Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-31
A Siberian Forwarding Prison.


The Tiumen prison was originally built
| to hold 500 prisoners, but was subsequently,
enlarged by means of detached barracks so
that it could accommodate 500. On the day
of our visit, we were informed by small
black board hanging beside the Office door,
it contained 1 1,741. AS we approached the
entrance we were stopped by an armed
desired admittance, shouted through a
square port-hole in the heavy gate, Star
she-e.eW 1.-THE usual cali for ths officer of the
day.. A corporal or sergeant, with sabre
at his side and q Colts revolver in hostler
on his hip, answered the summons, carried
our note to the warden, and in moment
VIC were admitted to the prison yard. Fifty
or sixty exiles and convicts were walking
aimlessly back and forth in front of the
main prison building, or sitting idly in
groups here and there on the ground. They
were all dressed from head to foot in cos
tune of gray, consisting of visoress Scotch
cap, shirt and trousers of coarse homespun
linen, and q large gray overooat with one or
two diamond shaped patches of black or
yellow cloth sewn upon the back between
the shoulders, Nearly oil OF them wore
leg fetters, and the air was filled with Pc
cular cinkng of chains which suggested
the continuous jinglng of innumerable
punches of keys. The first "kamera" or cell
that we entered was situated in one story
log barrack standing against the wall on the
left of the gate, and built evidently to receive
the overflow from the crowded main building.
The room wasabout 35 feet in length by % in
width and - feet high, its walls of hewn
logs were covered with dirty whltewash; its
rough plank floor was black with dried mud
and hard-trodden filth and it was lighted
by three grated windows looking out into
the prison yard. Down the centre of the
room, and occupying about half its width,
ran the seeping-bench-a wooden platform
II feet wide and 80 feet long, supported, at
height of 2 feet from the floor, by stout
posts. Each longitudinal half of this low
platform sloped little, roof-wise, from the
centre, so that when the prisoners slept upon
it in two closely packed transverse rows,
their heads in the middle we're q few inches
higher than their feet at the edges. These
sleeping platforms are known as mares"
and Siberian prison cell contains 10 other
furniture except q large wooden tub for eX-
crement The prisoners have neither pill.
lows, blankets, nor bedClothing, and must
lie on these hard plank mares with no cover
ing but their overcoats. AS we entered the
cell, the convicts, with sudden jingling of
chains, sprang to their feet, removed their
| caps, and stood silently in dense throDg
around the nares "Zdrastvuitui rebiata ~
["How do you do, boysl" said the warden.
| 'sZdravic zhelaiem vasha vwisoki blagaro.
dien "We wish you health, your high nobl-
| ity" shouted hundred voices in hoarse
chorus. "The prison" said the warden, sis
terribly over-crowded. This cell, for exam
Pile, is only 35 feet long by 25 wide, and has
air space for 35, or at most 40 men. How
many men slept here last night?" he inquir.
ed, turning 10 the prisoners. "a hundred
and sixty, your high nobility" shouted half
a dozen hoarse Voices.-June CenturN.