The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-14
ALIrE Nv THEIR GRATE&
A Terrible story iron the Scene OF ths
Cholera Ribs tn Russia.
l,o,,,. n,,,n u.,,r


the city OF Astrakhnn Russia. toll the story OF
popular outbreak that scarcely finds par
allcl in modern history since tho plague riots
of the middle ages The first ncws Of tho dis
turhnnce came about tho beginning OF tho
present month In the form Of II Telegram pub
lishcd in tho He'aii. stating that u number %
workmcn ilecinf. from tho cholera had boon
killed In riot. due TO the attempt OF tho
military to hold thcm to the performance Of
their contracts. still later int 'llgence ascrib-
ed the disturbances to u revolt on the part Of
the Ignorant populaco AGAINST the measures
taken To- prevent tho spread OF the plague
Tho detailed account Just received. while 10
pictures the Ignorance, the surorstitious hall
fluctuations. nnl the murdcrous violence Of
the mob in tho most luril Colors. represents
tho outbreak as having heen precipitated In
tho first instance by tho discovery thnt tho
sanitary authorities. in their ovcrzeal to
stamp ont tho dread discnse. had been putting
cholera patients into their collins alive.
AT tho time the sanitary regulations were Is
sued cholera patients wero being conveyed to
hospital at tho rate OF about ten day. 1t was
ordained. among other things. that corpses
should 10 wrapped in sheets covered with !
auicklimc. put quickly into collins. nailed MP.
and then. without religious ceremonies OF any
kind. conveyed directly to n special cholera
cemetery In the stcrpe. and there inferred.
Soon after tho cholera broks out the drivers
OF teams who used to convey corpses to the
cemetery began to talk about noises which
they had heard In tho collins. and 1t was soon
runorcd about tho town that tho doctors wore
burying PEOPLE alive.
Tho excl cment eliminated on July g. 10
was sunday. and special morning prayers
against cholera had been offered up at the
cathedral. At about L. O'Clock in the day
Al. ia
gagged. In the poorer part Of tho city. removing
some women who had been attacked with
cholera. Tho men had ambulance wagons
with them. and the removals wore effected By
means OF long poles. each armed at the end
with hook. AS the women had to be lifted
into the wagons by their clothing. some OF
thom got frightened and clnmored so loudly
that crowd Of people came to their assists
ancs, The sanitary officials. together with tho
few police accompanying them. were severely
beaten by the populace In it's rage the mob
threw ono Of the ambulance wagons into the
adjacent canal. and having made bonfire Of
the other. deliberately killed an assistant ply.
stefan who had Il led to do his duty.
Meanwhile n similar scene was being en-
acted in selenia, the commercial quarter Of
the city. where the crowd not only maltreated
the police. but, installing u passer by for o
doctor heat him to death.
10000 to 10000 people proceeded to the chol-
era hospital in the iangurch eff district and
Having secured an entrance. they severely
beat 5E d?e,"r, Th ,o they found inside: The
for a doctor. threw him alive on u bonfire.
There he was quickly burned to q ,cinder.
ernor Of the province Of Astrakhan. Who Who has
his official residences IN the cty Of Astrakhan.
came upon the scene. accompanied by tho
local authorities and hOiV of (nsSacka huh
riot as were the appeals for order made BY the
rage and did Just as they In Ikea wore "''0 WIN
From the ru med hospital the rioters pro-
gan to draw collins from the earth and open
them: Here q discovery. was made which.
Alleged to Ee beyond 9ueson
since it was observed by hundreds Of eyowit-
whom had no part in the pro-
collins examined. four were found to contain
who in the haste Of the moment had been pre-
m1atureiy buried: The people. Mortified at the
pseo and haWns Done tSs y
Ing the lime from their mouths and feeding
them Win WIN milk and ssinulants, conducted
was Tartar. who. though not Of the orthodox
Greek Greek faith, devoYty made the sign Of the
that the doctors would never catch him again
:. The IN, mob left the cholera cometery with
tarv WIN e "sI1nrs aoGtors nhd sahi
sa u' fling t", sSefs e oh:
the hated profession. Wien the enrased peo.
pie reached hospital they would entor 1t and
safety; then. returning to tho buildings.
they would coniiscate all the disniecting ma
terial that could be found and scatter it to the
this wa distributed over the stepre. In ono
part Of the city the mob fired and burned to
which tho authorities had converted into =
hospital ut the same time breaking up the
ambtlance wagons and making bonhres Of
The police who tried to dissuado tho rioters
Were received with yo!lcyyss of stones and dirt
messed b. the Governor and the COssacks. hut
nothing was lone at this s'agr of the procced-
did not We their rifles Is not known. 1t IL
claimed on the ono hand that the Governor.
who il humane man. did no, care t? y We The
an MI pe"plii present only AS snoctators.
without cartridges How utterly tho rioters
had their own way is shown 10y the fact that
engine company. which had driven, up to put
out the ilam"s; were prevented from using
the mar afa f t. sn H by and watch
Having destroyed to brick hospital the
mob wont about n9rIi"E rolicc stations and
be found. An attempt WAS rIaIv made to set
fire To the Rmn'nlug hospitals in tho city. but
the Mtrurss OF the hour and the activity Of tho
soldiers dissuahcd the people irorl further
rintlng for that evening.
Fat ,;u"i with tIrir work. the riot terra scpa-
rated to TIA. ir homes. shouting, ~ they did no
that on tho morrow they wnIid XII all the
doctors. and uUrl their houses to the ground.
A panic rrign"'i Throughout tho city. and tho
wuhetul uupu!atl"r ~ nj THO night in terror.
bay had II n.uur"r Iawncd on the fourth OF
July tnHu IA" TpTaSIin gathered. this time
more uumuiruT mud form labe than ever.
The first act IT their ienwaken cd frenzy was
to smash aud utterly destroy some free tea
rooms which ihilaninrOpic Persons had estab-
lIshoI and wore conducting. IN the interest Of
worn IN.mrn, IN" rioters declaring that the tea
supplied in th"s' rooms had deem POISONED BY
IN, tn", r.. by this time tho city seemed to
h. wholly surrendered to the mob, for tho
i. r.. we're c!%snd and barricaded; aud tho
iu!i, - save thrir lives. were going about
in plain clothes und SAYING nothing. Rm-
ho!'ieurd by, their success Of the pre-.
yiuG~ day. the rioters proceeded to the
G'%9ygYtrpoEr,a house, and there called on thf
and rN Ia to the people who it was that had
ordered chol"r parents to be buried alive.
Mingled with these demands were cries that
tho doctors should bo handed over to the riot.
err, ana that money md bread should DO given
TO the people 10 en:bir those wLo wished