The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1897-05-29
rae STORY 81 ThE Moo.
Grim Nremeutoa Which the Dredges
Bronmht TO Light.

I 1AAAAASgaNI
/ brouaht TO Light.
Lately the Frenea and Russian PEG
pie have had preseg TO them, as an
instance OF the irony Of fate. strange
accidental comment on the wars and
alliances OF pationS As all the world
knows. the French and Russian PEG,
ples have recently been engaged In the
most extravagant demonstrations Of az.
fectiou toward each other. The rms
SLAMS are also wisely engaged In fevel.
oping their natural and commercial re-
sources. In the course OF this work
they have had occasion to deepen the
channel OF the Beresina River. crook
ed and swampy stream. in which much
dredging has been necessary,
When the dredgers were lately at
work some twelve miles above the
town OF Borisoy, near the hamlet OF
Studiapka. they beg: to strike mud
OF a singular quality. 1t was very
black. and had most peculiar aud
sulphurous smell The chemist OF the
expedition was summoned. and after
careful Inspection. pronounced the
mud to be chiefly c. imposed OF gun
powder! In some places this gunpow,
der mud was found to constitute lay.
er nearly two feet thick.
But this was far from being the only
queer thing which the dredges brought
up. Presently there began to appear
skulls, bones and entire skeletons. both
OF men and horses. The workmen were
In state OF terror at the gruesome
loads that the great shoveis brought to
light
Then. so to speak. the story was con-
tinued. and its development took an en-
tightening form. Along with the bones
there now appeared guns. Sabres. bay,
Onets. cannon-balls. buttons. drum
sticks, and even tall, old-faShhned mill
tary hats In a fair state Of preserva-
ton.
Then II became apparent to all. what
the chiefs OF the expedition already
knew well. that the dredges were al
work on the scene OF the famous pas
sage Of the Beresina by Napnlpon's
the retreat from Moscow.
From Smolensk the French emperor
had led forty thousand Men. who
were. indeed. already no more than
remnant OF the vast army be had taken
out Of France. At Studiadka. when the
Beresina was reached. bridge OF pom
tOOns bad to be made. aud while the
French were vending their way over
on these pontOons. they were fallen
upon by the Russians. The battle ragged
nercely. and many thousands of
French. with horses. cannon. ammunL
ton and supplies. were hurled into toe
muddy stream, never to appear again
on the surface.
However. the French IegiOns. though
they wert cold. hungry. decImated.
beaten and disheartened. were nsl the
men to sell their lives for nothing; and
many Russians also found the bottom
Of the Beresina.
or the forty thousand French who
had left Smolensk. only twenty i've
thousand succeeded In crossing the riv.
er and resuming the terrible march to-
ward France. The bodies Of their com
rades. and also Of the RUSSIANS who
were overwhelmed, were left at the
bottom Of the stream. which was we'll
nigh choked by the human debris.
Since that time France. with another
Napoleon at its head. Las again been
engaged In war against Russia. But
the fear Of common enemy has made
the two nations friends nov. In the
midst OF public demonstrations of an
affection which seems to pass The love
Of brothers. these reminders Of a time
when the French and Russian peoples.
II they indeed did love each other. were
not permitted to show their love. come
to the surface TO sIiirize the festivi-
ties.
The bones Of Sapoleon's DICTIONARIES
were given decent turial. and I. guns.
helmets. buttons and so forth were tick
eted and sent to 81 Petersburg as curl
Osities.