Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-09-19
KILL AND BURN AT BAku.
Rioters in Caucasia Bey ond Control OF
Tro0Oa

-
Troops.
Anarchy reigns without rival in
the Caucasus. The troops are power
less to protect the people, who in a
mad panic have been fleeing from
Baku. Martial law has been proclaim
ed in outlying towns, but it has no
effect in curbing the rioters in their
mad lust for blood. Fire and massa-
ere have nullified every semblance of
law.
The principal fighting is not in Baku
itself, but at Balakhan, where hun
dreds have been shot by the infantry
and artillery and where 1000 were
killed or wounded during a desperate
attack on the military camp and pro
vision depot The troops sustained few
casualties.
A large number of workmen barri-
caded themselves in the Balakhan hos
pital. The soldiers began the attack
with rifle fire and then stormed the
hospital and completed their work with
the bayonet. The entire oil and COM
mercial quarters of Balakhan, Sabunto
and Nomani have been wiped out by
fire and the inhabitants remaining be-
hind were Inassacred and thrown on TO
the flames.
The consulates, banks and admins
tration buildings in Baku are guarded
by troops. All of the English residents
and almost all other inhabitants of the
better class have boarded ships and
gone to sea to escape from danger. All
available steamers have been employ
ed for this purpose Nobody is allow
ed on the streets of Baku after S
o'clock at night and inhabitants Of
houses are held strictly responsible
for shots fired from them. Artillery
was employed against one house from
which shots were fired. The walls
were preached, the house was stormed
and the people inside were killed.
Following is a brief review, in Sc
quence, of the events of the last few
days as witnessed at Baku:
On the afternoon of Saturday reports
began running from mouth to mouth
that the Tartars and Armenians were
massacring each other. Immediately
there was great alarm and panic pre-
vailed. Stores were closed and windows
and doors were barricaded Twenty min
utes later sounds of rifle firing were
heard from the various quarters of the
city and everybody wished to fee, but
10 one could tell whether safety lay
within or without the city.
Two hours later patrols of Cossacks
and other soldiers armed with rifles be-
gan to arrive from the barracks and
these troops Immediately engaged the
rioters. The firing between the warning
factions continued all of Saturday night.
Sunday the situation showed no improve
ment and firing was in progress all dur
ing the day, the streets being deserted
except for the combatants.
At S o'clock Sunday evening the first
reflection on the sky of fire in the back
town" quarter was noticed, and it was
learned that the Nobel oil reservoirs
were burning.
Sunday night was more fearful than
the preceding ones. Fires broke out in
several quarters and the firing of the
troops was uninterrupted.
Fires also were started in the suburbs
of Balakhan and Sabunto. Telephone
communication between Baku and these
points was destroyed and it was impossi-
BILE to ascertain what was burning Mon
day morning.
Many of the inhabitants decided to
brave the dangers in an effort to leave
the city. They went in cabs surrounded
~ al s,+a nd
the flight from the city soon became gen.
eral.
Monday night the burning, shooting,
killing and pillaging continued, and a
refinery which was in flames beyond
| Bibiebat lit up the sky in that direc-
ton. A big woodward in Baku also
caught fire and strong wind famed
the flames, which soon spread to Nikitin
circus and adjacent houses.
The fire continued all of Tuesday,
breaking out in several new places, en-
bracing the railroad station and a num-
Der of Armenian houses in different quar-
ters of the city.
During Wednesday, fugitives from
Balakhan began to arrive here and told
of the indescribable horrors they had
witnessed. All the oil works there, they
said, were in the hands of Tartars, who
were pillaging the houses of Russian and
Armenian workmen, carrying away ev-
erything of value and then burning the
buildings Ten thousand workmen, they
said. would be left in poverty.
At 5 o'clock Wednesday afternoon the
situation was somewhat quieter. Tar
tars and Armenians were running
through the streets crying Peace" and
little later a procession made up of
both races, with clergymen at its head
went through the town. But these eff
forts toward cessation of the fighting
were not effective, for the firing went
on all Wednesday night. The soldiers,
however continued their efforts to re-
press the disorders.