Show gigantic blast loosens tons of rock hy by daisy crouch at the invitation extended by john hopkin foreman of the ideal cement companas comp anys quarry and in company of he and mrs airs hopkin and mr and mrs airs J L terry I 1 paid a visit sunday march 0 to the scene of what was one of the largest blasts ever set off at the devils slide plant we drove up the hill to the entrance of the main tunnel which took two men almost four months to complete the dimensions of thi this hole dug deep in the heart of the mountain was about three by four feet it ran 83 85 feet to tle the tunnel called the crosscut cross cut where it continued 21 feet to the right and feet to the left at each end of the crosscut cross cut the tunnel ended with a abom room or a pocket as it is called large enough to hold 65 per cent of the blasting powder at intervals through the tunnel quantities of the powder were placed the tunnel was well lighted but it was with a fearful heart and trembling legs that I 1 followed the two men into the heart of this high mountain the other two law ladies preferred to wait outside what if the mountain fell on me I 1 help thinking as crouched over almost double I 1 cautiously made my way after the two men As we got further in and into the crosscut to the left the tunnel became smaller and the sound of the mens voices coming from ahead made such a rumbling that it frightened me more than the thought of the mountain falling in on me I 1 went just as far as my beating heart would let me and then t backed out to the entrance and to the goob fresh air and wide open spaces what an experience it was almost like a nightmare I 1 was told that this excavation cost approximately it took five days to load the tunnel with 1100 cases or 5 pounds of blasting powder eight men doing the work ten saturday morning was the hour set for the blasting operation dozens of cars parked a safe distance from the scene and about spectators gathered to watch the results many people climbed opposite mountains to get a good view it was with regret that I 1 learned afterward that I 1 was to have had the honor of pulling the switch to set off the blast but through a misunderstanding we parked up by the japanese camp instead of by the quarry mr air hopkin who has a 40 year record with the firm set off the b blast ast and tons of high limestone s one principal constituent of cement ent crumbled and fell from the mountainside there is always a sense of apprehension when one of these blasts pre are fired for fear of a Do blowout dowlut wout in in some weak spot in the rock formation it was a dramatic sight to those who watched the largest blast ever set off at the cement plant there was no lifting of the mountain and no flying rocks the earth trembled and the mountain seemed to cooperate with a rumbling noise the hillside was a mass of moving rubble every ounce of the tons will go into the cement making process it will be crushed and mixed with iron ore from cedar city and gypsum from nephi making the final result an all utah product the last previous blast was released in june 1947 1047 mr air hopkin thought that another blast is contemplated tem plated for the latter part of the summer morgan county is fortunate indeed to have this wonderful ina industry in its midst it was in 1007 1907 that the red devil cement company first commenced operations the name has since been changed to the ideal cement company |