Year: 1864

| UEsChlPIlON OF IlE NINE.


The following description of the mine
under the rebel works is furnished by a
correspondent of the N. Y. Herald


NINTH ARMY CORPS, I
Before Petersburg, Va, July q, 1864.
No feature of the siege Of Petersburg
has been more interesting and no under
taking more important than the construct.
ion of the mine under the rebel
Notifications. So extensive has been this
work, SO difficult the distractions to over
come, so complimentary its success to the
genius and perseverance of our soldiers,
that more than passing notice is due to
ii.


The work was commenced on the 2oth
of June. Such was the secrecy with
which it was conducted that for a long
time the project was unknown even to
those at whose side it was going on. 1t
is true that reports were in circulation OF
a mine; but nobody could speak certain
ly Of the matter. So much doubt was
there, indeed, that for a time it was dis.
believed that any such undertaking was
on foot. Que soldier in the breastworks,
by whose side ventilating shaft energ-
ed, told his comrades in the most surprls-
ed manner that "there was lot OF fel-
lows under him doing something he
knew there was, for he could hear 'em
talk" To guard against indiscretion on
the part Of the pickets, to prevent any
meeting of our soldiers with the rebels
whereat the secret Of the mine might be
boastingly or imprudently disclosed, our
pickets were ordered to fire continually.
Hence the never ending tusilade on the
front Of the Ninth corps, SO ncomprehen-
sibe to the other corps, and which was
often cred to in the newspaper par
agraphs. The enemy, doubtless, suspect
cd at frs. that the undermining was go
ins on but when several weeks elapsed
without any demonstration, their suspic-
ions began to vanish. especially as their
engineers must have thought the ? all un-
reasonable.


TIE progress of the work was neees-
sarily very slow, and it WIS not until the
18th iust4nt--just one month after incep-
tiou--that it was completed. At the out
Set Que OF the most important points was
to ascertain the exact distance and bear
ing OF the rebel fort. Working under
ground is literally working il the dark.
By that particular process of surveying
called "triangulation' these were arrived
at. 10 be more explicit distances
were laid off upon the ground behind onr
works. From these lines as bases, and
with the angles formed by lines extend
Ing in the direction of the iott, a simple
geometrical problem was formed, tne solu-
ton Of which gave the required distance.
Five different triangulations gave re-
suit OF five hundred and ten feet. The
excavation was commenced in the side OF
the hill whereon our exterior line OF
works run. The tunnel, or, to use the
technical term, gallery" is about four
and half feet high, nearly as many feet
wide at the bottom, and two feet wide at
the top. The usual army pick was not
suited to the work, rs its aukes were too
broad to permit their swinging in the
tunnel. This difficulty was easily over
come by filing down the hukes to the size
of the regular mining pick. Water Was
met with not far from the entrance, and
for a time gave no little trouble. The
floor, however, was planked, and the sides
and ceiling showed up. A qulcksand was
met with, and, to obviatc it, the range of
the tunnel was curved upward, so that
the latter half was several feet higher
than at the entrance. The oozingsof the
water formed mud in several places, SO
that the regiment came from their daily
labor bcspattered and stained. In fact,
it was easy during the past month to re-
cognize Forty-eight man by his muddy
boots. The earth, as fast as excavated,
was conveyed in hand barrows made Of
cracker boxes or half barrels to the
mouth, where it IS emptied into bags,
which afterwards used on the top OF the
breastworks. In this way no betraying
accumulation Of earth took place.


Tie ventilation OF the tunnel was most
inseniously effected. Just within our
exterior line of works a shaft was sunk
to the side of the tunnel, at its juncture
with which fireplace was built, with a
grating opening into the gallery. One
; end of series of tubes made Of pine
boards was inserted through the earth
into this fireplace, where, as the air be-
came rar6ed and ascended, it created a
suction" or drift in the tubes connect
ing with the gallery. As fast as the tun-
ue progressed additiontubing was joint
ed on, aud followed the workmen step by
step. The smoke from the lire could not,
Of course, be concealed but, to with
draw atteation from it, fires were kept
burning at various points along the line
The lighting of the tunpel was effected
simply by placing candles or lanterns
along the walls at distance OF about
twenty feet apart.


At length the end was reached. and
the triangulation was abundantly verified
in the noises overhead. The mailing OF
timber and planks could be distinctly
heard, and left no doubt that the men
were directly beneath the rebel fort
The enemy were evidently making floor.
ing tor their artillery. As near as could
be ascertaiued the distance from the tun.
uel to the fort was twenty feet.


After it was sufficiently evident that
point directly under the fort was reached
the construction Of the mine was COM