Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-01-21
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%v ern Siberia, has In ordi
~I nary times population
Sk1 Of 10000 souls. A high
kS@SNAV hill Of solid rock, skirtine
SNSy the right bank Of the An
CARA, serves as splen
did position for Its churches, crowned
by a high cathedral, and for its houses
built in picturesque disorder along itf
slopes.
Seen from a certain distance, from
the top of the mountain which runs
along the great Siberian route at dis
tance Of some twenty versts, with its
domes and belfries, its graceful spires,
like those Of minarets, its spiral domes,
II has q somewhat oriental appearance
But that oriental appearance vanishes
from the eyes Of the traveller from the
moment he enters the town. The town
half Byzantine, half Chinese, becomes
at once European by its macadamized
streets, bordered with sidewalks. with
their rows of gigantic birch trees, by
Its brick and wooden houses, some OF
which have several stories, by its many
splendid equipages-in fine, by the
whole body of its inhabitants being
very advanced in the progress OF civ
ilization, and to which the latest fash
ions Of Paris are not at all strangers.
At that epoch Irkutsk, refuge for the
Siberians of the province, was crowded
1t abounded In resources Of every kind.
Irkutsk is the emporium for all that
countless merchandise which Is ex-
changed between China, central Asia
and Europe. They did not fear to
draw there. the peasants from the val
lev Of the Ancara, the Mongols-hhai'
kas. people from Toungouze and Bou-
ret, aud to allow the wilderness to
stretch out between the invaders and
the town.
Irkutsk is the residence Of the gov
ernor general Of eastern Siberia. un-
der him is civil governor, in whose
hands Is concentrated the administra-
ton Of the province, head of the po'
lice. who has q great deal to do in
town where exiles ABOUND, and lastly
a mayor. one Of the leading merchants
an important parsonage by his im'
mense foi tune and by the influence
which he has over his fellow citizens.
The garrison Of Irkutsk was then
composed of a regiment Of foot Cos
sacks, which numbered about 1000
men. a body Of foot gendarmes. who
wore the helmet and blue uniforms
striped with silver.
Besides. it is known that on account
of particular circumstances the brother
of the car had been shut up In the
town since the commencement OF the
invasion.
That situation must be given IN de-
tail.
1t was a journey Of political impor'
tance that had led the grand duke Into
those distant provinces Of eastern Asia.
The grand duke, after having visited
the principal cities Of Siberia. travelling
In military rather than princely style
without any retinue. escorted by de-
tachment Of Cossacks, had gone even
as far as the countries beyond the Bal
kan mountains. Nicholaevsk, the last
Russian town which is situated on the
shores of the sea of OkhOtsk. had been
honored by his visit.
Having reached the boundaries OF the
immense Muscovite empire. the grand
duke was returning to Irkutsk. from
whence he would soon return to Eu'
rope, when the news reached him OF
that invasion, which was as sudden as
II was menacing. He fastened to re-
enter the capital. but when he arrived
there communication with Russia had
been cut of. He still received few tel
grams from st. Petersburg and Mos
COW. He could even answer them.
Afterward the wire was cut under the
circumstances already known to the
reader.
Irkutsk was isolated from the rest OF
the world.
The grand duke could do nothing but
organize resistance. thing which ne
did with that firmness and GOODNESS OF
which he had given under other cir
cumstances incOntestable proofs.
News of the taking Of lchim, 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 ana
those in the government Of Irkutsk
could not arrive in sufficient numbers
to arrest the Tartar columns. Besides,
since Irkutsk could not possibly escape
being invested, 1t was of the utmost
importance to put the town IN posi-
ton 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 barbarous
chiefs was Ivan Ogareff, Russian off1.
Ger whom he himself had cashiered.
From the first. as has been seen, the
inhabitants of the province or lrkutsK
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 reQuis!tioned 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
mt the confluence Of the Irkut and the
Angara, on the right bank Of the river
Two wooden bridges. built on piles and
so arranged us 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 lef,
bank. The outskirts were abandoned
the bridges destroyed. The passage ol
the Angara. which was very wide al
that place. would not have been posi-
BILE under the fire Of the besieged. Blu,
the river could be crossed either above
or below the town, and as q conse
ouence Irkutsk was In danger OF being
attacked on the east side, which M
rampant protected.
1t was, then, In works Of fortihcatior
that the hands were first employed
They worked day and night The grant
duke found a spirited population II