The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-05-23
TRAVELS IN MANCHURll
Hardships Endured In the Flight
From Port Arthur.
TEDIOUS DELAY AT A STATION.

TEDIOUS DELAY Ar A STATION
Russian Physician Describes Expe-
riences Of Passengers While wait
inn Two Days For a Train M
small, Overcrowded station-some
slept on Platform with Tempera-
ture IL Degrees Below Zero.
One Of the many Russian physicians
who were sent to the front has written
a letter describing his experiences en-
route, which was recently published 10
the Goniec, daily newspaper Of War
saw, and Of which this is a translation;
"This station is Manchuria, cried
the conductor as the train slowed up
along an open platform. Some Of Us
got out Of the cars. Baggage was be-
ing literally dumped out Of the bag
gage car Baskets trunks, hand bas-
kets, satehels in one great heap are
piled up III front of the car. BY the
light Of the pickering oil lamps it is
difficult to see what is yours.
Everywhere uproar, noise and mill
tary orders.
Porter, this way, cries voice IN
the crowd II viii pay s rubles."
I'll pay 10 rubIes,n cries another.
Come this way, 10 rublesr'
Gentlemen" the conductor calls
through the compartments, you must
an get out. we win have to take on
troops
and where shall we goT'
You VIII have 10 wait at the station
for the next train You Will have to
change cars here and buy new tickets
Buy ticketsg Everybody repeats
these words Of the conductor, and
there is a general rush for the ticket
Office. There another disappointment
awaits rs, for the ticket seller shouts:
'Plenty Of time. plenty Of time!
There win not be another train for two
daysr'
We ask what we shall DO. "Wait,
Is the laconic reply. Very well. We
prepare for the tedious delay, but we
are confronted BY another difficulty
The station building IS not very large.
indeed It Is very small 1t consists Of
three rooms, which are supposed to af-
ford shelter to the passengers OF forty
cars. There Is not room for all Of us,
and some are compelled to spend the
night on the platform with a temporal
ture Of Is degrees below freezing.
Some Of us keep awake awaiting the
arrival Of trains from the front, and
others lie down to sleep. Don't 90 to
Sleep some one cries. you might
freeze to DEATH But how Is any one
to 50 fortyeight hours without sleep,
especially when we have been travel
ing for weeks
Trains from the front are arriving
every few hours They bring news
from Port Arthur The crowd IN the
waiting room is growing all the time
Out Of one Of the trains descends d
young woman. she is dressed IN d
nightgown. wrapped in a heavy blan-
izet and She wears big felt boots. Her
hair is disheveea and she can hardly
stand up, vet she staggers from one
corner to another in vain searching for
rest She was one Of the inhabitants
Of Port Arthur but fed the town at the
first bombardment When the boom Of
the first shot Numbered over the city
she became terror stricken and thought
OF nothing but flight How she reach
ed Manchuria she knows not She has
only one idea, and that is flight, no
matter where to-
Among the other passengers are two
coldhlooded Englishmen One Of them
shows TO the crowd a piece Of shell
which exploded in front Of bis house
in Port Arthur They are watched
with mistrust. and from mouth to
mouth run ia whispers the words,
Traitors and spies
One Of them must have overheard
the remarks, FOR be replies with calm
force
1--WE are neutral
ia one corner of the room, along the
cold stove, a young mother has nestled
down with her three children The
ItgA titktN 0AltH alN NAJ - - A&4h anu aAAA
doubled up with cold. Dawn sends its
gray light into the room and illumines
our pale and drawn faces. We are an
silent. The cold has nipped our
strength
Mother" cries one Of the children,
"a ann hungry
This voice brings us back to life and |
awakens our appetltes.
II VIII buy you something says the |
young mother, and she goes to the
station restaurant When she returns |
she brings the sad information that the |
pantry Is empty The food IS al gone,
there is not even a breadcrumb or /
morsel of meat left Some Of us 10 |
down to the village and succeed in get
ting a little something, for which we /
pay exorbitant prices. There are only /
two families left in the village, the /
others having fed Those that could /
not buy anything ask the station agent
for help. but the only encouragement
lie can give them Is that the train viii /
arrive in about ten hours and that
they may be able to get food at the
next station. The ten hours seem end.
less. At last the train pulls slowly into
the station. We greet it In silence and
4 .