Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-12-21
THE COURIER OF THE CAR,
az JULES VERNE.

| the DrlQSeS QeStrOyeu. 1ue pdSSaSe VI
the Angara. which was very wide at
that place. would not have been posi-.
BILE under the fire Of the besieged. But
the river could be crossed either above
or below the town. and as q conse'
quence Irkutsk was in danger Of being
attacked on the east side, which no
rampant protected.
1t was. then, in works of fortiflcation
that. the hands were first employed.
They worked day and night. The grand
duke found spirited population In
supplying that need, and afterward he
found them most brave in its defense.
Soldiers. merchants. eXiles. peasants.
all devoted themselves to the common
safety. Eight days before the Tartars
had appeared on the Angara ramparts
of earth had been raised. A moat.
flooded with the waters Of the Angara,
had been dug between the inner and
outer wall Of the fortitlcation. The
city could no longer be taken by sud-
den assault. 1t must be invested and
besieged.
The third Tartar column-that which
had ascended the valley Of the Yeni.
sei-appeared in sight Of Irkutsk on the
oath Of September. 1t Immediately oc-
cupied the abandoned outskirts. Of
which the very houses had been de-
stroyed in order not to impede the ac-
ton of the arcbduke's artillery, which
was unfortunately very insufficient.
The Tartars organized themselves
while waiting the arrival Of the two
other columns which were commanded
by the emir and his allies.
The junction Of these divers corps
took place on the 25th Of September at
the camp of Angara. and all the army.
except the garrisons left in the princi-
pal conquered towns, was concentrated
under the orders Of Feofar-Khan.
The passage Of the Angara having
been regarded by Ivan Ogareff as inn
practicable before Irkutsk, strong
body Of troops crossed at some versts
down the river on some bridges Of
boats which had been established for
that purpose. The grand duke did not
attempt to oppose that passage. He
could only have harassed them without
preventing it, not having any field
pieces at his disposal, and this Is the
reason he remained cooped up in 1r-
kutsk. ....- ...
Ivan Ogareff, q clever engineer, was
certainly able to direct the operations
Of regular siege. but he had not the
material to carry forward his opera
tions quickly. So he had hoped to sur
prise Irkutsk, the end Of all his efforts.
One can see that things had turned
out otherwise than he had reckoned.
On the one hand. the march of the Tar
tar army delayed by the battle Of
Tomsk: on the other. the rapidity with
which the works Of defense had been
carried on by the grand duke. For
these two reasons his projects had fall
ed. He found himself therefore under
the necessity Of carrying on regular
siege.
Meanwhile by his advice the emir at
tempted twice to take the town at the
price of great sacrifice Of men. He
threw the soldiers against the earth
works which seemed to present some
weak points. but the two assaults were
repelled with the greatest courage. The
grand duke and his officers did not
spare themselves on that occasion.
They led the civil population to the
ramparts. Civilians and mujiks did
their duty remarkably we'll At the
second assault the Tartars had succeed
ed in forcing one Of the gates Of the
town. 4 fight took place at the be-
ginning Of the principal street. tie Boil
chaia. which Is two versts in length
and terminates at the banks Of the An
CARA. But the COSsacks. the gendarmes
and the citizens opposed to them a
strong resistance. and the Tartars had
to return to their positions.
Ivan Ogareff thought then Of trying
to win by treachery what force could
not give him. His project. it is known.
was to make his way alone into the
town and present himself before the
grand duke with some plausible tale
to win his confidence and when the mo-
ment came to deliver one Of the gates
to the besiegers: afterward. that done,
to glut his vengeance on the brother OF
the car.
The gypsy. who had accompanied
him to the camp Of the Angara, urged
him to put this project into execution.
And, indeed. it was necessary to act
without delay. The Russian troops Of
the government of Irkutsk were march
ing to the relief Of Irkutsk. They were
concentrating on the higher waters of
the Lena and marching up the valley.
! They would surely arrive before six
days 1t was necessary, then. that Ir-
kutsk should be delivered up 10y trcach-
cry before six days.
Ivan Ogareff did not hesitate any Ion
ger.
One evening. the I'd Of October, a
council of war was being held in the
large room of the governor generals 8
palace. 1t was there the grand duke
resided.
This palace overlooked for great
distance the course Of the river. From
it's front windows one could perceive
the Tartar camp. and had the Tartars
possessed artillery Of longer range
they could have rendered it uninhab'
liable.
The grand duke, General Voranzoft
and the governor Of the town, the head
merchant, with whom had been Joined
a number of superior officers, had just
passed divers resolutions.
| "Gpntlcmcn." said the grand duke