The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-24
Strikers Without Plans.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press)
St. Petersburg. Jar Z3.-Factory
ana mill districts ofthe city were prac-
tcaily deserted today The. strikers
had no plans for demonstrations and
10 special mcCtii:S points had been
arranged. The absence OF any defin-
ite objective led the strikers 10 Drift
towards the princpal thorOughf2rc.
the Nevsky Prospekt, which had been
the centre OF today'S less thrilling
events. As the afternoon wore on the
crowds in the Nevsky krospekt be-
came dense, and the authorities, PES
sibly fearing that The cars might be
converted into material for barricades
stopped street railway traffic and re-
inforced the already considerable
number of cavalry patrols.
Towards five o'clock driving uo the
Nevsky Proskt, the Associated Press
correspondent saw through the gath
ering gloom the blaze OF camp fires in
the palace square, With the dark
forms of troopers sitting around them.
The Nevsky Proskt itself, was 4
blaze with light. Strikers and curio-
sity seekers promenaded the two
miles of slewalk between the admir-
atty and the Nicholas station and
squadrons OF hussars and SGilassiers
rode uO and down i'll endless process
sion. The crowds seemed peaceful
enough, the watchward evidently be-
ing Don't abuse the troops. The
only shouts heard were a few isolated
hurrahs.
Wrapped in Sudden Night.
Suddenly the electric lights in the
upper section between the Bazaar,
called Gostinny Dvor and the Nicholas
Station, were eXtjnguished and the
thoronChfare was plunged without
l. ifs1
was not rel zen by lights in
shop windows. as ali the stcr S were
closed. The scene was weird and
fearful.
The driver at first refused to move
on, fearing some hidden danger; but
he finally was persuaded to proceed,
exclaiming, with Russian stoicisnl,
zone can die only once" A deathlS
silence prevailed, heightened by the
rustic of hundreds of feet on the snow
clad sidewalks. the nultied tread of
looming squadrons. and the lugubrious
hammering of shop keepers taking
precautions against possible attack by
boarding up the windows of their
stores with rough lumber The Curl
Gus hastily scurried into adjoining
streets, finding their way home as best
they could through the inky darkness
Only q fringe of sullen strikers ana
warning all to get home as soon as pos
sible.
The only bright spot was a blaze of
light from the courtyard of the Annj
tchkofT palace, whence the Empires.
Dowager yesterday fled to Tsarskoe
Scio. Beyond stood the dark. grim
palace of the Grand Duke Sergius.
The Street Nearly Deserted.
The crowd was particularly dense
around the approaches TO the Nicho-
las station. Here, in the darkness.
maurauders attacked a few news ven-
ders stalls, but q grim row of infantry
around the station building effectually
discouraged violence. Other disturb
ers broke numerous windows in the
Gostinny Dvor and the kiosk at the
corner of the Annitchkoff palace gar
den. A bench torn up from the ad-
Joining park was placed in the road
way in the hope that it might trip up
cavalry. Some policemen were rough
ly handled and disarmed in side
streets. but there was no firing.
AS the Associated Press correspond
ent drove down the Nevsky Prospekl
troopers We're clearing the sidewalks
of loiterers, using the flats of then
SabreS ana causing q general stam-
pede. This continued until 8 O'Clock
at night when the lights were gain
turned on and revealed the Nevsky
Prospekt almost deserted.