﻿62 
  [AsSfilMBLT 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  Francis' 
  Metallic 
  Life-Boats 
  "Was 
  placed 
  over 
  a 
  charge 
  

   during 
  the 
  explosion, 
  and 
  received 
  no 
  injury. 
  It 
  was 
  sometimes 
  

   the 
  case- 
  that 
  vessels 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  Gate, 
  came 
  close 
  along 
  

   side 
  of 
  Pot 
  Rock 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  explosion 
  of 
  a 
  charge, 
  but 
  in 
  

   no 
  case 
  did 
  any 
  vessel 
  receive 
  injury 
  from 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  the 
  

   explosion. 
  

  

  Mons. 
  Maillefert 
  placed 
  his 
  boat 
  containing 
  the 
  battery 
  withiii 
  

   sixty 
  feet 
  of 
  the 
  rock, 
  when 
  he 
  fired 
  the 
  charge. 
  

  

  This 
  enterprise 
  presented 
  two 
  very 
  important 
  considerations. 
  

   The 
  j^r^^ 
  was 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  dangerous 
  rocks 
  from 
  this 
  great 
  

   thoroughfare 
  — 
  the 
  second, 
  to 
  afford 
  M. 
  Maillefert 
  the 
  opportunity 
  

   of 
  demonstrating 
  conclusively 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  his 
  new 
  system 
  of 
  

   blasting 
  rocks 
  under 
  water 
  without 
  drilling, 
  by 
  using 
  the 
  water 
  

   as 
  a 
  fulcrum. 
  The 
  result 
  has 
  been 
  most 
  satisfactory, 
  and 
  com- 
  

   merce, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  science, 
  will 
  reap 
  great 
  and 
  lasting 
  benefits 
  

   from 
  the 
  discovery, 
  and 
  men 
  of 
  science 
  will 
  be 
  admonished 
  to 
  

   regard 
  facts 
  as 
  far 
  safer 
  than 
  theory 
  to 
  build 
  upon. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  forwarded 
  to 
  you, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  D. 
  K. 
  Seaman, 
  a 
  large 
  piece 
  

   of 
  gneiss, 
  taken 
  from 
  Pot 
  Rock, 
  twenty-five 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   face, 
  at 
  high 
  water. 
  This 
  fragment 
  was 
  broken 
  from 
  the 
  body 
  

   of 
  the 
  rock 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  explosion 
  of 
  a 
  charge 
  fired 
  upon 
  it 
  

   twenty-five 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  surface. 
  It 
  may 
  therefore 
  be 
  viewed 
  

   as 
  not 
  only 
  a 
  rare, 
  but 
  a 
  valuable 
  specimen 
  for 
  the 
  Geological 
  

   Cabinet 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New- 
  York. 
  

  

  Other 
  rocks 
  in 
  the 
  channel 
  of 
  Hurl 
  Gate 
  have 
  been 
  operated 
  

   upon 
  by 
  M. 
  Maillefert. 
  A 
  rock 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  Bald 
  Headed 
  Billy,'' 
  

   has 
  been 
  entirely 
  removed. 
  This 
  rock 
  brought 
  up 
  a 
  good 
  many 
  

   vessels. 
  It 
  w^as 
  removed 
  at 
  an 
  expense 
  of 
  five 
  hundred 
  dollars. 
  

   Two 
  rocks 
  that 
  lay 
  near 
  Pot 
  Cove, 
  opposite 
  Mr. 
  Edwin 
  Hoit's 
  

   mansion, 
  have 
  been 
  entirely 
  destroyed 
  by 
  eight 
  submarine 
  charges 
  

   of 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  twenty-five 
  pounds 
  each. 
  

  

  Eleven 
  charges 
  have 
  been 
  fired 
  upon 
  "Frying 
  Pan," 
  and 
  seven 
  

   upon 
  *^ 
  Ways 
  Reef." 
  Foi^p 
  charges 
  liave 
  been 
  fired 
  upon 
  " 
  Dia- 
  

   mond 
  Reef," 
  in 
  the 
  Harbor 
  of 
  New- 
  York. 
  The 
  weather 
  is 
  now 
  

   too 
  cold 
  for 
  submarine 
  operations, 
  and 
  but 
  little 
  more 
  can 
  be 
  

  

  