The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-11-07
a Graphic Description of the Rus
sian AndersonVilie.

( a Graphic DescriDtion of the Rus
sian Andersonville.
/ The frst glimpse that We caught Of the
Tousk iorwariiHg prison showed US that
Z Il differed widely IA type from ali tae 81
beFian prisons that We had previously
seen. Instead Of tue huge. " lie, three
styry, succeed bniidIing with narrow
arched windows and ned tin roof that We
had expected 10 ind, We saw before Us
something that looked like the perlna-
I neut fortified camp Of = regiment Of sol
diers, or Ike small prairie village on
the frontier, surrounded by.a high stock
/ age Of sharpened legs to protect it from
hostile Indians With the exception Of
the ziezag barred ssntry boxes at the cor
ners and the soldiers Eho with shoulder
cd rifles paced slowly back and forth
along is snles, there was hardly a suz-
gestiOn Of prison aboaf il. It was sim
ply a stockased inclosure about 3 acres in
extent situated OF an open prairie be-
yond the ciiy limits. with pyramiial
chu-ca tower, and the board roofs Of Is
OF - log buildings showing above the
serraied edge Of the palis4de II se had
hld any doabts, however, with regard to
( TIE nature Of the place, the familiar iing-
/ ling o. chains, which came 10 cur ears a.
we stopped in front Of the wooden gate,
would at once set all such doubts at
rest
IN response 10 s summons sent by Mr.
Papelief through the ofiicer of the day,
the warden Of the prison, short, stout,
chubby faced young officer, named Ivan
onke, soon made his appearance, and We
we're admitted to tie prison yard. With
in the spacious enclosure stood Il OF Is
one-story buildings, grouped without
muCh apparent regularity about square
log church. At the doors Of most ofthese
buildings stood armed sentries, and in
the unpaved streets or open spaces be-
tween them were walking or sitting on
the bare ground hundreds Of conyicis
and penal colonists who, in chains and
leg letters. were taking their daily out
ins. The log buildings with their grated
. mdows, the high stockade which sur
rounded them. the armed sentries here
and there. and the throngs Of conviets
Who, IN long, gray, semi-miIitary over
GOATS roaned aimlessly about the yard,
would doubtless have reminded many
Union soldier Of the famous prison pen
al Andegsonville.
The prison buildings proper were long,
oue-st5ry. barrack like houses Of square
logs, with board roofs, heavily grated
windows and massive wooden doors -
cured Icy iron padlocks. Zach separate
building constituted a kazarua, or pris-
On wand, and each ward was divided into
two large kameras, or cells, by a short
Lsll running tansysrseiy through the
middle. There were eight Of these kaz-
arms. oF loe prisons, and each Of them
was designed 10 accommodate leo men,
with an allowance Of elght-tenfhs Of a
cubic faihom Of air space per cspita-
They were al substantially alike. and
seemed 10 me to be about . feet long by
IS feet -. with height Of u feet be
tween floors ard ceilings. The first kan
era that Ne examined vas perhaps forty
feet square and contained 100 prisoners.
. 1t vas fairiy weii lighted, but It's atmos-
( pheFe was polluted 70 the last degree By
+ over-respirlti0n, and its temperature. rais-
ed by the natural beat Of the prisoners
bodies, was IS or - degrees above that Of
+ the airoutside
Two double rows Of sleeping benches
+ ran across the camera. but there evident
ly was not room enough on them for
I half the inmates Of the cell, and the ne
mainder we're forced % sleep under them
OF on the floor IN the gangwavs between
them, without pillows, blankets or bed
: clothins of any kind. TIE floor had been
; washed in anticipation Of cur visit, but
! the warden said that in rainy weather il
+ was always covered with mud and iiih
brought in FROM the gard BY the feet Of
the prisoners, and that in this mud and
filth scores Of men bad 10 lie down at
night . sleep. Many Of the convicls,
thinking that Ne we're officers OF inspect
ors fr9m ST. Petersburg, violated the first
rule of prison discipline, despite the pres
ence Of the warden, by complaining 10 Us
ofihe heat, foalness and oppressiveness
Of the prison air, and the terrible over
cne~tiing, which made IT difficult to move
about the kamera IN the daytime, and al
most impossible 10 get any rest at night.
I pitied the poor wretcsIes, bat could only
tell them that We we're noilosHciais. and
had no power TO do anything al all for
them
For nearly IN hour We went from kaz-
arm to kazarla, and from cell to cell, find
i ing everywhere the same overcrowiing,
the sane incoaeeiyabiy foul air, the same
s.ckening osioTs, and the seme throngs Of
gray coated coayicts. Al las; Mr. Pape-
laief gho seemed disposed to hurry rs
through the prison, said that there was
nothing more 70 see except the kitchen
and the hospital, and that he presumed
NE woGld no. care to inspect the hospital
wards. inssmuch as they contained 20 OF
eighty paiients sick with malignant u
phus fever The young eonroy officer Of
the barge, who seconded al Of Colonel
Ysgoikin's efforts to make Us thoroughly
acqGaintss with the prison, asked .hs
warden if he was not going TO show u
the : lauiiy kamers, and the bolog
mas
CeTtsinly,r said the warden; l vii
show them anything that they wish Il