The Portland daily press., 1864-08-09
The Seigs of Petersburg, Virginia.
EXPLOSION OF THE NINE.

LIZ ROA60 VI ObCioU Slulds
EXPLOSION OF THE MINE.
A correspondent of the New York Herald
sends from before Petersburg the following
account of the mine which was exploded on
the morning of Saturday, 80 ult. The letter
is dated before the explosion:
No feature of the sege OF Petersburg has
been more interesting and no undertaking
more important than the construction of the
mine under the rebel fortifications. So ex-
tensive has been this work, SO difficult the OBJ
structions overcome, so complimentary its sHc-
cess to the genius and perseverance of our
soldiers, that more than passing notice is due
to IL.
THE COMMENCEMENT.
Alter the investment OF the city, about the
10th Of June last, when our further approach
was disputed by the formidable character of
the rebel works, our officers began TO look
about them for the means of accomplishing
with the least possible sacrifice of life what
then would have required the most desperate
and bloody valor on the part of our troops,
viz, the successful assault of these works
The expedient OF mine originated with Lieu
tenant Colonel Peasants, Of the 4Sth Pennsyl-
vsnia regiment. Not that others did not
think of 1t; but by most of our engineers the
tween our front line and the nearest and most
important rebel fort was over four hundred
yards-too long to hope for success when all
the difficulties likely TO be encountered In the
way OF quicksands, underground marshes, and
discovery by the enemy were taken into con-
sideration. Col. Peasants, however, cherish
ed the idea The rebel fort loomed tempting
ly up in front of his line, and being a man Of
considerable natural energy and possessed of
fnurh nrapfipal o. r In, .,,;.,
tions, and knowing that he would be ably sup
ported BY his regiment, which Is wholly com
posed of miners from Schuylkill county, the
coal region of Pennsylvania, he, with permis-
tion, commenced operations. The Colonel
had been engaged in the mining business in
his native State previous to the outbreak of
the rebellion.
The work was commenced on the 25th of
June last, as previously stated. Such was the
secrecy with which it was conducted that for
long time the project was unknown even to
those at whose side it was going on. 1t is
true that reports were in circulation of mine;
but nobody could speak certainly of the mat
ter. So much doubt was there, indeed, that
for a time il was disbelieved that any such un-
dertaking was on foot. One soldier in the
breast-works, by whose side a ventilating
shaft immerged, told his comra,.es in the most
surprised manner that there was lot of fel-
lows under him doing something; he knew
there was, for he could hear 'em talk" To
guard against indiscretion on the part of the
pickets, to prevent any meeting of our sol
diers with the rebels, whereat the secret of
the mine might be boastingiy or imprudently
disclosed, our pickets were ordered to fire con-
tinualy. Hence the never ending fucilade on
the front of the Ninth corps, so incomprehen-
sible to the other corps, and which was often
referred 10 in the newspaper paragraphs. The
enemy, doubtless, suspected at first that the
undermining was going on; but when several
weeks elapsed without any demonstration
their suspicious began to vanish, especially as
their engineers must have thought the plan
unfeasible.
PROGRESS OF THE WORK.
The progress Of the work was necessarily
very slow, and Ii was not until the 25th inst.
just one month after inception-thst il was
completed. At the outset one OF the most i'm
portant points was 10 ascertain the exact dis
tance and bearing of the rebel fort. Working
underground Is literally working in the dark.
BY that particular process OF surveying call
ed "triangulation" these were arrived at. To
be more explicit, distances were laid of upon
the ground behind our works. From these
lines as bases, aud with the angles formed by
lines extending in the direction of the fort,
simple geometrical problem was formed, the
bOiultOu VI WnfCu kdtc LILO EcquItu QlcLdHCt.
Five different triangulations gave q result of
five hundred and ten feet. The excavation
was commenced in the side of the hill where
on our exterior line OF works run. The tun-
mel, or, TO use the technical term, gallery"
is about four and a half feet high, nearly as
many feet wide at the bottom, aud two feet
wide at the top. The usual army pick was
not suited to the work. as its fiukes were too
broad to permit their swinging in the tunnel.
This difficulty was easily overcome by fling
down the fiukes to the size OF the regular min
ing pick. Water was met with not far from
the entrance, and for a time gave no little
trouble. The floor. however, was planked
and the sides and ceiling showed up. A quick
sand was met with, and, to obviate it, the
tnnnel was curved upward, so that the latter
hall was several feet higher than al the en-
trance. The oozing of the water formed mud
In several places, SO that the regiment came
from their daily labour bespattered and stain
ed. In fact, it was easy during the past
month TO recognize Forty -eigth man by his
muddy boots. The earth, as fast as excayated
was conveyed In hand barrows made OF crack
er boxes, or half barrels, TO the mouth, where
it was emptied into bags, which were alter
wards used on the top of the breastworks
In this manner no betraying accumulation of
earth took place.
VENTILATION AND LIGHTING OF THE
TUNNEL.
The ventilation of the tunnel was most in
genously effected. just within our exterior
line of works shaft was sunk to the side of
the tunnel, at its junction with which a fire.
place was built, with grating opening into
the gallery. One end OF a series OF tubes
made Of pine boards was inserted through
the earth into this fire place, where, as the
air became rsrifed aud ascended, 1t created
suction" or draft in the tubes connecting
win the gallery. As fast as the tunnel pro-
gressed, additional tubing was jointed on, and
followed the workmen step by step. The
smoke rom the fire could not, of course, be
coneeaieoi out, to withdraw attention from
it, fires were kept burning at yarions noints
along the line. The lighting of the tunnel
was effected simply by placing candles or Ian
terms along the walls at a distance of about
twenty feet apart.
At length the end was reached. and the tri.
angulation was abundantly verified In ,ha
noises overhead. The mailing of timber and
planks could be distinctly heard, and left mo-
doubt that the men were directly beneath the
rebel fort. The enemy were evidently max
ing flooring for their artillery. As near as
could be ascertained, the distance from the
tunnel to the fort was twenty feet.
THE MINE.
After it was sufficiently evident that pon
directly under the fort was reached, the con
struction of the mine was commenced. The
angle of the fort projects towards our lines
and under this angle the tunnel diverged int
two galleries, each running, as near as coult
be ascertained, under each side. 1t was th,
intention TO make the mine consist of eigh
magazines, placed at intervals along thes,
branch galleries, 80 that the entire length o