Connecticut western news., 1907-12-26

once, 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 1t was pushed with great.
er haste. Usually one man would dig
and fill the spittoon with earth. AT
given signal a second would draw
the spittoon out. A third man would
keep the air moving by tanning it with
rubber blanket. A fourth would act
as relief, while a fifth would keep
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
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
Hamilton's eagerness to see 1t 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 a rehabilitation.
On Saturday, Feb. 6. 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 q 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 1t should be the last.
Until an hour after midnight his work
went on. Rose was nearly a physical
wreck. The perspiration soaked his
weary limbs. He could not have eaten
food If he had had it. 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 Maya
zine years ago Is the following nc
count Of the crisis:
BY midnight he had struck and passed
a 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 cramped 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
could 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 booni-the
crust gave way and the loosened earth
showered upon his dripping face, purple
with agony: his fanished eye caught
sight of a radiant star In the blue vault
above him; q flood of light and a volume
Of cool, delicious air poured over him. At
that very instant the sentiners cry rang
out like prophecy, Half past /. and
alrs well!''
Rose recovered quickly. He was i'll
yard, under a shed, with fence be-
tween him and the sentinels. He walk
ed out on the street and reconnoitered
little. Then he returned to the tun.
mel, covered the exit with a piece of
old plank and crawled back to Rats
hell.
The party of fifteen agreed that as
the night was nearly gone 1t would be
better to wait till the next night be-
fore attempting to escape. 1t was also
agreed that each member of the party
should have the privilege Of taking one
friend into his confidence. The second
party of fifteen thus formed was obli-
gated not to follow the working party
out till an hour had elapsed
Rose and his companions made a
successful departure at 8 o'clock on
the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 8. But
the news leaked out, and the little
kitchen was soon crowded to suffoca-
ton with 200 prisoners. all clamoring
to get at the entrance to the tunnel.
At the height of the uproar some one
yelled, "The guards!' and panic en-
sued In which several prisoners were
| trampled under foot. The room was
quickly emptied, but the alarm proved
to be false, and many of the soldiers
returned and made their escape. Great
| was the surprise Of the Confederates
next day when the roll call revealed
the absence Of 100 prisoners.
| OF the 100 who got out fifty-nine
reached the Union lines, forty eight