The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-12
A VOYAGE ON AN textbook.

NOXAGE ON AN lCE-BLOCk.
THE breaking up of the ice in Russia
is always fine sight to look at, even
upon small stream like the Neva al
st. Petersburg, which is mere brook
compared with the great rivers of the
South. AS soon as the spring thaw sets
in, all the wooden bridges are removed,
and nothing checks the descending ice
but the stone piers of the Nikolaievski
Bridge, named after its founder, the
Gar Nicholas. Every morning, while
the show lasts, the balustrades of this
bridge are lined with a crowd of eager
spectators, looking as intently at the
wonderful sight as if they had never
seen it before.
And wonderful sight it is indeed.
Far as the eye can reach, the smooth,
dark surface of the river is one great
procession of floating masses of ice, of
all shapes and sizes, moving slowly and
steadily downward.
But the place to see this famous sight
at its best is the Volga, which, with its
two thousand miles of length, brings
down ice enough to overwhelm whole
city. At times the force of the current
piles it up, sheet over sheet, into huge
mounds, the crashing and grinding of
which, as they dash against each other,
make the very air shake. When the
river is moving" as the Russians call
it, he would be a bold man who should
attempt TO take boat across it; for,
once caught between two of these mov-
ing islands, the strongest boat on the
Volga would be crushed like an egg
shell
So, doubtless, think the group of
peasants who are standing upon the
river bank one bright March morning,
mile or two below the great manufac-
turing town of Saratov, watching the
endless procession of ice-blocks sweep
past. Strengthening fellows they are,
with their flat, sallow faces and thick
yellow boards, their high boots smeared
with tar instead of backing, their
rough caps pulled down over their
eyes, and their heavy sheepskin frocks
with the wool inside. But. queer as
they look, they are merry set, laugh
ing and joking increasingly, and enjoy
ing the spectacle like party of youths
at circus.
"Come, now, Meesha Michael,
here's an open course; let us have a
race across!'
"All right, Stepka [Steehen]; and as
you're friend of mine, I4f give you q
half-minutestart."
And then follows a loud laugh, for q
little fun goes long way in Russia.
Rl1t a cr11Inr chnI1t Of he
men draws everybody's attention, and
he is seen pointing to a huge sheet of
ice some distance up the stream. On
its smooth white surface lies a dark,
shapeless lump, perfectly still; and
guesses begin to fly from mouth to
mouth as to what this can be.
"a block of wood, L think"
GA dog, more likely"
"Too big-must be a bundle of hay"
A handsome young fellow, lately ar
rived in that district from the North,
presses to the front, and fixing his keen
eyes for a moment upon the mysterious
object, says, emphatically, Tchelo-
vek" Ga mani.
"a man?" echo two or three of his
companions. ''He must be frozen,
then, for he don't seem to move bit"
"Feodor [Theodore] has the best
eyes among us, though,'' puts in anoth-
er. If he says man, why, man it
must be-"
"And so it is" shouts one who has
run little way up the bank; {" and he s
alive, too, for | saw him move his head
Just now"
By this time the ice-block had come
near enough to let the strange object
upon it be plainly seen. 1t was the fig
ure of man in sheep-skin frock,
doubled up in crouching posture.
"We must help him, lads" cries
Feodor; sit won't do to let a man
perish before our eyes,
"Ah, my boy" answers an old man
beside him, shaking his gray head,
it's easy to say help him., but how
are we to do itp Crossing the Volga
when it's moving is not like dipping a
spoon in a bowl of milk"
"rll try it, anyhow" says Feodor,
resolutely. -" God cares for those who
care for each other. I'll just run and
get out my boat"
But as he was starting off to do so, a
shout from the rest made him turn his
head, and he sawsomething that stopped
him short.
Just abreast of the spot where they
stood three or four small islets, or
rather sand-banks, lay close together
in the center of the stream. The huge
fragment of ice upon which the man
was crouching, turned sideways by the
current, had just run upon the end of
one of these banks, where it stuck fast.
"Now's the time," shouted Feodor,
springing forward; "not a moment to
be lost A rope and pole-quick!"
He was obeyed at once; for these
rough fellows seemed to feel instructive
ly that he was the man for the occasion.
and had right to take the command.
He twisted one end of the rope around
his left arm. and running little way
up the bank, threw the other end to
those who followed him, grasped the
pole in his right hand, and bounded
like deer onto the nearest ice-block.
the in-drawn breath of the excited
lookers-on sounding like a hiss amid
the dead silence.
Had any artist been there to paint