The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-03-08
ID, l.ssF, irsn lhs lIlbI fr'sH,
a - -.

arc stopping a The National ana SIC
iropoliian Hotels, and from them W.
gather interesting statements relative
10 their manner q escape,
Over lwo months ago, the eiiicers
copfned 10 Libby Prison conceived
,he idea a eifrc,ing their own ex-
change. and after the matter had been
seriously discussed By some seven or
eight of them. they undertook % dig
tof distance iopafd a sewer running
into llse basin. THIS tlssy pfopssr3
doing 81 rosnmrasing Il piigt ia-
lhe cellar, neaf chimney. iAis
lar wa. immediately under ille hopi-
tai. snd Ras ihf reeeFiVgle iar
straw. thrown rem ie 0e Wa
lhey were changed aad 3 1'aef
fuse matter Above 81 pia was
a ro0m rs otiiee asa bp ai ) et
auolur roen. lhg Chimney naa
lhf0ugb all ih 81 ooms, and iae pfls
oners, s.io were iu lbe secal, iupsa.
tised rope. anA night after big. IL
working purties down, WHO sucgrss!us-
n prosecuted their ezcasaiiug opera
lions.
The dirt was hid under The straw
and other refuse matter il The cellar,
and il was trampled down % a. not to
present too great a bulk. Whea the
working party bad got TO a considera-
bic distance underground, is was found
dilicul, TO haul the dirt back by hand,
and spittoon, which bad been furnish.
ga by llic officers ii one OF the rooms,
was made 10 serve the purpose Of a
cart, A string was attached 10 il and
il was run in the tunnel, and as soon
as filled was drawn out, and the dirt
deposited under the straw. Bur, after
hard work. and digging with finger
nails, knives, and chisrls number Of
ieet tile working patty found tbem-
selves stopped by piles driven IN the
ground. These we're at least foot in
diameter. But they were nor dis
coafaged Penkniyes, or any olher
articles TINT would cut, were called
Tor aud. after chipping, chipping CHIP
ping for long time, the piles were
sey rcd, aud the luunelers commenced
again, aad ii ies moments reached
tie sewer.
Bm here an unexpected obstacle
met their further progress The
stencil from the sewers and the flow Of
fltly water was so great thar one Of
the patty tainted, and was dragged out
more dead than alive, and the project
in that direction had to be aba doncd.
Tie failure WAS communicated 10 a
few others beside those who had first
thought o. escape, md then a party oI
seventeen, alter viewing the premises
and surroundings, concluded to tunne
under Carey street. On the opposite
side Of this street from the prison wa,
4 ofl Of carriage-Eouse or ouiheuse
AMI tie project was TO Dig under The
| street and emerge from under OF neal
/ The house. There was q high fence
around IL AID the guard was oalsid,
ollhis fence. The prisoners then CON
mcnced 10 dig at tie other side OF The
4 chimney, and after few handsiul o.
dirt had been removed, they iouut
the tselyes stopped by a store Nali
| which proted afterwards 81 b Ihfes
/ f,ei tl,jes Ihe parry Were 81 j..
ii, ans uudauied nl Wilil p nkaiye
! aud potk kuyes, they Commerce.
operation upor h sioue ana marar
Aitefuneittn days and nights aag,
wo,k, iiry AGAIN truck lie egrii be
yona ihe wall aad push d ller WORK
forward Here, 100, (after they ilat
20, some distance mder ground) tl,
/ friendly spnt9on WAS brought iilo re
quisinon, aud the dirt was hauled ou
~ small quantities. After digging foI
some days, lbe question arose whether
they had n0i reached ihc point aimee
81, and in order TO ii possible test tn,
matter, Capt. Gallagher, Of the Sec
ond Ohio regiment, pretended that h,
Lad box in the carriage-house ovei
the way, and desired 10 search ii om
This carriage-house, il is proper L
state, was used rs a receptacle iol
boxes aud goods sent 70 prisoners frou
tie korth, and The recipients were Of
Ten allowed 10 90, under guard, across
the street TO secure their properly
Capt. Gallagher was granted pcrmis
sion 10 60 there, aud as he walked
across under guard, be. as We'll as b,
could, paced of Tie distance. aud con
clnded iha; ihe street was about fftl
irtt wide.
On the Gth or 7lh of February IN,
working party Supposed they had gon,
a sufficient distance, and commeuccs
10 dig upward. When near tie sur
face they heard the Rebel guards talk
ing above them, and discovered ,ha
ihey were some twe or three leet out.
side the fence.
Tie dlsp.acihg a stone inside con
siderable noise. ard one oi iie seui
ncls called to bis eomfade aud ass.,
him What ihe noise meaui 1b'
guards, after listening few minutes
concluded ihai 30 hing was nrong, ans
returned 10 tiieir besis. THIS hol,
was stopped np by inserting into Ii,
cfesige a pair oi Old paulal.ons fllct
with s'rAw, and BY boisterng ths
whole W with boards, which ilaey Sc
cured from The 6oors. DC. of ,be prls
on.
The tunnel was then continued