The National tribune., 1910-09-29

that some of his officers suggested 3
postponement of the firing until il was
light enough for the troops TO see to
move. Meade sent dispatch TO Gen.
Burnside as TO this. He was soon
Joined by Gen. Grant and staff, who
were keenly alert for the moment to
arrive. No explosion came when the
watch hands marked $3.50. After ner-
vously waiting for several minutes Gen
. Meade sent two of his staff officers to
inquire the cause of the delay. At 4:10
he sent a dispatch, and received no
answer. AT 4:20 another dispatch was
sent, to which no answer was returned.
At ABS even Gen. Grants patience was
exhausted, and orders began to go out
to make the assault without waiting
for the explosion. In the meantime one
of Meade's staff officers returned with
the information that the fuse had
failed.
After waiting until 4:45-just an
hour--twO gallant men of the 4Sth Pa,
Lieut. Jacob Douty and Serg't Henry
Rees, volunteered to go into the gal
lery, and see what was the cause. They
found that the splicing of the fuse had
been imperfect and water had pene
trated. They remedied the defect, and
reiighted the fuses. At 4:45 the Mine
exploded.
The Explosion.
Two battaIions of infantry-the 18th
and 22d S. C.-and part of Pegrarn's
Battery, in all something over 300 men,
We're sleeping quietly and unsuspecting
ly over the Mine.
Daylight was rapidly dawning, and
Gen Grant. who had been standing for
a long time with one hand upon d tree
and the other holding his watch, and
with an unusually fixed intent inok
upon his face. had glanced down to
see that the. hands marked 4:44, when
An immense, inverted cone shot up TO
a hight of 200 feet, in which could be
seen masses Of earth. bodies of men,
tim bers, cannon and great sheets of
luTid flame. Dirt, timbers and debris
rained down even in our lines, driving
back and temporarily disorganizing the
column of attack
Instantly 11O cannon and so mortaTs
along our lines began terrific bonn
bardment, under which the earth trem-
bled, the air was filled with dense
smoke and the enemy's lines were torn
by screaming, hurtling shells. Such a
continuous crash of artillery had not
been heard since. Gettysburg. II seemed
as if a hundred volcanoes had burst
forth and were deluging everything
with merry lava.
The enemy seemed completely
stunned by the awful catastrophe. A
breach had been opened 200 feet long
5V Woe anu 20 hetp. Inc ground was
torn and shaken for fully 500 yards
For a long distance on either side of
the breach the enemy, reused, terror
stricken, from sleep, could be seen fly
ing in panic.
Had the distractions in front of our
works been properly cleared away, and
the Niplh Corps, formed as il should
have been, il could in a few minutes
have marched almost unopposed thru
the great gap. 1t would have had TO
go less than the length OF two city
blocks to be on the crest OF Cemetery
Hill, with the rebel army cut in two
Col Pleasants. who had stood up on
our works to note the effect of the ex-
plosion, says that for over an hour not
a shot was fired by the enemy's artil-
lery, and for half an hour not even a
musket was fired.
Instead of Gen. Ledlie rushing for
ward at the head of his division TO
improve the golden moments of this
CONSERVATION, he went into a bomb
proof, some so yards inside our lines.
As soon as the shower of dirt and
debris ceased Col Marshall led his
brigade as rapidly as possible thru the
narrow passage in our abatiS and
rushed for the Crater. The I'd Pa H.
A clambered up the jagged sides and
charged $50 yards beyond, where ii
halted and formed line The l4th n.
Y. II. A. went TO the left, and came
upon the two guns of the fort and
their magazine, which they dug out,
and squad under Sergt Wesley STAN
ley worked them with great effect un-
til he was killed. The l4th N H A.
also captured n battle flag.
The Sd Md. and 179th N. Y turned
to the right, taking possession Of some
Of the trayerses and pits which formed