The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27
A RACE THROUGH THE DESERT
THE CAR GAVE A MILLION RoU.
BLEs FOR REBUILDING USES.
AutOcratic Government Saves Com.
merciaI Credit-Loss of Life and
Apathy of Survivors.

I
bring order out of the chaos into which
nature threw this city that was, but prog
ress is slow, frightfully slow. The mil
| Hons appropriated by Nicholas out of his
private purse might save city of Sche-
machas size under ordinary circumstances,
but If that city be a vast cemetery and
its inhabitants either dead, crazed wound
ed or turned fatalists or robbers. even
money loses some of its power for good.
Besides this town of ruins is separated
from the nearest point of civilization Baku,
by two days enforced march through the
desert. Every pound of provisions must be
carried that distance on camel back, and
as 1 write the cold is intense and big snow
flakes. driven by fierce gale through I'M
/ glazed window openings, blot out the letters
painfully set down with a trembling hand.
We have now twenty barracks going, but
most of the survivors are still lodging in
tents. under crumbIng walls or in the
open. Large quantities of logs are shipped
to this point, but only part of them can be
used for building purposes. as half the
population is on the point of freezing to
death. The prince. though. who has his
orders" determined to save the city and
people for his Czarish Majesty, and. thanks
to autocratic methods. he will probably
succeed. Americans. having no use for
autocracy, may still indorse what autocracy
did for stricken Schemacha.
The Emperors representative has just
! commanded that no commercial or other
debts within the city and district shall be
! collectable during the next six months
while all merchants are permitted to de-
clare themselves bankrupts without in
curing the penalties and annoyances ap-
pertaining to that condition.
Their bankruptcy is recorded as lowing
TO force majeur.' and their credit is de-
clared to be good as ever, while credit
ors must not ask interest on the amount
due for the six months extension decreed
and money advanced at higher than the
legal rate is declared forfeited.
MOSCOW MERCHANTS HARD HIT.
This ukase, which may save Schemacha
as city and commercial center, is par
ticularly hard on Moscow. whose mer-
chants monopolize trade in these parts, but
what of that? The Car chooses to make
rich Paul pay poor Peter, and subjects are
| there to obey.
| Even to-day it is impossible TO compute
the number of dead and wounded or the
amount of property destroyed A census
would be useless, as thousands ran away
| during the first few days after the earth
quake. Though have been here since the
beginning of March have not seen a single
person who saved anything besides the
| clothes on his or her back. An early spring
warm weather-is Schemacha's only hope
Up to the present the ground is frozen so
hard that 1t was impossible to conduct ex-
| cavations on larger scale
| Prince Galitzin, Governor of the province
| finding me al work on this letter just
| asked me to announce positively that the
| city will be rebuilt. Its the Cars will.
and his will will be DONE" declared the
plenipotentiary.
| The catastrophe was caused by a volcano
situated six and one-half miles east of
| Schemacha. The eruption has not vet
| ceased and the nights are turned into day
| by the flames and fiery lava bursting con-
! tinuously from the crater. The earthquake
| tore ditch exactly three-fourths of mile
| long, six feet broad and twelve feet deep
IN the rock and soil half way between the
| town and the volcano. Official surveyors
| say it looks as if made by mans hand, for
| given purpose and under the direction of
| skillful engineers, the same depth and
breadth prevailing throughout the break
in the earth's surface
| The writer happened to be in the dining
room of the Hotel Metropole, at Baku
when the great Tartar town was destroyed.
| AS 1 was sitting down to luncheon al 1928,
| Feb. IL, the building and outlying houses
| as far as L could see Ct was near the win
| dow began to rock to and fro for the
period of exactly fifteen seconds. I had
my elbows on the table, felt IL move away
from and return to its position.
When the swaying ceased 1 was over
come by a dazed feeling. from which 1
didn't recover until an hour later. After
wards 1 learned that the other guests, and
| likewise the attendants, had had the same
experience as l. For whole hour the
| great hotel, and the people of Baku gener-
! ally, fell into a sort OF sem-comatose state,
| business ceased, street cars and wagons
| stopped In their tracks, the wheels of COM
MERGE and machinery stood stock still, or
ran wild, according to the way they were
! affected
| The same evening at g. while I was talk
ing with a business man in his store, an
| other shock came, but this second one prob
| ably lasted no more than eight seconds.
1t was less forcible. though, the swaying
motion being absent. 1t came by starts
and jerks An hour later kilograms an
nounced that Schemacha had fallen. "a
thriving Tartar town of $500 inhabitants
buried, the Governor with a staff Of officials
on the way to bring relief"
RELIEF TRAINS START.
Myself and servants Immediately started
! out with fresh horses, a pack train carry
! ing provisions following an hour later. A
miles ride from Baku the desert COM
mences-ground torn and cracked by the
eternal dryness. here and there white
bones. the remains OF camels and horses.
| and men perhaps: dried up salt pools and
/ lakes TO the right and left, little or no
vegetation. naked rocks and sand, sand
| and again sand.
After covering some thirty miles we
caught up with the first RELIEF caravan,
| carrying bread. The train was escorted
| by Cossacks. whose commander ordered me
Ito fall behind. we rested Cor two hours