The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-08-12


hill whereon our exterior line OF works
runs The tunnel, or, to use the tech
meal term, gallery is about four and
n 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 fukes
We're too broad to permit their swing
ing in the tunnel This difficulty was
easily overcome by filing down the
fukes to the size of the regular mining
pick. Water WAS met with not far
i from the entrance, and for time gave
no little trouble. The floor, however,
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 several feet
higher than at the entrance. The
oozing OF the water formed mud III
several places, SO that the regiment
came from their daily labor bespat-
tered and stained In fact, it was easy
during the past month to recognize a
Forty-eighth man by his muddy boots.
lut ttht tii, do tltet uS tAtAN AbOAi, NttN
conveyed in hand barrows made of
cracker boxes or half barrels to the
mouth, where it was empted into bags
1 which were afterwards used on the
top Of breastworlis. In this manner
no betraying accumulation of earth
took place.
The ventilation Of the tunnel was
most ingeniously effected, Just with
in our exterior line of works a 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 series of
tubes made of pine boards was insert
ed through the earth into this fire
place, where, as the air became rar-
flied and assembled, it created sue
tion" or draft III the tubes connecting
with the gallery. As fast as the tun-
mel progressed additional tubing was
jointed on and followed the workmen
step by step. The smoke from the FIRE
could not, of course, be concealed;
but, to withdraw attention from it.,
fires were kept burning at various
points along the line. Tie lighting
of the tunnel was effected simply by
placing candles or lanterns along the
walls at distance of about twenty
feet apart.
At length the end was reached, and
the triangulation was abundantly yeri-
fed in the noises overhead The nail
ing of timber and planks could be
distinctly heard, and left no doubt
that the men We're directly beneath
the rebel fort. The enemy were evil
IDENTIFY making z flooring for their ar
: tillery. As near as could be ascer-
tanned, the distance from the tunnel to
the fort was twenty feet
After il was sufficiently evident that
a point directly nnder the fort was
reached the construction of the mine
was commenced. The angle of the
fort projects towards our lines, und un-
der this angle the tunnel diverged in
to two galleries, each running, as near
us could be ascertained, under each
, side 1t was the intention TO make
, the mine consists of eight magazines,
{ placed at intervals along these branch
| galleries, SO that the entire length of
the fort might be blown up, IN place
of one spot. Preliminary experiments
We're made by Colonel Peasants with
cartridges of powder, which he insert
ed in the earth and ignited by fuse.
He ascertained that the work of max
ing breach would be more effectually
secured by distributing the powder in
stead of putting it in bulk.
In the latter case the explosion re-
suited in deep and broad crater; in
the former in wide chasam. Where
the cartridges-his miniature maya
zines--were not disconnected by pack
ing, the tendency of the explosion was
to find vent at the first hole. Hence
he resorted to packing between the
magazines, or, as it is technically known,
'tamping"
The magazines are eight in number
, -four in either branch gallery. In
some cases they are built in inches,
and again right across the tunnel,
They are two 10y two, and the explo-
, sion will result in four craters, tangent
! to or intersecting each other.
/ The explosions Of the magazines will
/ be effected through tubes of pine wood
: ixinches square, half filed with powd-
er. These run along the bottom OF
the tunnel, and enter the magazine
, through openings made for them. Be
+ tween each pair of magazines and
} over the tubing is the "tamping' of
} sand bags and logs.
{ The tubes extend only one hundred
! feet from the mines, thence they are
t connected with the mouth of the tun-
: mel by fuses, the regular "sure fire.
, coal mining fuses of Pennsylvania
. being procured specially for the pur-
. pose.
The mine was charged to-day. The
/ quantity Of pople, icas sir tons! Pause
7 and think of it. Six tons! twelve
, thousand pounds Imagine eight
dry goods boxes (the magazines re-
] semble them in shape) filed with pow
der, and you will have an idea of the
/, mine, What terrific spectacle is in
: store for us.
.