Gate im- 

 provements, from 1868 to 1876 inclusive, has 

 been $1,940,000, viz.: In 1868, $85,000; 1869, 

 $180,000; 1870, $250,000; 1871, $225,000; 

 1872,$225,000; 1873, $225, 000; 1874, $250,000; 

 1875, $250,000 ; 1876, $250,000. The sum ex- 

 pended up to the time of the Hallett's Point 

 explosion was nearly $1,717,000. The princi- 

 pal part of the remainder of the appropriation 

 already made will probably be consumed in 

 the dredging of Hallett's Point Reef. The esti- 

 mated cost of completing the improvements 

 (from the 'date of August 1, 1876) is $5,139,- 

 120, and the estimate of the entire cost about 

 $6,926,000. The obstruction which is to be 

 next operated upon is the great sunken Flood 

 Reef, which has nearly three times the area of 

 the demolished Hallett's Point Reef. 



The entire commercial results of opening up 



a safe passage for vessels of every size through 

 Hell-Gate cannot be predicted with any cer- 

 tainty. The transoceanic trade may not be di- 

 verted to any considerable extent from its old 

 route ; and, if it is drawn into this new thor- 

 oughfare, it will probably be by slow degrees. 

 The fogs of Long Island Sound, with its crook- 

 ed channel and rocky shores, would prevent the 

 ocean-ships from using this road for the sake 

 of the 200 or 300 miles that would be gained ; 

 and the risk and inconvenience of crowding 

 the East River with shipping would be another 

 deterring cause. On the other hand, the con- 

 venience of the immediate connection, which 

 could be made with the railroads, and the long 

 extent of wharfage which could be utilized in 

 the upper East River, would act as strong at- 

 tractions. But if the improvements were made 

 simply for the benefit of the coastwise trade, 

 no doubt can be entertained of their importance 

 and utility. 



HEMANS, CHARLES ISIDORE, a British 

 scholar ; died in Bagni di Lucca, Italy, Octo- 

 ber 26, 1876.. He was the son of Mrs. Felicia 

 Hemans, the well-lknown poetess. He left 

 England early in life, and, after residing in 

 various parts of Europe, finally fixed his abode 

 in Italy, chiefiy in Rome, where he soon be- 

 came known as a scholar of considerable his- 

 toric and archaeological attainments. He was 

 the author of " Catholic Italy," " A History of 

 Ancient and Mediajval Christianity and Sacred 

 Art in Italy " (2 vols., embracing a period 

 from A. D. 900 to 1500), and "Historic and 

 Monumental Rome." He was also a regular 

 contributor to the Academy. 



HENDRICKS, THOMAS ANDKEWS, an Amer- 

 ican statesman, born in Muskingum County, 

 Ohio, September 7, 1819. In 1822 his father 

 settled in Shelby County, Ind. Thomas grad- 

 uated at South Hanover College in 1841, stud- 

 ied law at Chambersburg, Pa., was admit- 

 ted to the bar there in 1843, and returned to 

 Indiana to practise. In 1845 he was elected 

 to the Legislature, and in 1850 a delegate to 

 the State Constitutional Convention. From 

 1851 to 1855 he represented the Indianapolis 

 district in Congress, from 1855 to 1859 was 

 Commissioner of the General L.nnd- Office, and 

 from 1863 to 1869 was a member of the United 

 States Senate, in which he was regarded as the 

 Democratic leader. He served in the Com- 

 mittees on Claims, Public Buildings, the Ju- 

 diciary, Public Lands, and Naval Affairs. He 

 was strongly opposed to the Republican plan 

 of reconstruction, and held that the prosperity 

 of the white people of the South was of more 

 importance than that of the negroes. He op j 

 posed the exalting of the freedmen into a gov- 

 erning class, while a part of the white people 

 were to be disfranchised. He also took ground 

 against the proposed amendments of the Con- 

 stitution, believing that the foundations of 

 government ought not to be disturbed during 

 the war or immediately after its close. He 

 supported measures necessary to maintain the 



