Morris tribune., 1902-03-29

murmTr. which proved that the Tar
tars were on foot, waiting for some
signal Again an hour passed by
Nothing new.
4 Two o'clock in the morning was about
to- strike from the clock tower of the
cathedral of Irkutsk and no movement
had taken place to disclose the hostile
intentions Of the besiegers. The grand
duke and his officers began to ask
themselves If they had not been led
into error, if it had really entered into
the plan Of the Tartars to attempt to
surprise the town.
The preceding nights had not by any
means been so calm. Firing had been
kept up from the advanced posts, and
shells had Kissed through the air, and
this time there was nothing Of the kind.
The grand duke, General Voranzoff,
their aids-de-camp, waited therefore,
ready to give their orders according to
the circumstances.
It has been stated that Ivan Ogaref
occupied a room in the palace. It was
pretty large room, situated on the
ground floor, and its windows opened
out upon side terrace. One need only
step few PAGES on this terrace to
overlook the course of the Angara. A
profound darkness reigned in that
room. Ivan Ogareff, standing near a
window, was waiting for the hour of
action to arrive. Evidently the signal
could only come from him. Once this
signal was given, when most of the de-
tenders of Irkutsk should have been
called to the points openly attacked,
his plan was to leave the palace and
to go and accomplish his work. He
waited then in the dark, like tiger
ready to spring upon its prey.
Meanwhile, some minutes before 2
o'clock, the grand duke asked that Mi
chael Strogoff-it was the only name
he could give to Ivan OgareR- should
be brought to him. An aid-de-camp
came to his room, the door of which
was closed. He called him. Ivan Oga-
ref, motionless near the window and
invisible in the darkness, took good
CoAC AOL W dAS WSIs 4hC SloAO NuhO
was then Informed that the courier of
the car was not at that moment in the
palace.
Two o'clock struck. It was the mo-
ment that action had been agreed on
with the Tartars, who were ready for
the assault. Ivan Ogareff opened the
window Of his room and placed himself
at the north angle Of the side terrace.
Below him in the shade f9wed the wa
ters of the Angara, which roared as
they broke against the piles of the but
tresses.
Ivan Ogareff drew a flint from his
pocket and lit with it a piece Of cotton
wool impregnated with printing pow
der, which he threw into the river. 1t
was by the order Of Ivan Ogareff that
torrents of mineral Oil had been cast.
ON the surface of the Angara. Springs
of naDhtha had been discovered above
Irkutsk on the right bank, between the
village of Poshkavsk and the town.
Ivan Ogareff had resolved to employ
this terrible means for setting fire to
Irkutsk. He therefore made use of the
immense reservoir which contained the
combustibIe liquid. He had only to
make a few canals to draw in streams
into the river. These he had made that
very night, some hours before. The
cotton wool had been cast on the wa
ters of the Angara. In an instant, as II
the current had been made of alcohol,
all the river became a mass, of flames,
up and down the stream, with the ra-
Didity of electricity. Volumes of blue
flames covered the whole surface of the
river and shot far up into the sky.
The few blocks Of ice that came float
ing down the river, being seized by the
burning liquid, melted like wax on the
surface OF a furnace, and the water,
sent off as vapor, rose Kissing to the
clouds. At that very moment the fir
ng began at the north and at the south
If the town. The batteries Of the camp
IF the Angara threw an uninterrupted,
7olley Of shot and shell. Many thou
sand Tartars rushed to the assault Of
he ramparts. The houses along the
nigh banks, constructed Of wood, took
ire in every direction. An immense
light dissipated the shades of night.
"At Hast!" said Ivan Ogareff. And he
lad good reason to applaud. The d.
,ersion which he had planned was ter
ible. The defenders saw themselves
laced between the attack of the Tar |
srs and the disasters Of an immense
onfa grafton. The bells sounded, and |
very ablebodied man of the population |
astened to the points attacked and to
he houses which were being deyoured |
Y the fire, which was threatening to /
itself to the whole city. |
he Bolchaia gate was almost free. 1t
-as with difficulty that any defenders
al been left there.
Ivan Ogareff re-entered his room,
hen brilliantly lit up by the flames
rom the Angara that overtopped the
of the ramparts. Then he
repaired to leave it. But scarcely had
e opened the door when a woman
lshed into the room, with her gar
tents dripping wet, her hair in disor-
err. Es,