The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-12-18

NNiS Il VI II AAtlt AS vas sun
not discovered.
The average diameter of the tunnel
was about two feet. As the work
progressed it was pushed with great
er haste. Usually II man would dig
and Eli the spittoon with earth. At
a given signal a second would draw
the spittoon out. A third man would
keep the air moving by tanning it with
a rubber blanket. \ 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 vas 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
| Hamilton's eagerness to see 1t brought
to a 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 ha1 broken was outside the
shed in plain view Of the s%entinels 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 recalculation.
On Saturday, Feb. 6. 1864, it seemed
almost certain that the C~onfederates
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 a 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 a physical
wreck. The p%erspiratiOn 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 &C
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 di-
rected his course upward, and to relieve
his cranped 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 tc
him from a distance Of ffty-three feet
could no longer reach him through the
deadly stencil. His senses reeled. He hat
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 th'
might of despair when-blessed booni-ths
crust ave way and the loosened eartl
showered upon his dripping face, purple
with agony; his famished eye caugh
sight of a radiant star in the blue vaul
above him; a flood of light and a volume
Of cool, delicious air poured over him. A
that very instant the sentinels cry rams
out like a prophecy, Half past l. ant
all's well!'
Rose recovered quickly. He was il
a yard, under a shed, with a fence be
tween him and the sentinels. He walk
a little. Then he returned to the tun
mel, covered the exit with a piece o
old plank and crawled back to Rats
hell.
The party Of fifteen agreed that a
the night was nearly gone 1t would b
better to wait till the next night be
fore attempting to escape. 1t was ais
agreed that each member Of he part,
should have the privilege of taking on
friend into his confidence. The secon'
! party of fifteen thus formed was obi
gated not to follow the working part
+ out till an hour had elapsed.
Rose and his companions made
successful departure at 0 o'clock o
t the evening of Tuesday, Feb. Q. Blu
the news leaked out, and the littl
5 kitchen was soon crowded to suffoca
ton with 200 prisoners, all clamorin
: to get at the entrance to the TUNE
At the height of the uproar some OF
yelled. "The guards" and a panic ell
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
i next day when the roll call reveale
the absence of 100 prisoners.
OF the 100 who got out ffty-nin
reached the Union lines, forty-eigl
s were recaptured. and two were drown
ed. Rose passed out Of the city c
Richmond to the York River railroa
and followed It's track to the Chick;
hominy bridge. Finding this guarde
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