The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-10-11
That Russlsa Prison eiiip.


Hitherto | have only forwarded to
you reports Of the voyage of the
MIN NoUgorod as they appeared in
the Russian press from time to time.
| could not guarantee the accuracy
of any Of the statements published,
and, indeed, the minimum amount of
sickness mentioned by the Captain
seemed remarkably small--something
like the Zone man wounded in the
reports of war skirmishes. In any
case these reports were utterly ir-
reconcilable with the astounding
statements published in England. I
stated that | was endeavoring to
gain further information to help to
elucidate the question in the alb
sence of information from the For.
eign Office from English sources.
/ have not yet obtained the informa-
tion desired, but / have seen letters
OF an entirely unofficial character,
written by an officer of the ship to
his family in all the freedom of un-
restrained intercourse. Two, which
bear internal evidence that they
were never intended for publication,
satisfy me that the entire statement
respecting the mortality on board
the vessel is fabrication without
any foundation whatever to sustain
1t. The letters are in the form Of a
diary. They narrate that shortly
after leaving Odessa the fetters were
removed from all the prisoners.
Each days incidents and the cases of
illness which occurred are also mar
rated. AT or near Alexandria one
case of mortal sickness is mentioned.
1t is not stated subsequently whether
the prisoner died. Several suffered
from sunstroke in the Red Sea, and
a large number from tropical rash,
not one case as stated by the Cap
tain. A contemporary converts 81
degrees of heat Reaumur into 70
Fahrenheit. A more correct calcu-
lation would be 10 Fahrenheit. If
it be asked how could persons en-
dure and survive such heat in the
hold of the vessel, any one knowing
the habits of the Russians, sleeping
huddled together by their stoves in
winter, or in summer enjoying their
midday sleep by the roadside under
the blazing sun, or in the unwhole-
some atmosphere of the habited
houses, would find it possible to be-
lieve 10 their great power of endur-
ing heat and close air.
From the frank and detailed mar
rative already mentioned it is quite
clear that except in the case of NOR
tai sickness, the case of angina pee
toris and few cases of sunstroke,
there had been no serious amount of
illness up to the arrival at Alden
after passing through the Red Sea-
the worst part of the voyage. Yet
it has been circumstantially narrated
in England, and too readily believed,
that 250 persons died on board and
that $50 were landed in dying con-
dition where no English agent could
report such an occurrence.
As to the number and character of
the prisoners, | have information
from an equally reliable source which
leads me to believe that there was
not a single woman prisoner on
board, much less any woman of edu-
cation. The male prisoners were
criminals convicted by the ordinary
tribunals. | am informed from inde-
pendent sources that it is extremely
improbable a single political prisoner
was on board the ship. believe,
also, that there is no foundation
whatever for the statement respect
ing the $50 deaths and tho $50 per-
sons landed in dying state, except
the prophecy Of some person said to
have boarded the vessel in the Bos-
phorus, who appears somehow to
have ascertained that not one-third
could reach their destination, and
forthwith kilograms were fabricated
TO meet this statement, quickly dis
posing of 400 out of the 600 on
board.-St. Petersburg Corr. London
Daily Ne,cs, august 9th.