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

The Herald correspondent IN GRANTS
army gives the following description OF the
mine under the rebel Notifications whlcn
was exploded on Sunday last. with what
result our readers are well informed
THE COMMENCEMENT
After the investment of the city. about the
ooth of June last. when our further ap roach
w.s disputed by the formidahie character OF
the rebel works, our olncers oesau I'd look
ahout them for the mcans Oh accomplishing
with the least possible saG en- oI il,o wnat
snd bloody yaor on the part of our troops
-; tho successful assault of these works
III. exncdjent of a mine originated with Lieut..
Colonel Peasants of the 48ih Pennsylvania
reoiment Not that others did not think oft;
bnt nv 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-tOO long to
hope for success when all the difficulties likely
TO I've encountered In the way of qucksands,
underground marshes and discovery by the en-
envy were taken into consideration. Colonel
Peasants however, cherished the idea. Inc
rebel tort doomed temptinGly up in front OF his
line. and being man OF consloeraoie Ca'urai
energy and possessed of much practicai eApe-
rience in mining operations and knowing that
ne would be ably supported oy MS regiment,
which is wholly composed OF miners from
Schuylkill county, the coal region OF tennsyl
vsnis, he. with permission commenced opera
tions The Colonel had been engaged III the
mining business in his native State previous to
the outbreak of the rebellion.
The work was commenced on the 25:h of
June last. as previously stated. Sucn was the
eecresv with which it vas conducted, that 1or
q long time the project was unknown even 10
those at whose side it was going on Is true
that reports were in circulation OF NINE OUT
nobody could speak certainly OF the matter so
much don't was there indeed. that for time
j: was disbeleved that any such undertaking
was on foot One soldier in the breastwOrks,
bv whose side ventilating shaft emerged,
told his comrades in the most surprised man
ner that there was lot of fellows under MN
$ doing something: he knew there was for he
could hear 'em talk -" To guard against inds-
erection on the part of the pickets, to prevent
sny meeting of our soldiers with the rebels
whcreat the secret of the mine might be boast
ingly or imprudentlv disclosed, our pickets
were ordered to fire continually Hence the
never ending flsilade on the front of the 9th
corps. so incOmprehensihle to the other corps,
and which was often referred to in newspaper
paragraphs. The enemv 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 unfeasible.
PROGRRSS OF THE WORK.
The progress of the work was necessarily
very slow, and it was not until TIE 25th inst
just one month after inception-that it was
completed. At the outset one of the most i'm
portant points was to ascertain the exact dis
lance and hearing of the r, bel fort. Working
underground is literally working in the dark.
BY that particular process Of surveying called
"irregulatiOn these were arrived at To be
more explicit distances were laid off 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 q simple
geometrical problem was formed, the solution
of which gave the required distance. Five
different TRANSACTIONS gave result of five hun
dred and ten feet The excavation was COM
menced in the side of the hill whereon our eX
terror line of works Eans. The tunnel or, to
use the technical term gallery" is about four
and 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 fuk0s were too broad to permit their
swinging IN the tunnel. This difficulty was
easily overcome by filing down the flukes to
the size of the REGULAR mining pick Water
was met with not far from the entrance and for
q time gave no little trouble. The floor, how
ever. was planked and the sides and ceiling
showed up. Aquicksand was met with and
to obvate 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 a grating opening into
the gallery. One end of series of tubes made
of pine boards was inserted through the earth
into thie fireplace, as the air became rarified
and assembled, it created suction" or draft
in the tubes connecting with the gallery. As
fast ~ the tunnel progressed additional tubing
was Joined on. and followed the wOrkmeu
step by step. The smoke from the fire could
not OF course he concealed: but. to with
draw attention from it, fires were kept burn
ing at various points along the line The
lighting OF the tunnel was effected sir ply 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 beneath the rebel
tort. The enemy were evidently making a
flooring for their artillery. As near as could be
ascerancd the distance from the tunnel to the
fort was twenty feet.
rhe diagram at the head of this article will
Illustrate the construction and extent Of the
work. 1t represents q section through the tun-
mel, mine and rebel tort. The dimensions
are not mathcmaticaily correct but the dia-
gram will convey general idea Of what have
described above.
THE MINE.
After it was sufficiently evident that point
direc iy under the fort was reached the con
struclion of the mine was commenced. The
angle of the fort projects towards our lines.
and under this ang lie the tunnel diverged into
two galleries, each running, as near as could
/ be ascartained der each side. 1t wa the in
tention TO make the mine consist of eight mag
azines, placed at intervals along thee branch
| galleries, so that the entire length of the for,
| might be blown up. in place # one spot Pre-
!lnlnary experiments were made ny C0iOne
Pleasants with cartridges of powder, which he
inserted in the earth aud ignted by II fuse he
| ascertained that the work of making breach
would DC more effectuaI!y secured by dIstrlhut
| DNWd..r ta .,f t.ittti