The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-03-22
DIGGING THE TUNNEL AT LIBBY
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From an illustrated article in the Cen.
fury for March, by a participant, we
quote the following: Work could only
be possible between the hours of ten at
night, when the room was generally
abandoned by the prisoners because of
its inundated condition, and fodr o'clock
in the morning, when the earliest risers
were again astir, 1t was necessary to do
the work with an old jack knife and one
of the chisels previously secured by
Rose. 1t must be done IN darkness and
without noise. for a vigilant sentinel
paced on the Carey street sidewalk Just
outside the door and within ten feet of
the fireplace. A rubber blanket was
procured and the SCOT from the CHM
ney carefully swept into it, Hamilton,
with his old knife, cut the mortar be.
tween the bricks and pried dozen of
them out, being careful to preserve
them whole. The result of the incision
was made in accordance with II e design
described, but no conception could have
been formed beforehand of the sickening
tediousness of cutting an IS. shaped hole
through heavy wall with feeble old
iack-knife in hours of darkness. Rose
guarded his comrade against the con-
slant danger of interruption by alert en-.
emles on one side and laundering friends
on the other; and, as frequently happen
In human affairs, their friends gave
them more trouble than their foes
Night after night passed, and still these
two men got up after taps from their
hard beds and descended to the dismal
and reeking kitchen to bore for liberty.
When the sentinels call at Castle Thun
der and at Libby announced four o'clock
the dislodged bricks were carefully re
placed and the SCOT previously gathered
in the gum blanket was flung in hand.
fuls against the restored walls. filling in
the seams so entirely between the bricks
as to defy detection. At last, after so
many weary nights. Hamilton's heroic
patience and skill were rewarded and
the way was opened to the coveted base
of operations, Rat He'll. Now occurred
a circumstance that nearly revealed the
plot and nearly ended IN a tragedy
When the opening was finished the long
rope was made fast to one of the kitchen
supporting posts, and Rose proceeded to
descend and reconnoiter. He got partly
through with ease, but lost his hold IN
such manner that his body slipped
through so as to pinon his arms and 30
leave him wholly powerless either to
drop lower or return-the bend of the
hole being such as to cramp his back
and neck terribly and prevent him from
breathing, He strove desperately, but
each effort only wedged him more firm
ly in the awful wise Hamilton sprang
to his aid and did his utmost to effect
his release; but powerful as he was, he
could moi bulge him, Rose was gasping
for breath and rapidly getting fainter.
but even III thls fearful straight he re-
Trained from an cutlery, which would be
certain to alarm the guards just outside
the door. Hamilton saw that without
speedy relief his companion must soon
smother. He dashed through the long,
dark room, up the stairway, over the
forms of several hundred men, and dis
regarding consequences and savage
curses in the dark and crowded room,
he trampled upon arms, legs. faces and
stomachs. leaving riot and blasphemy
in his track among the rudely awakened
and now furious dodgers of the Chicka
manga room, He sought the sleeping
place of Major George H. Fitzsimmons,
but ne was missing. He, however. found
Lieutenant F. f. Bennett of the Eigh-
teenth Regulars (snce major in the
Ninth United States Cavalry, to whom
he told the trouble in few hasty words.
Both men fairly flew across the room,
dashed down the stairs, aud by their
united efforts Rose, half dead and quite
speechless. was drawn up from the fear
full trap"