Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-01-30
The Burning Of
BntOlI771
Audacious Hazard of Nikolai Independent Agent as
ID NV Related by His Lieutenant Summers
BY H. M EGBERT
Copyright. 1sls. by W. c. Chapman,
By H. M. EGBERT

nj
s Sua by the government and
~ s, iy were reported daily In
4, ~D newspapers of western s lands 1@a.
" ia was appalled, to learn that
'ol| nort Of Batoum, the largest
es Z the he Caucasus, had been con-
I'D by fire. p,,ss,a
', s.,ng business. It is the only
'D4 .sa% rivals the Pennsylvania
F r fields. Inexhaustible
n If petroleum exist every
.a' IN its vicinity, and oil-ships
y Rstoum pass oil-vessels from
York harbor on every sea.
y',,,lv a Russian city of this de-
l ..tion is a hot-bed of revolution.
ssns Russians, Tartars, Turks,
,:..,s-nen from all eastern coun-
!, Ill equally infected with Nj
y doctrines, work side by side in
refneries.
ieature of the confagration,
q, though half forgotten amid the
.t,r disaster, excited much specu-
m at the time, was the blowing
1.-the oilship Caspian, which lay in
hrbOr.
MI is how the series of events be-
!, 4 general strike had been pro-
lined by the Nihilists, in answer to
sjict establishing martial law in
dr The refinery owners, whose
.,rsrs made them close allies of
sovernment, had grown equally
Uttered and exasperated. The re-
+gies we're all situated upon the
agfront, and a large number of
r.ebreakers had been employed by
oTners and lodged and fed within
tse buildings, so that the strikers
rid not approach them. There they
IrEsd, night and day.
DIT in the basin lay the Caspian,
ttrg to take on board a cargo of
lined oil for Glasgow. The revolu-
l1sts had sworn that she should not
b NikOlai and I had hurried to Ba-
En at the first outbreak of trouble;
svS at the head of the inner sec
md the party, and if the strike sue
alsd in bringing the government to
Ems it would immensely increase
Mi prestige throughout the Russian
1gle it would even react upon st.
sHEburg, where the car had just
MOsed the duma and was wayering
sstsn cOnstitutionalism and abso-
.m
III hinged upon one thing. If the
aPan sailed with her cargo of oil,
would demonstrate that the revolu-
llsIs cause was hopeless. She
lN not sail. But how was the
-at to be translated into action?
police boats patrolled the stretch
water that lay between the vessel
lie land. Moreover, it was not
asSary to bring the Caspian to the
w lOTa pipe line had been laid down
'A'eA her and the refinery, and
-aagA aaS the crude oil, when
IVY would be pumped into the hold.
IVY Jays, or at most, in three, the
.AFOleakers would have restored
- and resumed the suspended
a'u0nS within the great building.
ne FevOlutionists opened negotia-
y with the governor general. If
'Oad SUSPEND martial law and
--afy executions, business should
'Samed. They sent Nil1olai to
"ta such proposals. We went
F" The palace upon the hill and
admitted to General Kaulbars,
Nv OF sinister fame who, having
~ ii the Manchurian campaign,
wen sent back to shoot down
sion.
s.'0aIS was seated at the table
NM ~ Olnge in uniform. He heard
III scornful silence, fiddllng
us black beard and twining his
lAsers round each other nervous
wv; W. Tell me that unless suspend
~ law you will blow up the Cas-
ls said suavely. He seemed
IVA LOT a moment, then pressed a
~ ,pOa MS table twice. Instantly
5o.U VI armed guards appeared at
Rsst aelr rifles turned full upon
va and myself.
4 aIe these men out and hang them
s N courtyard, he said.
!. Nikolai had spoken in the
h. p5 russian of the laboring man.
sss sl'aOut a sign of trepidation, he
'Sssd kaulbars in his own dia-
sFek 10 'nat' ne said per-
IN. not? demanded Kaulbars,
ii nom his seat in astonish-
e5 ] Sli.e his majesty would be an
sasi a,'n YOU" said Nikolai; and,
gsn as his lapel, he exposed to
aS I pa view the insignia of the
ssasasu nured, that murderous or
hi VI very close to the emperor's
~ slSa rs, signed to the soldiers to
es wv Who are you?'> he STAN
b tb,.. why did you come to me
Sssr said Nikolai, you failed
s,tss me patiently. did not
! ,so, " blow up the Caspian. /