The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-08-12
THE REPULSE at PETERSBURG.
The Mine-HOW 1t Was Constructed
and Charged.

and Charged.
The Petersburg correspondent of the New
York Herald gives the following interesting
account of the construction of the mine un-
der the rebel Notifications at Petersburg, the
explosion of which was the signal for the
operations on Saturday:
The expedlent of mine originated with
LAeut.-Col. Peasants OF the 18th Pennsyi
van!a regiment. Not that others did not
think of it; 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 400 yards
too long to hope for success when all the
difficulties likely to be encountered in the
way of quicksands, underground marshes
aad discovery 10y the enemy were taken into
consideration. Col. Peasants, however,
cherished the idea. The rebel fort loomed
temptlngI y up in front of his line, and, b.
ing man of considerable natural energy
and possessed of much practical experience
in mining operations, and knowing that he
would be ably supported by his regiment,
which is wholly composed of miners from
Schuylkill county, the coal region of Penn
sylvdnla, he, with permission, commenced
operations. Tne work was commenced on
the 25th Of June last. Such vas the secrecy
with which /! was conducted that for a 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 certainl of the
matter SO much doubt was there, indeed,
that for a time it was dishelieved that any
such undertaking was on foot. One soldier
in the breastworks, by whose side ventat-
ing shaft emerged, told his comrades in the
most surprised manner that there was lot
If fellows 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
soldiers with the rebels whereal the secret Of
the mine might be boastingly or imprudent
~ disclosed, our picketS were ordered to fire
continually. Hence the never ending fusi-
lade Oh the front of the 9th corps, so incom-
prehensib!e to the other corps, and which
was often referred to in newspaper para
graphs. 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 especially as their engineers must have
thought the plan unfeasibIe.
The progress of the work was necessarily
very slow. and il was not until the 18th IL
stant- just one month after inception-that
it was completed. At the outset one of the
most Important points was to ascertain the
exact distance and bearing of the rebel fort.
Working underground is literally working
in the dark BY that particular process OF
survey ing called trians sulation these were
/ arrived at 70 be more explicit: distances
veIe laid off upon the ground behind our
works. From these lines as bases, and with
! the angle formed by lines extending in the
! direction Of the fort, a simple geometrical
: problem va, formed, the solution of which
gave The required distance. Five different
t.Iangulaiions gave result of five hundred
and ten feet. The excavation was commenc-
ed in the side Of the hill where0n our exte
rior line of works run. The tunnel, or, to
use the technical term, gallery is about
four and half feet high, nearly as many
ieet wide at the bottom, and two feet wide al
he top. The usual army pick was not srit
abe to the york as its fiukes were too broat
to permit their swinging in the tunnel. Thi,
difficulty was easily overcome by filing dnwu
the hukes to the size of the regular mining
pick. Water vas met with not far from thl
entrance, and for a time gave no little troub
e. The floor, however, was planked, an(
the sides and ceiling shorei up. A quick
sanu vas met with, and. to obyiate it, thu
range of the tunnel WAS curved upward, 81
that the latter half was several feet hghe
than al the entrance. The oozing of tn
water formed mud in several places, so tina
the regiment came from their daily labor be
, spat.ered and stained. In fact, it was cas-,
o during t.Ie past month to recognize 4St
nan by his muddy boots. The earth, as fas
as excavated, was conveyed in hand barrow
made OF cracker boxes or half barrels to tn
y mouth, where it was emptied into bags, whic
y were atterward used on the top of the breast
works. In this manner no betraymg acct
mutation of earth took place. The ventil
ton of the tunnel was most ingenious y e
iected. Just within our exterior line {
, works a shaft was sunk to the side of II
tunnel, al It's Junction with which tire-pa
was built, with grating opening into Il
gallery. One end of series of tubes mat
of pine boards was inserted through tt
i earth into this Fireplace, where, as the a
became rarifed and ascended, it created
" suction or draft in the tubes connecting vi
g the gallery. As fast as the tunnel proSres
ed additional tubing was jointed on, and f,
80 80 lowed the workmen step ~ step. The smo
from the fire could not, of course, be CO
=, cealed; but, to withdraw attention from
" fires we're kept burning at various poir
40 along the line. The Lighting of the tunr
was effected simply by placing candle,