The Washington herald., 1914-01-25

gers. They had driven their tunnel be-
low the level of the river, and water
began to seep into II through the com-
pact earth. They kept on digging. but
soon the water came with a rush, and
Rose was hauled from the tunnel more
dead than alive They now saw that the
tunnel must be abandoned. and 1t was
filled up.
BafWed After Thirty-nine Days.
The baffied prisoners now turned to a
fresh plan. They removed a portion OF
the floor of the unused kitchen compart-
ment and started a new tunnel, to strike
small sewer they knew ren from the
southeast corner of the prison to con-
meet with the larger one.
This tunnel passed under a brick fur
mace in which were several iron caul-
drons. and reached the small drain; but
the weight of the furnace caused the
tunnel to cave in. The cavein caused
a disturbance OF the surface above the
drain at a point outside the wall. This
in the morning attracted the attention
of the guard. The prisoners could see
a prison officer inspecting the hole which
he attributed to the work of rates.
Undaunted. the diggers returned that
night to their work. going down the chim-
ney as soon as lights were out, and not
returning until near daylight. Then the
bricks were neatly fitted into the back of
the fireplace. not to be disturbed until the
next night.
For many nights the work consisted of
hacking out. bit by bit. the planks that
lined the small sewer. for the drain was
so small that otherwise a man could not
pass through it
1t was sickening work. amidst name
less orders and filth, and with great
bright-eyed rats always watching in the
black and fetid hole ahead OF them.
When the blue flame of the guttering can
die went out. the digger. faint and naus-
eated. backed out of the foul hole like a
man dying. ard sought relief in the
scarcely less foul air Of the cellar
Thus the work went on, night by
night, with infinite patience. until II had
been pushed to within a few feet Of the
main sewer.
The workers were now so confident Of
success that on the night of January "a
25 two men were left in the cellar to pro-
ceed with the work. break into the main
sewer. and clear the way for escape on
the evening of January Is.
That evening one of the men appeared
in the passage in the chimney. Rose was
waiting for him in the dark kitchen.
Bad news was all he could say in an
agonized whisper. The tunnel had failed
The last few feet of the small sewer
was found to be lined with oak. as hard
as lignum vitae and so firmly imbedded
in the soil that the planks could not be
moved. Water had begun to enter the
tunnel. and the workers had scarcely left
its foul interior when the passage was
flooded.
There was no remedy forsthis disaster,
and on hearing the report and seeing that
his companions had no strength to labor
further without a little rest, Col. Rose,
who had been the life Of the project, or
dered that the work cease, and that
traces of II in the cellar be obliterated.
Thirty-nine days had passed since the
tunnel was begun. and the work had gone
for nothing.
But Rose had not abandoned his cher
ished hope Of escape and presently he was
planning. with Col, Hamilton and few
others, tunnel that was to prove sue
cessful.
accounts Of the digging of the tunnel
by which 100 prisoners left Libby will
be printed on January 81 and February
-
(Copyrighf. Is1i)