New-York tribune., 1883-06-17
IN A RUSSIAN CELL.

Prince ErGpottine ia Hbe Nineteenth Century,
There IL not much hight III them. I he window,
which Is an enbrasure is nearly of the same size
the windows IN other prisons. But the cells occupy
the interior nclOsure OF the baStlO1 That is, the
reducf, and the high wall OF the bastlon faces the
windows of the cells az distance OF fifteen to
twenty feet. Besides, the walls OF the reduet,
which have to resist shells, are nearly five feet
thick and the light is in erceDted by double
frame with small aperuTes. and by an iron grating.
Finally, everybody knows that the ST. Petersburg
sky anything but bright Dlrk they are; stll, 1T
such a cell-tne brightest Of the whole
budug-that | wrote my two volumes on the
GLACIAL Period, and taxing advantage OF brighter
summer days ! prepared there the maps that ac-
company the work and made drawings The lower
Story Is very DARK, even in summer. The outer wall
ntercepts all the light aud remember that even
dunBg bright days writing was very dltheult In
fact, IL was possible only when the suns rays were
reflected by the upper part Of bOth walls. All the
northern face OF the reduct IS very dark i'll both
stones.
Tue floor ofthe cells is covered with painted felt,
aud the walls are double, to say that Is, they are
covered alsl with felt aad at distance of i've
inches from the wall there Il irOn-Wire net COW
cred with rough linen and with yellow painted
paper. Tins arrangement IS made to prevent the
prisoners iron speaking with one another by means
Of taps the wall The silence ~ these telt-coy-
cred cells is that of grave am Justn now IN CELL
But the exterior life and the life of the prison
reaches one bY thousands OF sounds ana words ex-
changed here and there Although in cell sIIll
feel myself part of the world. The fortress Is
grave. You never hear S uni, excepting that or
sentry continually creeping Ike hunter from one
door 90 another, 10 look through the Judas into
the cells. lOu are never alone as an eye IS con-
tinually kept upon you, and still You are always
alone II YOU address word 10 the warder who
hriugs Won vour dress for walking in the ward If
you ask him what is the weather ne never answers.
The only human being with whom exchanged a
few words every morning was he Colonel VINO
came TO write down what wanted TO buy--tObacc0
or paper. But he never dared 90 enter into any
conversation, as himself was always surveyed Oy
some of the WardeTs. The absolute silence Is in
terrupted only by the bells OF the clock which play
M mi an uOur GOyllOdi lOHF1tul. each
hour TIE Cantlcle hOt sGrfn Hdsh GOsp0dr StOaye,
and each twelve hours God sdre the ISGr addltlon
To all this. The cacOphony of the dlscOrdant bells
~ horrible during rapid changes OF temperature,
and do not wonder that nervous persons consider
these bells as one OF the plaques OF the fortress.
The cells heated By means OF large stoves from
the corridor outside. and the temperature IN the
cells Kept exceedingly high. In order TO prevent
moisture from appearing on the walls 10 Keep
such temperature, the stoves are smut up very soon
with burning Goals. so that the prisoner is usually
aspuyXiated with oxide OF carbon. Like all Rus
slams | was accustomed to keep high temperature
OF 90 tn 6iO Fahrenheit III my room, but cOuId
not support the nigh temperature OF the t0rlreSs,
and stlll less the asphyAIating gases; anu alter
long struggle Obtained the concession that tue
stoves should not be shut up very hot. was
warned that the walls would be immediately COW
cred with moisture and, indeed, they soon were
dripping IN the corners OF the Vault; even tue paint
ed paper OF the front wall was as wet as II water
were continually poured on IT, But, as there was
no choice bus between dripping walls ana exhaus-
ton by bath-hke temperature, chose M former;
nor without acquiring rheumatism. 1 afterwards
learned that several of my friends VINO, Kept Ill the
same bastion, expressed the hrm conviction
that some mephltc gas was sent INTO
their cells. This rumOr IS widely spread, aud has
also reached br. Landsell; and II Is the more
remarkable as nobody has expressed the suspicion
Of having been poisoned otherwise; Tor Instance
by means of the food. | think that what / nave
lust SAID explains the origin ot this runor; IN
order to keep the stoves very not Tor twenty -Iour
hours they are shut up very soon ana 50 Tue
prisoners are asphyXated every day. To some ex-
ten;, by oxide OF carbon. Such was, at least my
explanation OF the suilOcation which experienced
ueifly every day. followed by a complete pr0stra-
ton aud debility. | did not notice II alter 1 had
succeeded by ceaseeSs efforts IN getting the not air
conduit leading into my cell Snut up aiIogether'
The food, when General kOrsakoh was command
ant of the fortress was good not SO substantial rs
Mr. Ianslell says, but very well cooked; attel-
ward it became much worse. No provisions from
without are allowed, not even lrult-hOthhg Dut
the calaicM white bread, which compassionate
merchants distribute in the prisons at CHRISTMAS
and Easter-an Old Russian custom existing until
now Our friends cOuldbrln2 US only books LnoSe
VINO had no friends were compeiieu 70 reau over
and over again the same books Of the fortress
library which contains the odd volumes lelt there
by several generations since 1926. As 10 breathing
fresh air, it is obvious that 1T c0ud not be aloNed
to the amount mentioned by MT. LahsueIi;
During the first year OF my confinement walked
half an hour OF forty minutes every day;
but during the second year, as we were nearly sixty
on the Dastion, and as there is but one yard tor
walking. and the darkness under the slxtleth ue-
gree of latitude comes at p. M. in the winter, we
walked but twenty minutes every other day IN the
summer and twenty minutes twice week during
the WINTER 1 must add also that, owing 10 tbe
heavy white smoke discharged by the chimney OF
fine mint which dominates the yard this walk was
completely poisoned during the east WINDS. cou.u
not support on such occasions the continual cough
ING of the soldiers. exposed all the day 10 these
gases and asked to be brought back to my cell.