Evening star., 1909-05-16
WAR TUNNEL FOUND
Subterranean Passage Near
Fort Malone Discovered.
HORSE DROPS INTO HOLE
Digging Evidently Done by Confed-
crate Soldiers.
PROTECTION FOR THE PICKETS
Extreme Danger in Going From Fort
Malone to the outposts Owing to
Firing From Fort Sedgwick.
PROTECTION FOR THE PICKETs

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PETERSBURG. Va. May 15.-Great in
terest centers In the discovery Of a tun-
mel about 200 yards long. and with many
forks. on the farm Of A. L. Davis. where
Fort Malone is located. and where Presi-
dent Taft will witness the unveiling Of a
$4,000 monument to the memory Of
Pennsylvania soldiers May 10.
Although the tunnel was dug during the
civil war and its existence was known to
a man named Gregory, who owned the
farm during the conflict, it was rediscov-
cred In unique way several days ago.
While one Of Mr.. Davis hands was
plowing field near the Jerusalem plank
road the horse suddenly dropped into q
deep hole and it was some time before
the animal could be pulled out.
Tunnel Discovered.
Investigation disclosed the fact that the
hole was part Of a tunnel. the place
where the horse fell in having been re-
filled with brick waste and soil different
from that Of the field. When the earth
was thrown out of the hole the. several
Workmen assigned to ascertain the nature
of the depression found q tunnel large
enough for men to stand erect In, and
wide enough for two soldiers to walk
abreast. The investigators walked into
the tunnel, and had not gone far before
they were up to their waists In Icy cold
water. Bearing on, they came to the
end Of the tunnel, q short distance from
the opposite side Of the plank road. Dur
ing their tour they discovered that the
passageway branches out in six or eight
directions.
The discovery Of the tunnel at this
time. when President Taft. Cows. Stuart
L.
itors are expected to attend the unveiling
on the farm. has provoked some joking
and good-natured questioning as to the
real history Of the subterranean passage
way. From the moss on the sides Of the
tunnel, the black water in 1t, the fact
that the ends are worn down and over
hung with turf. and the additional cir
cumstance that mud and sand have been
washed into the tunnel at the beginning
and end until the passage was but eight
cen inches high In some places. have
convinced unbiased Investigators that 1t
Is a relic Of the war.
One Who Remembers tho Tunnel.
Besides these physical evidences, Carter
r. Bishop, a historical researcher. has
found citizen OF Petersburg who
was in the tunnel, OF which no reference
is made in history, and which is not in
dicated on any map thus far found. The
citizen is Sidney Green. who was attach
ed to Grimes battery, which was station
ed outside Of Fort Malone. Mr.. Green
says he was in the tunnel, when the
earth was freshly broken and the odor
Of newly dug clay was strong. He was
not among the men who dug 1t. and does
not know when 1t was dug or by whom
in the Confederacy. This. he attributes
to the fact that tunnel digging on the
Federal and Confederate sides was con-
Quoted with absolute secrecy. even among
fellow soldiers.
The tunnel extended in the direction
of the Confederate picket lines and earth
works, and In the direction Of Fort Sedg-
wick. Because Of the fierce firing between
Fort Sedgwtck and Fort Malone they
were known respectively as "Damnation"
and He'll" 1t was worth as much as
a life for man to go on the picket line
Of the Confederate forces.
Protection for Pickets.
Because many pickets were killed In
making their way from Grimes ranks to
their posts on the earthworks beyond the
road 1t Is believed the tunnel was dug
which the pickets could get to the out
post line without being killed.
The many forks and branches in the
passageway Indicate that it was dug after
the explosion of the 5000 powder mines
at the Crater (ElliOtts Salient), July 30,
1854, the idea of the Confederates being
to intercept similar move on the part
of the Federals to undermine and blow up
Fort Malone, q Confederate stronghold
barring entrance to the citadel of the
COnfederacy, and where Gen. Lees men
manifested perhaps the most stubborn
resistance anywhere around Petersburg,
except at the Crater.
Every one going to the Hartranft monu-
ment to be unshrouded on the morning of
May 10 will pass the mouth of this tun-
mel. Mr.. Davis is anxious to find some
men who helped to dig the tunnel, in or
der to better explain It's history. but this
hope seems destined to be unfulfilled, as
few of Grimes men are living in this
vicinity.