The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-11-22

III audlllOn 10 all their other troubles
they were constantly in danger of de.
lection by the sentries who entered
the cellar. When this happened the
workers would bury themselves in the
straw. The darkness was their great
est ally, even IN the daytime and
snce, by some miracle, when the straw
dust made Hamilton sneeze in the
very beard of the sentinel he was still
not discovered
The average diameter OF The tunnel
was about two feet As the work
progressed it was pushed with great
er haste. Usually one man would dig
and fill the spittoon with earth. At
a given signal second would draw
the spittoon out. A third man would
keep the air moving by tanning it with
a rubber blanket A fourth would act
guard. AS there were fifteen In the
plot, they were able to work in three
relays. The work was fearfully mo-
notonous, however. Absolute silence
was necessary.
The rules of the prison required that
the prisoners should be counted twice
a day. To account for the absence Of
the five men who were at work each
day their comrades resorted to various
repeating devices and managed to
be counted twice in sufficient numbers
to make up the deficiency.
The whole plot was nearly upset by
HamiIton's eagerness to see it brought
to successful end. Being certain that
the tunnel was sufficiently long, he
dug upward, contrary to Roses coun-
sci, and found to his dismay that the
hole he had broken was outside the
shed in plain view of the sentinels If
they chose to notice it. Rose then
pushed an old shoe through the hole
and next day by looking out of an
upper window saw where the old shoe
lay and made recalculation.
On Saturday, Feb. G, 1864. it seemed
almost certain that the Confederates
had discovered the plot. Rose decided
to push the work to an immediate
conclusion. On Sunday Rats hell was
usually neglected by the Confeder.
ates. and Rose entered the tunnel and
worked all day, needless of food and
rest, accomplishing twice the distance
that any digger had done up to that
time. The earth was composed OF
dense. hard sand. The only implement
was broad bladed cold chisel.
On Monday morning Rose again de.
scended to the work. 1t was the sew
enteenth day of that tunnel. and Rose
resolved that it should be the last
Until an hour after midnight his work
went on. Rose was nearly physical
wreck. The perspiration soaked his
weary limbs. He could not have eaten
food If he had had 1t. The only thing
sustaining him was the desire to com
plete the work. He could scarcely in.
fate his lungs with the poisonous air
His head swan.
In Frank E. Moran's graphic ac
count published In the Century Maga
zine years ago Is the following ac
count of the crisis:
BY midnight he had struck and passed
post which he felt must be in the yard
During the last few minutes he had d.
rected his course upward. and TO relieve
his crampcd limbs he turned upon his
back. His strength was nearly gone The
feeble stream of air which his comrade
was trying with all his might to send to
him from distance of ffty-three feet
coulti no longer reach him through the
deadly stencil. His senses reeled. He had
not breath or strength enough to move
backward through his narrow grave.
In the agony of suffocation he dropped
the dull chisel and beat his two fists
against the roof of his grave with the
might of despair when-blessed boon!-the
crust gave way and the loosened earth
showered upon his dripping face. purple
with agony: his famished eye caught
sight of radiant star In the blue vault
above him: flood Of light and volume
of cool, delicious air poured over him. Al
that very instant the sentiners cry rams
out like a prophecy. Half past l. and
alFs well!
Rose recovered quickly. He was IL
yard, under shed. with a fence be
tween him and the sentinels. He walk
ed out on the street and reconnoitere6
little Then he returned to the tun
nel covered the exit with piece o.
old plank aud crawled back to Rats
hell.
The party of fifteen agreed that n:
! the night was nearly gone 1t would b'
| better to wait till the next night be
fore attempting to escape. 1t was alst
/ agreed that each member of the part,
should have the privilege of taking ont
friend into his confidence. The secont
party of fifteen thus formed was obli
4 gated not to follow the working part,
out till an hour had elapsed.
1 Rose and his companions made ;
successful departure at 8 o'clock OF
the evening of Tuesday. Feb. o. Blu
the news leaked out. and the littl'
kitchen was soon crowded to suffoca
ton with 200 prisoners. all clamorin:
to get Mt the entrance to the tunnel
| At the height of the uproar some on
yelled. '.The guards and a panic en-
sued in which several prisoners wer
trampled under foot. The room wa
quickly emptied. but the alarm prove,
to be false. and many Of the soldier
returned and made their escape. Grea
was the surprise Of the Confederate
next day when the roll call revealet
the absence Of 100 prisoners.
OF the 100 who got out fifty.nin
reached the Union lines. forty leigh
49,. =