The Portland daily press., 1876-02-26
and every trace of the operations con-

placed, and every trace of the operations con-
cealed
There were but few persons admitted to the Sc :
cret of this tunnel, because II was known that
we had at least one traitor among us, and it was
believed by many of our number that there
was actually in the prison rebel in the guise
of a Union prisoner, whose business it was to
keep the prison officials informed of every
thing that transpired within our walls. This
necessity OF secrecy required that operations
should not be commenced until late at night
and should cease very early in the morning, SO
that no chance stragglers in our kitchen should
see what was going on.
Aud so this great work was pushed with the
utmost activity and energy, requiring not only
uncommon physical power and endurance, but
engineering skill as we'll. The floor of the
great tobacco shed seemed to be entirely COW
cred with tobacco hogsheads, very large and
heavy. These seemed to offer an insuper-
able obstacle to "breaking ground" How
could communication be made between
the tunnel and the open air when the
entire surface of the ground was packed
closely with hogsheads of tobacco weighing
nearly or quite half ton each? On examin-
ing the ground carefully from an upper WIN
dow of the prison, there was discerned a space
between two of these hogsheads, sufficiently
large TO permit a man to pass easily. So the
tunnel was directed to that spot. The bearings
Of this were to be taken accurately, and with
the eye only, as We had no instruments-and
Judgment of high order was required to de-
termine not only the direction but the distance.
So well was all this executed that when small
opening was made from the tunnel to the ar,
1t was found to be exactly in the center OF TINS
small space.
For the time there was only this small peep
hole made from the tunnel to the external air.
Every thing was now made ready for a final
exit; the superfuous earth was taken out-and
all was arranged so that very few minntes
would be sufficient to complete the opening to
the world And ha
municated to larger number of persons; care
was used in the selection of these. No one
would observe that anything unusual was GO
ing on among us, but all those who had been
informed, were waiting anxiousy for suita-
BILE time for the hegira
At last the night came, clear star light
night. Every man at the usual time, lay
down in his place upon the floor at ten o'clock,
the rouHds were made by the prison officials
who with lanterns passed along the narrow
passage ways between the long lines of
prisoners, sleeping or seeming to sleep. Many
who were not in the secret were actually sleep
ing, while others with beating hearts were
casting over in their minds the chances of a
successful issue to the enterprise and waiting
lmpatiently and at the same time with dread
for the signal of departure. And now the
guards had just been changed outside the
prison walls. thing to be waited for so as not
to encounter the "rounds''-and then light
cough was heard as if some one had taken
sudden cold All was still for short time, but
presently in the dim light persons were seen
rising from the floor and passing away noise
lessy towards the stairway leading to the
kitchen.
This attracted no notice from persons who
were not in the secret. There was no hurry;
these persons arose and passed out leisurely,
not all together, but singly, with great compo-
sure. as if nothing unusual was going on. And
now all was hushed again, the escaping party
were gone. An hour passed away quietly and
hat 4 u vrx4r
untilafter ward that the enterprise just missed
disastrous failure One of the first officers
who tried the tunnel was a large man, who
found the passage under the boulder too small
for him; so that for some time he could neither
advance nor retire! The situation was alarm
ing for little while, but presently with the
help of comrade before and behind he sue
ceeded in extricating himself from it. N. d.