New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-07
THE SCOURGES or CLIMATE IN RUSSIA.
From The London Times.


To check the growth of the population and To
prevent their material and moral DEVELOPMENT the
nature OF the Russian climate and soil of course
contributes THIS IL country over "a large part of
which the extremes of heat and cold share the wear
between them, booming man To unwholesome
secluson for the winter months and only allie wing
MN TO breathe free air in the summer season when
the sultrness of the weather utterly unncrves and
prostTaes him. Between he intense cold mat s,eus
the limbs ana numbs the faculties and the glowing
heat that takes Away breath and induces torpor and
listessncss there is in these latitudes no
transition or preparation, and the human frame
not led by degrees and not innred day by day to
either eX.reme suffers from sudden exposure TO
DOM In ms hermetically sealed apartment with
double windows and hot stoves within doors and
his panoply, of furs swathng him up TO his very
eyes out OF doors the Russian in winter IL berpet
ally consuming his own breath, and hen nj last he
breaks ont from long hibernation from that endless
hig6I wien for no Fin man can work he finds himself
termina6e day which allows man no rest
what here say applies to city life, and especially
TO the habits OF this capital, with which have nj
ready become toleraDly acquainted. | am not
questioning the vigor and hardhood of the slavic
race, nor doubling that either dire Necessity ar n
determined will can enable man to get the better
of atmospheric influences and by dint energy and
constant exercise derive strength from those var
inclemences which tend 10 weaken him. But what
see here day by day before me satisfies me that
these Russians IA people are more snscnntihIa
more afraid of heat and cold than any other set OF
men IN the world.
In the train from Berlin, via Kogno wilma and
Dunaburg, was nearly asphyxiated by my fellow
passengers, who insisted putting IN ali tba
glasses of the double windows during the hight and
SIS ia
with outstretchcd and legs like stranded seals
unable to move or talk: or probably, if they had
tried, even to think. The mere collapse Of all
human strength is equally observable IN St Petcrs
burg n sybaritic city whore every man woman ar
dog seems rich enough to afford tho luxury of n
droJke or droshky drive, and where tho rar nantes
on the sidewalks crawl and shamble on Ioas of
which the owners seem to have never quite learnt
the use. ~ ''"ih'
traveller should always make it "a point when
ne lnds 1t posi- to " sit country when II is in
what Is called It's own element. Russia is tho land
Drobahlu no
vantage in skating and sledge-driving weather All
provisions are here made against the discomforts of
a hard winter. But against the scourgo of tho
summer dust which sweeps day and light over 81
Petersburg, all the pumps drawing water from ali
the four branches Of the Neva are inefficient There
is nothing for 1t but to turn ones back upon il md
Lnat - what every man does who can MANAGE IL
The city IS left to a few priests the police off;
GERS OF her Britannia Majcsty's squadron, who
are on n weeks holiday, and TO myself and the
Hotel de FEurope. the best in the town Is heny
swept, scraped and painted like London club IN
mid-September; tor this is the dead season in ST
Petersburg and the place il really too mucb Of ~.
thing for man to have it all to himself -