The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-18
TIE RUSSIAN CAPITAL.
A SAD CITY WITH A STRANGE
LACK OF LIFE.
First Impressions Of IT. Tctcrsburg-Its
Unhealthy Position-Coarsencss Of the
Lower CIasses-The Droska aud Its Rev
ercnt Drivcr--At Church.

|
The first impression Of tho traveller on
approaching 81. Petersburg is of wonder
at its size and it's position. On every side
stretches of what is apparently q low. fiat
marsh. covered with innumerable build
ings; the strangest place for city ever
chosen by the obstinate will of man, seek
ing to dispense with all natural advsn.
taCes. Peter the Great chose II, 1t is said,
as being "a window looking out upon
Europe" but surely site might have
been found with all equal outlook and less
desolatc and fatal position. Unlike Stock
holm, which Is likewise surrounded by
water. but which sits on her rocky thrones
like queen above the dangerous element,
St. Petersburg lies helplessly at its
mercy. In autumn, when the 'Neva Is
rough and stormy, and in spring, when
the ice is breaking up. the danger is
greatest. The waves rise TO the level OF
the streets, the numerous canals overflow,
| guns from the fortress are constantly
fired TO warn the people Of their peril,
while the inhabitants seek the upper
stories of their houses and the police pre-
pare boats for u,scue. Another conse-
quence Of this marshy situation is its un
healthness, The sewage is not properly
carried off, the water is undrnkable, and
dysestery and similar diseases prevail
whenever the friendly frost is not present
! TO turn everything TO ice. Peter the
| Great did not build his capital in ignOr
ancc OF what he was doing. He laid its
| foundation upon human lives. For many
wears 400O0 men were annually drafted
| from all portions of his empire 10 work in
this poisonous marsh. Every cart and
vessel entering the port was obliged to
bring n certain number of stones to pave
its streets. and hundreds OF thousands Of
wooden piles were buried in it's depths.
Soil was also brought in il great quanti-
ties 90 raise the level Of the place, and
massive granite Quays built along the
rapid river; but nothing has awaited to
prevent disastrous foundations, seven or
eight Of which are particularly mentioned
since the foundations were laid In 1903.
At ono time the river rose thirteen feet.
But it is not only the wSit OF elevation
and OF picturesquencss that j. depressing
to the visitor; il is 10 less the wide desc
lation Of tho vast open spaces OF the city.
From the busy moving multitudes and
crowded ouays Of Stockholm we have
come to quiet and deserted squares, end
less rows Of immense buildings, mo-
notouons grandeur and regularity. IL is
evident that there arc not enough people
20 fll its streets, and it is a positive re-
lief 20 enter the few thoroughfGrcs where
business and lie is conferred. such as the
Ncvssy Prospect OF course, in winter,
whca tAc court is here and the richest
citizens come III from their summer homes
in Finland and tho islands. when the
slciching j., lively and all the gaycties Of
the season in vogue ST. Petersburg would
show to much greater advantage.
W. lad been told that the contrasts Of
luxury and poverty on the streets would
be most painful, and VIC expected 20 meet
beggary on every hand but such has not
proved 10 be the case There are always
bcgcars at the church doors. bat seldom
elsewhere, and poverty is by no means so /
obvious and distressing as IN many cities. |
IL is not the poverty, but the coarscness, /
almost brutality. I'm The lower classes that /.
impresses YOU most wildly. Tie men /
that YOU meet I'm their sordid rags or /
their undrcsscd shcepskns seem not 20 /.
need nor desire any better aimcLt. 1t is /
suitable 10 them. Wild OF face, with |
long tangled hair, and incxprcssbly /
dirty. often half drunk but never scring- /
ing, yOu shrink from rather than pity /
them The pictures drawn by Tolstoi are /
seen 10 be fearfully realistic. The women |
are less forbidding, but with little intelh- /
genco or good humOr Actually / have I
never seen q smile nor heard a laugh in
the streets since we have been
here. Nobody understands or wishes
to understand you, the poor arc
sullen, the wcll-todo careless or in.
,.olent. And then there is 50 much that
is strange and utterly foreign For some,
10 US. unexplained reason the days Of the
month are changed You thought il was
the Goth Of August-you find it is the
Sth. The Russian alphabet is very DIFF
ferent from ours, ard the names Of the
streets and the signs over the shops
might rs well be written in Runic. As
very few Of the natives however. are
better of than Yourself in this respect,
the shopkeepers do not trust 10 the al.
phabet for setting forth their wares.
have complained Of the want Of life in
the streets. | must make an exception
in favor Of the droskas. These little car
riagcs fly about in every direction, for
every body rides You look down one Of
the long quays perhaps and see no walk
crs, no loungers, but YOU are sure 60 see
droskas. They are small low vehicles
each holding two passengers, with Z
driver on high seat in front clad in
long blue blouse, with leather girdlc
and a peculiar cap on his head. The
horses, with their huge archod col
lars. are active and gentle and .
apparently well treated, and if you
know enough Russian 10 make q bar
gain, YOU will find this method OF tran
sit n cheap and convenient one. II is GER
tainly convenient, you have only TO
raise your hand and droskas sweep down .
upon YOU like yultures on thcir prey, I
sometimes jostling each other IN their en-
deayor Co reach You the first; but rs mono /
Of the drivers know 4 word Of anything \
but Russian, you may not find 10 very /
easy 10 make them comprehend where |
You want 10 60. This difficulty overcome, /
however, you will soon be spinning at a :
rapid rate over the badly paved streets. /
You will probably soon notiee the driver /
snatch off his cap, wave IL in the air, and, /
renlacing II mako q lasty sign OF the /