The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-08-12

Mining OF Petersburg FortiAeatlons.
8 The Herald correspondent in GRAHrs
army gives the following description OF the
mine under the rebel Notifications which
was exploded on Sunday last, with what
result our readers are well informed @
THE COMMENCEMENT.
After the investment of the CITY, aoout tne
10th of June last, when our further apfroacn
w.s d;snuted hv the formidable character of
the reheI works our officers began to look
shont them far the mcane of accomplishing
~;th the least possible sacrifice of life what
then would have required the most desperate
and bloody va'or on the part OF our troops
viz. the successful assault of these works.
The expedient of q mine originated With Lieut..
Colonel Peasants, of the 18th Pennsylvania
reoiment. Not that others did not think oft;
but by most of our engineers the idea was not
entertained. The distance between our front
line and the nearest and most important rebel
fort was over four hundred vards-t0O long to
hope for success when all the difficulties likely
20 he encountered Ia the way of quicksands,
underground marshes and discovery by the en-
envy were taken into consideration. Colonel
Peasants, however, cherished the idea The
rebel fort doomed temptinely up in front or his
line and being man of considerable natural
energy and possessed of much practical expe-
rience in mining operations and knowing that
ne would be ably supported by his regiment,
which ia wholly composed of miners from
Schuylkill county. the coal region of Pennsyl
vania he with permission commenced opera
tions. The Colonel had been engaged in the
mining business in bis native State previous to
the outbreak Of the rebellion. .ft..r
The work was commenced on the 23sh OF
June last. as previously stated. SUCH was the
secresy with which it vas condnctea. tnat LOT
long time the project was unknown even 70
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 matter. 50
much dOu-t was there. indeed. that Tor time
j. was disbelieved that any such undertaking
was on foot: One soldier in the breastworks'
bv whose side ventillating shaft emerged,
told his comrades in the most surprised man
ner that ''there was lot of fellows under him
q doing something: he knew there was for he
could hear 'em talk" To guard against indis-
erection on the part of the pckets. to prevent
any meeting of our soldiers with the rebels
whcreat the secret of the mine might be boast
ingly or imprudently disclosed, our pickets
were ordered to fire continually. Hence the
never ending fusilade on the front of the 9th
corps. so incOmprehensihle to the other corps,
and which was often referred to In 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 van
ish, as their engineers must have thought the
plan unfeasiblc. Naat>s 30 = sl ~
PROGRESS or THE WORK. l'sH.
The progress of the work was necessarily
very slow, and it was not until the 25th inst -
just one month after inception-that It was
completed. At the outset one of the most I'm
osHfv cf,nto 90
lance and hearing of the n bel fort. Working
underground is literally working in the dark
By that particular process of surveying called
"irregulation F" these were arrived at. To be
more explicit: distances were laid of upon the
ground behind our works. From these lines
as bases, and with the angles formed by lines
extending in the direction Of the fort. simple
geometrical problem was formed, the solution
of which gave the required distance. Five
different TRANSACTIONS gave q result of i've hun
dred and ten feet. The excavation was COM
rnenced in the side of the hill whereon our ex
terror line of works 4ans. The tunnel, or, TO
use the technical term gallery" is about four
and o half feet high, nearly as many feet wide
at the bottom and two feet wide at the top.
The usual army pick was not suited to the work,
as its nuk0s were too broad to permit th3ir
swinging IN the tunnel This difficulty was
easily overcome by filing down the fukes to
the size of the REGULAR mining pick Water
time gave no little trouble. The floor, how
ever, was planked and the sides and ceiling
showed up. A quicksand was met with, and
to obviate it the range of the tunnel was
curved upward, SO that the latter half was sew.
eral feet higher than at the entrance. The
Oozing of the water formed mud In several
places so that the regiment came from their
daily labor bespattered and stained. In fact it
was easy during the past month to recognize q
Forty eighth man by his muddy boots The
earth, as far as excavated was conveyed in
hand barrOws made of cracker boxes or half
barrels, TO the mouth, where it was emptied
INTO bags, which were Afterwards used on top
OF the breastwOrks. In this manner no be-
traying accumulation of earth took place.
VENTILATION AND LIGHTING THE TUNNEL.
The ventilation of the tunnel was most in
geniously effected. just within our exterior
line of works . shaft was sunk to the side of
the tunnel. at its junction with which 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 fireplace, as the air became rarified
and assembled, it created =" suction" or draft
in the tubes connecting with the gallery. As
fast as the tunnel progressed additional tubing
was Joined on and followed the wOrkmen
step by step. The smoke from the fire could
not OF course be concealed; but. to with
draw attention from it, fires were kept burn
ing at various points along the line. The
hghtlag OF the tunnel was effected simply bv
placing candles or lanterns along the walls at
distance OF about twenty feet apart
AT length the end was reached, and the trian-
gulation was abundantly verified in the noises
overhead. The mailing of timber and planks
could be distinctly heard and left no doubt
that the men were directly benca tn the rebel
fort. The enemy were evidently making a
flooring for their artillery. As near as could be
ascertained the distance from the tunnel to the
fort was twenty feet. ms
The diagram at the head of this article will
Illustrate the construction and extent of the
work. 1t represents section through the tun
mel, mine and rebel fort. The dimensions
are not mathematically correct. but the dia-
gram will convey general idea of what have
described above.
THE NINE.
After it was sufficiently evident that point
direc ly 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 into