Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-03-22

men, 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.
It was journey Of political impor-
lance 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 Deen
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
it was menacing. He fastened to re
enter the capital, but when he arrived
there communication with Russia had
been cut off. He still received a 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.
1rkutsk was isolated from the rest Of
the world. m@. ,r
The grand duke could do nothing but
organize resistance, a thing which he
did with that firmness and GOODNESS OF
which he had given under other cir
cumstances incontestable proofs.
News of the taking of lch1m, 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 government of lrkutsk
could not arrive in sufficient numbers
to arrest the Tartar columns. Besides,
since Irkutsk could not possibly escape
being invested, it was of the utmost
Importance to put the town in a posi-
ton to sustain a 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, a 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 it's
ravages. The cgDps of corn and forage
were requisitioned for the town, and
that last rampant of Russian power in
the extreme east was prepared to re-
sist for some time. s.. g.. ...
Irkutsk, founded in 1911, is situated
at the confluence of the 1rkut 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 navl-
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 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 a conse-
quence Irkutsk was in danger of being
attacked on the east side, which no
rampant protected u.s.
1t was, then, in works of fertilization
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 it's 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 assembled 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 ae
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 emir and his allies.
The junction of these divers corps
took place on. the 25th of September a [.
the camp of Angara, and all the army
except the garrisons left in the princi