Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1906-12-21
LIBBY PRISON TUNNEL.
Description by One Who Made the
Thrilling Escape.

So many different stories in regard
to the famous tunnel of Libby Prison
have been published that feel like
adding mine to the number, writes
MAJ. l.. Z. Williams, of the Seventy
third Indiana, in National Tribune.
How to get out of Libby was at all
times an absorbing topic. Every
means of escape was studied over, dis
cussed and carefully considered, until
at last few enterprising men came
to the conclusion that tunnel was a
practical scheme, and early IN Jan
uary 1864, commenced the work.
which required weeks of patient and
vigorous toll to bring to practical
ending.
Col. Thomas F.. Rose, of the Seven
ty-seventh Pennsylvania, organized a
tunnellng squad, consisting of about
eight men who we're known to be dis.
Greet with ''no leaky" qualities, and
could keep the secret from their best
friends. A general knowledge through
out the prison of what was being done
would have insured Its failure.
The work was begun one night after
lights out" by making a passage in
the back of the fireplace in the kitch
en-: so as to reach the cellar below, by
digging downward through the ma
sonry work of the chimney hole
large enough for man to descend to
due on the opposite side. In this
fiue they hung a rude kind of rome
ladder, by which the workmen could
pass up and down with comparative
ease.
Every morning Just before daylight
the workmen would come up and care
fully replace the bricks in the back
wall OF the chimney, so that all ap-
pearance of an opening to the cellar
was carefully concealed. A cooking
stove sat IN front of this fireplace and
a barrel usually occupied place near
the stove, both of which assisted in
hiding the work.
After reaching the cellar an opening
to the outside was what was wanted.
and to accomplish this tunnel under
the street east of the building was
commenced. The cellar was immedi
ateIy under the prison shospital, and
was used only for the storage of
boxes, straw, etc., and was never
visited at night
The tunnel was started on level
with the floor of the cellar, which
made it about five feet under ground,
by picking the bricks and stones out
OF the thick wall until hole was
opened large enough to admit the
body of guod-sized man.
The work was continued by digging
with knives and chisel, the dirt car
rled back into the cellar and conceal
ed under the straw, with which the
floor was covered several inches deem:
large wooden spittoon was used for
carrying the dit off. AS the work
progressed ropes were fastened to two
sides OF it, so that it could be drawn
In and out of the excavation. This
work was necessarily very slow, as the
air would soon become impure and
candles burn but a few minutes at
time, the workmen being compelled
to come out and allow fresh air to
flow in, as no method could be ADOPT
ed for successfully ventiIating it.
Thus inch by inch the work pro-
crossed with the greatest secrecy and
caution. Careful watchtulness was
kept up night and day to see that the
plan was not discovered.
On Sunday night, February I, an
error occurred which nearly proved
fatal to the enterprise. 1t had been
very difficult to ascertain the exact
width of the street, and for that rea-
son it was hard to tell just where the
tunnel should end. When, as thought.
the proper distance had been reached.
the diggers worked their way to the
surface, but to their dismay found
they were some distance short of the
proper place, and were emerging al
most under the feet of the sentry.
The work was continued by filling
up the place as we'll as possible, and
going on with the excavation until
the proper distance was reached, when
an opening was made to the surface.
Tuesday night, February 8, was the
time fixed to try the escape. About
dark on that evening the plans began
to be whispered from one to another.
The order OF depaI ture had been ar
ranged, so that all who worked on the
tunnel were to go first, the friends
whom they had selected to go next IN
regular order. After that all others
as best they could. 1t was a slow
process, getting down the chimney,
crossing the cellar and crawling
through the tunnel.
The first man passed out about
seven p. M, and after him a humble
of others had succeeded in getting
out safely by which time quite an