Wichita eagle., 1888-11-28
CITY or The DEAD.
The Noted Russian Artists Description
An Extraordinary Scene.


An Extraordinary Scene.
Here IS a graphic description by the
great Russian artist, of the results of the
Mohammedau rebellion against the Chinese
government IN the reign OF TchugutchaI2:
AS you approach the town, ii is hard TO
believe it is empty; you cannot help hop
ing TO meet some human being, if it be
only a robber But not soul is to be seen
anywhere. The houses are for the most
part uni1iured, and likewise the paintings
on the walls and the wooden lattice work
OF the windows. Potsherds ard frag-
msnts of articles of every conceivable
kind were lying ali about-vessels OF iron
and clay Of all sizes; quantity Of copper
coins strung on q string; dresses, caps,
plaits Of hair, shoes Of all sizes-the
clumsy shoes of Dunghans and CalElucks
side by side with the miniature slippers
Of Chinese women. put a pair of extra
ordinarily small slippers in my pocket, as
= mementO.
But, above all. skulls are to be seen
lying about everywhere. The town IS
Ike 3 vast tomb. and the whole impress
sion it produces is terrible. | wandered
about whole day il B. 5 company, and
then for several days alone, without
being able 70 accuston myself to this
stiffness as Of the grave. and 10 the sight
Of all these streets, chapels, theatres aud
squares standing forever empty. The
gate Of the fortress, which the besiegers
had blown in, Is still tolerably strong.
Near the gate IS TO be seen the entrance
into the subterranean gallery by which
the besiegers, after a long and tedious
siege. made their way into the fortress
Then came merciless butchery, in which
no one was spared Skulls and bones lie
literally in heaps against the walls here
and al around the fortress; az many
points. by several Of the gates, the skulls
were piled up 20 great height. In the
fields around the town, too, lie skulls; as
far as the eye can reach, skulls, and
skulls, and again skulls. The wolves and
jackals have already done their work; the
ravens are still engaged in picking the
bones clean for the Sun and rain 20
bleach.
''One Of the farms in particular, which
lies nearest the town, sbounds IN bones
i body Of Calmucks, Is, 600 strong, came
this way 70 help the besieg-t. but force
OF only few hundred Du1ghans fell upon
them, drove them back and killed them
to the very last mai What wonderful
energy on the part Of the ilsurgent No
hamnedalsi What cowardice on the
part OF the Chinane1l I had enough 70
occupy ne. From the governors palace
10 the simple little houses OF the common
people al the dwellings were h2biteble.
al were painted, al decorated with paint
ilgs, sculptures, bss relIefs, flowers,
dragons, etc Theaters Of an original cor
s--Uctiou. Buddhist temples in which soue
colossal idols were still intact though the
Nohauleda1s evidently showed gree.
zeal Il 0ve-throwi-g these and breaking
them N pieces. seemed almost 20 be wsi.-
ing far the people 70 ihro1g u % their
prayers and their a1useueots. For three
whole weeks lived with ozs Cosssck and
one Tartar IN w-s-cEed cabin outside
the walls Of the fortress, and eve-Y dsy
from morning til evening -oaned about,
looking a. everything. drawing sod paint
ing Occasionally wild goat would Stay
into the courtyard WHARF was painting,
stand transi1ed with sstonishneat, ard
then rush OF az tll speed across the
brown and 6eso1ate stepYe. --Cu-ea:
l.ES-ac--a