The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-06-14


had taken place to disclose the hostH
intentions OF the besiegers. The gran
duke and his officers began to as
themselves If they had not been le
into error. If it had really entered int
the plan of the Tartars to attempt t
surprise the town.
The preceding nights had not by an.
means been so calm. Firing had beef
kept up from the advanced posts, an,
shells had Kissed through the air. an,
this time there was nothing of the kind
The grand duke, General Voranzof1
their aids-de-camp, waited therefore
ready to give their orders according t,
the circumstances.
It has been stated that Ivan Ogaref
occupied a room in the palace. 1t wa.
a pretty large room. situated on the
ground floor, and it's windows opened
out upon side terrace. One need only
step few PAGES on this terrace tt
overlook the course of the Angara. A
profound darkness reigned In thai
room. Ivan Ogareff, standing near 9
window, was waiting for the hour OF
action to arrive. Evidently the sigma
could only come from him. Once this
signal was given, when most of the de-
lenders 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 a tiger
ready to spring upon it's prey.
Meanwhile. some minutes before 2
O'Clock, the grand duke asked that Mi
he could give to Ivan Ogareff-shouid
be brought to him. An ald-de-camp
came to his room, the door Of which
was closed. He called him. Ivan Oga-
rem, motionless near the window and
invisible in the darkness, took good
care not to answer. The grand duke
was then Informed that the courier Of
the car was not at that moment in the
palace.
Two o'clock struck. 1t 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
ut the north angle of the side terrace
Below him In the shade flowed the wa
tiers of the Angara, which roared as
freSses.
Ivan Ogareff drew a flint from his
pocket and lit with 1T 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
or naphtha 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
combustible liquid. He had only to
make few canals 70 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
tiers Of the Angara. In an instant, as IL
the current had been Eade Of alcohol,
all the river became a mass of flames,
up and down the stream, with the ra-
pidity of electricity. Volumes Of blue
names 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
Ing began at the north and at the south
or the town. The batteries of the camp
or the Angara threw an uninterrupted
volley of shot and shell. Many thou
sand Tartars rushed to the assault of
the ramparts. The houses along the
high banks, constructed of wood, took
fine in every direction. An immense
light 'dissipnted the shades of night
AT last!' said Ivan Ogareff And he
had good reason to applaud. The d.
version which he had planned was ter
rfble. The defenders saw themselves
placed between the attack of the Tar
lars and the disasters of an immense
The bells sounded, and
every ablebodied man of the population
FASTENED to the points attacked and to
the houses which were being devoured
by the fire, which was threatening to
itself to the whole city.
The Bolchaia gate was almost free 1t
was with difficulty that any defenders
had been left there.
Ivan Ogareff re-entered his room,
then brilliantly lit up by the flames
from the Angara that overtopped the
balustrades of the ramparts. Then he
prepared to leave 1t. But scarcely had
be opened the door when a woman
into the room, with her gar
ments dripping wet, her hair In disor-
der.
"Sangarrew cried Ivan Ogareff In the |
hrst moment Of surprise and not imag-
hing that 1t could be any other woman |
than the gypsy.
1t was not Sangarre; 1t was Nadia.
At the moment when, seeking refuge |
ON the block of ice, the young girl had |
uttered that cry when she saw the FIRE |
spread over the current of the Angara, |
vi tOhARI EtrnOnR hod + h T.