The Iola register., 1902-02-14

organize resistance. thing which he
did with that firmness and coolness Of
which he had given under other cir
cumstances incontestable proofs.
News of the taking of Ichim, Of
Omsk, of Tomsk, came successfully to
Irkutsk They could not count on be-
ing soon relieved, but they must pre-
vent at all price the occupation of the
capital Of Siberia. The few troops scat
tered over the province Of Amur and
those in the govcrnmCy of Irkutsk
could not arrive in suil Int numbers
to arrest the Tartar colu ns. Besides,
since lrkutsk could not 7 ;sibly escape
being invested, it was O. the utmost
Importance to put the town in a posi-
tion to sustain siege of some length.
Those works were begun on the day
on which Tomsk fell into the hands of
the Tartars. At the same time as that
last news the grand duke learned that
the emir Of Bokhara and the allied
khans were directing the movement in
person, but what he did not know was
that the lieutenant of those bnrbarous
chiefs was Ivan Ogareff, Russian Off.
Ger whom he himself had cashiered.
From the first, as has been seen, the
inhabitants Of the province of Irkutsk
had been ordered to abandon the towns
and villages. Those who did not seek
refuge in the capital were compelled to
retire beyond Lake Baikal, to where
the invasion would not likely extend its
ravages. The crops Of corn and forage
were requlsitioned for the town, and
that last rampant of Russian power in
the extreme east was prepared to re-
sist for some time.
Irkutsk, founded in 1911, is situated
at the confluence of the Irkut and the
Angara, on the right bank of the river.
Two wooden bridges. built on piles and
so arranged as to open the whole width
of the river for the necessities of navi-
cation, Joined the town with its out
skirts which extended along the left
bank. The outskirts were abandoned,
the bridges destroyed. The passage OF
the Augara, which was very wide AT
that place, would not have been posi-
BILE under the fire of the besiesed. But
the river could be crossed either above
or below the town, and as conse-
quence lrkutsk was in danger of being
attacked on the east side, which no
rampant protected.
1t was then, In works of fortification
that the hands were first employed
They worked day and night. The grand
duke found a 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 fertilization. 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 Irtutsk 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 archduke'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 emlr and his allies.
Tho innafinn oP tbaca 1iyana anrna
took place on the 25th of September N
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-Kh
The passage of the Angara having
been regarded by Ivan Ogareff as i'm
practicable before Irkutsk, a strong
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 Ir-
kutsk.
Ivan Ogareff, clever engineer, was
certainly able to direct the operations
of regular siege, but he had not the
material to carry forward his opera
tlons 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