New-York tribune., 1900-09-30

minute more. the steamer going slower and
slower. Finally her paddle wheels paddle in
vain. She is fast. The first method resorted IS
the simplest. Long poles with metal tbs are
produced, and an attempt is made TO put her OF
by hand This failing, great round beams are
thrust over the ships side into the water, the
other erd attached TO the steam windlass in the
bow. In this way. the beams having a good
purchase in the river bed, the ship is showed
slowly along, literally inch by inch, and this is
sometimes kept up all day and all night. This
method failing. of the ships anchors is
carried to neighboring sandbar or the shore,
where 1t is made fast. and a cable attached to it
from the windlass, and the steerage pa -.
are transferred to the convict freight barge,
which is generally being towed behind Ito the
detraction of the steamers speed when il does
happen to be going) The last resort is the
changing of the ships wood supply to the barge
and the transferring Of the first and second
class passengers. Thus hghtened and with
cable and beams working all at once. the steam
er will be got off if it is within the bounds Of
possibility, otherwise she must wait securely
stuck as was the Ark on Ararat till the coming
OF friendly rains.
On other steamers have seen still different
method resorted to-tWoscore or threescoFe Of
Chinese on the shore pulling a cable attached
TO the steamers bow. Doubtless other ways
have been invented by the ingenuity Of various
captains, for this has been a perennial problem
for the Russians during the last fifty years,
since they have been running steamers up and
down the river. After while there is more
sickening sound for the passenger than the
scrunching Of the ships fat keel on the river
bed We were transferred from the steamer on
which left Blagoveschensk in the early
hours Of dawn when we We're two days out. The
. scene Of confusion, with the changing OF lug
gaze hastily packed and the angry protests Of
half dressed passengers against certain state
rooms assigned to them, only died down when we
finally off and collected in a miserable
group about the never falling samovar the
saloon table. But these scenes become the most
familiar Of ones life in crossing Siberia under
the present conditions. No person with a ner-
vous temperament should attempt it!
SCHEDULE TINE A MOCKERY.
AS far as there is schedule time hereabout
the voyage between Blagoveschensk and Sire
lensk, where the railroad begins-or ends-takes
from seven to nine days. 1t will probably take
US fourteen. It may take others twenty. Still
there is no doubt that, under favorable condi-
tions, IL could be done within the time
toned Hence many Of the conflicting state
I ments We spending much time at the
little stations taking on wood or firmly jammed
on bars in midstream as in steaming UP the
river.
After day or two on the second steamer we
were told that there would be another change
at a town named Pokoroffsky. S42 versts from
Blagoveschensk. This time it would be to a
river barge drawing a little two feet, towed
by steamer Of equally light draught. Without
this change there was no chance Of our getting
up the Chilka at all. Last year at this time
there was one foot OF water in the river opposite
Strelensk. We did not know how far should
credit this cheerful news No army campaign
ever produced a larger crop OF possible rumors
than has trip. We were finally reduced to
such a pass that we believed absolutely nothing.
Our surprise not any more pleasant on that
account when We were once more routed out
Of our bunks-One could scarcely call them beds
or berths-at hour when certain of our COM
pany were still snoring, and we were informed
that we were to change at once 10 the barge
| Diana. Again the rapid packing OF boxes and
! trunks and the tearing about of dishevelled
| looking passengers This time the confusion
even worse for the barge which had been
towed down to meet full Of passengers,
who were TO change to our steamer and go
| down the river again while continued up.
| So there rush from both sides at
soon as the connecting gangplank was down.
| 1t is strange that nobody knocked over into
the water. for first and second class passengers
with their hand luggage were jostled by emf
| grants carrying huge bundles. and small chill
| dten rushing madly back and forth. There was
no system about making the change, super
| vision from the officers on this occasion any
more than on many that I might mention.
Throughout the trip. however, whenever we
stopped at village. there a general desire
| TO get on shore. A crowd Of people was always
/ gathered waiting for the gangplank to be low
| cred. Some of the emigrants would usually rush
| down first, hurTiedly buy milk and bread from
| before anybody else could get off, sometimes
| keeping the others waiting five ten minutes
| for an opportunity.
THE SERVICE IS POOR.
There is never more than one poor factotum
| TO wait on all the first class passengers at
! meals and between. In consequence the waits
fer courses (when they have more than one)
| are from half hour TO an hour in length As
for the general tidiness OF the ship and state
rooms. the less said the better | doubt OF +hev
| are ever cleaned between trips for new occu-
| pants. fortunately, most all the boats seem
freshly painted and vanished for the season
so that they are better in some respects than
| we were led 10 anticipate
Concerning the barge Diana, never was craft
| more lnappropria tey named. We We're told
that these barges. which must in such emerg-
| ehcles De USED Tor passengers, were most com
| fortably fitted up and appointed We reeret n
( hnd II otherwise. There is one cabin for ali The
women travelling first class and one for those
travelling second. The same arrangement eor
tne men Each OF these large cabins-which
resemble hospital wRrds-has one doubtful
no than ...a- - II y