Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-01
Russias Alleged Parliament Has No
Real Power, Being Merely an
Advisory body.
PRESIDENT IS READY TO RESIGN
M. Guchkoff Has Unsatisfactory Audi
enoe with Nicholas.
CzARINA'S HEALTH IS NO BETTER
Russian Empress Now Reported to Be
Hopeless Invalid.
BEAR STRENGTHENING FENCES
Destructive storm On NOIER Results
in Loss of 500 Lives-COnVicts
in khRrkoff Prison XIII
warders and Lose Lives.

WaFdera and Lose Lives
| ST PETERSBURG, Dec. H.-(Special to
The Bee)-The car is taking strong
hand with the duma and it has been re-
duced practically to an advisory chamber
with no real power. NJ. Guckhoff. presl-
dent Of the duma has I understand, de-
cided to resign as the result Of a recent
audience with the car
Referring TO the scandal provoked by the
reactionaries over the Tolstoi cOmmemora-
ton his majesy said.
mo compulsion is admissible in this
matter. Every one should be allowed to
act as his conscience directs"
NJ Guchkoffs complaint that the upper
house was systematically blocking the re-
forms ordained by the car notably the
bill on religious tolerance, met with a sim
liar rebuff.
His majesty rejoined Il have been liv-
ing in Germany, where l noted the slow
work of the reichstag Yet there is no
complaint about the German legislature.
see no cause for finding fault with the
council OF the empire"
NJ. GuchlSoff next touched upon the
tional defense and especially the reform
of the Navy department
The emperor waived the question. Let
us await the results of the inquiry" he
said
NJ. Guchkoff next tried to say a word for
the universities.
His majesty cut him off with the re-
mark: Disorder stil prevails there"
Referring to the Finnish bills the en-
peror said mo time must be lost"
C1arina UnimprOved.
No permanent good has resulted to tho
health of the czarlna from her long So
journ in Germany. Those who have.
her majesty recently declare that she is
a hopeless invalid. Her nervous trouble
does not seem to have been abated in any
marked degree and she walks with OK
/ treme difficulty She devotes as much of
her time as she possibly can to her chill
dren for she is devoted mother, and
seems to have an overshadowing dread
that the little czarnitch will be either
killed or taken away from her. The fear
she feels for her little son is almost an
obsession.
Trouble Brewing.
Russia is strengthening her position on
the Turkish frontier. General Guerugross,
chief Of the staff has gone to Kars, where
he will take command personally until the
crisis is past.
The opinion in well informed circles here
is frankly pessimistic Of a peaceable settle
ment OF the Persian trouble. On the Turk
ish and British frontiers, as well as the
Russian a state of practical anarchy ex-
lists, which It is believed can only be ended
by a joint protectorate or the practical
partition OF China,
storm Causes Death of 800.
Graphic descriptions have been received
in st. Petersburg of the scene at Astrak-
han when caravan OF barges with their
tugs were storm driven from the river
bank and carried down the Volga towards
the open sea, 800 men perishing The Volga
is now ice-covered and in flood.
The craft We're dashed one against the
other and were stove in by driving ice
floes. Most OF them were soon mere
wrecks, to which the men chung until over
come by cold. Splendid work was accom-
plished in almost pitch darkness by two
Ice breakers and three other steamers.
They succeeded in rescuing over two-thirds
OF the 1000 worhmen whose lives depended
on heroic promptitude
In the desperate chance OF saving more
lives the steamers have been battling day
and night against the solid masses OF leo
which have meanwhile formed at the Volga
estuary, barring access to the barges
which have partly survived the battering
by ice, flood and storm
In consequence OF violent gales in the
sea OF Azoff the water has been driven
away from the coast the sea having in
some places receded much as three
miles.
A number Of ships are consequently
stuck fast in the sand, and their crews
were in some cases as long as forty-eight
hours without food. Lifeboats were sent
out. The sea was covered with drifting ice
COnvIcts KAN warders.
Three convicts in Kharkoff prison killed
two warders with crowbars, seized their
keys and a revolver and rushed out into
the courtyard. where they killed a third
warder and mortally wounded three more
While attempting to climb the prison wall
they were shot The remaining ninety-six
cohvicts were passive spectators Of the af-
fair, order has now been restored.
Escape from schIuHseIburR.
For the first time in living memory a
convict has escaped from the island
fortress OF schlusselburg. IN the Neva.
While working in the afternoon In the
open air the convict scaled the wall with
the aid OF rope and subsequently. though
chained, walked all night across the ice OF
Lake Ladoga towards the Bugrovesky
lighthouse. Early on the following morning
the man was discovered by some peasants
and was seized and taken back 10 tho
prison.
The schlusselburg fortress, rich in
memories OF the battles between Russians
and swedes, is seen from the river. a place
of old walls and low. round watch towers
Among the famous political prisoners who
spent years there was Biron, Empress
Annals favorite. The Schlusselburg prs-
oners nowadays are treated with no little
consideration. The cells are lighted by
electricity and heated by hot-water ra-
diators. The prisoners are allowed 70
smoke and there is good library. Every
man sentenced 20 more than eight years
penal seryitude Is, during the first two
years, chained on the feet.