Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-06
Observations. Made by Prof. Merrill
Of the National Museum.
INTERNATIONAL acknowledgements
Over a Thousand Delegates at the
St. Petersburg Session.
STORY OF MOUNT ARAFAT

the department of geology, National Mu-
scum. has just returned from trip to
Russia, whittier he had been to attend the
| international geological congress, held in
ST. Petersburg. These congresses are held
trlenn1ally, one of them having been held
In washington. The one held in st. Peters,
burg was the seventh. The next will con-
vene in Paris in 1900, the year of the ex-
position.
Professor Merrill left here June 80 He
has been back but short time. During
his visit to Russia he Travelled over con-
siderable portion of the country, under the
frank of the car, and returned to Wash
| ington greatly pleased with the result Of
the trip One Of the excursions In which
| he took part was to the biblical Mt.Ararat,
| where the ark is said to have landed after
the flood One member of the party on the
Ararat expedition met with an untimely
death, being frozen.
Many features of interest were inspected
10y Professor Merrill, including the man.
ners and habits of the people, the mode
OF living, resources of the cars dominion
and other points. He did not go there
merely to study the geological formation
of the country. Ample opportunity was
afforded for this, however, especially in the
Caucasus mountains. Mt. Ararat is most
interesting. Professor Merrill declared,view
ed from a geological standpoint, as we'll as
from others. Speaking to a Star reporter,
he said:
Prominent Features.
''The excursions were prominent features
Of the congress. The car could give free
passes to all delegates travelling on any
Russian railroad, as the roads are under
the government. There were about a thou
sand delegates at the st. Petersburg con-
gress, who came from all the world.
| Three excursions given before the
congress and three after it took place.
Those prior to 1t were in ESthonia, Finland
and to the Ural mountains. 1 was included
in the Ural excursion. 1t was most sue
cessful, and we were most handsomely
treated Those who went on the Ural ex-
cursion arrived in Moscow July IS. We
passed two or three days there very pleas
antly. The night of July 81 about $50 of
us started on the trip. There were two
trains, for the excursionists and the
other composed of the cooking and dining
and other cars. We were enabled to travel
at night and make our Investigations in the
daytime. Some Of these Investigations
were made in carriages and others on foot.
From Moscow we went southwesterly to
the eastern side of the Urals, to a place
called Tcheliabinsk in Asia, portion of
Siberia. There We went out on the cele-
brated convict road and visited the gold
mines. We went indirectly to Perm, where
we took a boat and went down the river
Mama 10 us Junction WITH the NOlSa. we
went up the Volga to Mini Novgorod. At
Novgorod We took train for St. Peters
burg, where We arrived August g.
Delegates Cordially Received.
"All through the trip we were received
most cordially by the people, who rendered
US a number Of public banquets. There
seems to be no limit to the hospitality of
the higher class of Russians. They seemed
to think nothing in the little towns of set
ting out banquets for $50 people The
vodki is always a prominent drink before
dinner, much like the cocktail in this
country 1t is a colorless liquor, with no
aroma, as is. possessed by the whisky of
America Before dinner a little lunch called
a szaukouski, is Set on a separate table in
the dining ROOM There are dishes of ca
War. smoked fish and bottles of vodki The
custom is on going into the dining room,
to take few bites of this and glass of
vodki The most common bill of fare for
the banquets is cabbage soup; then either
sturgeon or Sturlet fish, followed either by
chicken or game bird; then caulff1ower and
some form OF dessert. OF course many of
the banquets are much more elaborate than
this There is no stint of wine. We al
ways drank the cars health in cham
payne.
We remained in st. Petersburg till the
night of September 5. Our congress was
held and many important questions were
settled. About 200 of us were most hospi-
tably received by the Grand Duke Con-
stantine Constantonovitch and his wife at
the winter palace In ST. Petersburg We
we're also rendered banquet given by the
municipality of the city. in one of the club
houses where we met the mayor. We were
also taken through the grounds of the Pc
ternoH and given a sumptuous luncheon
After the congress there were three
other excursions, all having VIadikaykaz
and Tifiis as their destination 1 went on
an excursion down the Volga to Vladikay-
kaz. At Vladikavkaz we remained one
night, and then took a trip along the eau
casus mountains by means of the celebrat-
ed military road to Tiflis. The trip con
sumed three days. and our party was
transported in carriages resembling large
Fractions four horses abreast This mill
tary road is one of the finest / ever saw
feins macadamized. 1t puts to shame even
our own AquedCct road. 1t runs directly
through the mountains, but the grade is
sc netting wonderful, and two carriages
can go abreast at full speed on any por-
ton.
Arrive at Ttais.
1--WE stopped on cur way to see Mount
Kazbek. the highest of the range, the alti-
tude of which is about 1900 feet We ar
rived in Tif1is September 90 and remained
three days. until all the excursionists had
come in. We were treated most Hospitality
there, and the city was most attractive to
Us, as it was the ancient capital of Georgia
We visited the Baku oil fields We left
the party at Baku and went to Axtafan
where we went through Delijan to Erivan
The first day at Erivan we visited the ia
NOUS monastery. which is the head Of the
Armenian Church. We were given a ban
quet by the Catholics, who is much the
same to that church as the pope is to the
Catholic Church. He sat at the table with
us. and tie monks waited en- us. The mon
astery was founded three hundred years
after Christ. We were shown Interesting
relics. among them a piece of wood from
the ark, and an iron head with which the
Roman soldiers pierced the side of Christ
on the cross We returned to Erivan and
rode out to q military station on the other
side Of the Araxes.1 We slept on the floor
that night. The next day our baggage was
strapped on can.els and we rode to a Cos
sack camp.
The Two Ararats.
1--WE visited the two Ararats There are
two of them. by the way. a fact which Is
not generally known. One of them is
Small Ararat and the other Great Ararat.
The smaller enc Is about 1900 feet In
height; Great Ararat is about 1900. fhe
perpetual snow line Is just above the ton
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