Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-03-08
SAW " H||E| ] "A OF
RUSSIANSFROM
DOOMED WARSAW
CONTINUED IRON page one)

When the German army swung
upon the city for the third great at
tack" Ryack told the Star-Bulletin
this morning through the interpreter,
the Russian military authorities be-
gan to gather together pell nell all
the young men and women of the
big city that could be OF any possible
use to the Germans, in preparation for
sending them into the interior.
Only the younger people were
taken. Old men and women, together
with little children, were left behind,
and what became of them since that
time ! have no idea.
Our first proof of the actual ap-
rroach of the Germans to the city
was when the shells began to crash
down into the streets from the long
range guns and when aerOplanes be-
gan to circle about dropping bombs
here and there"
Saw Many Air Battles.
Ryack speaks calmly of those days
row, though he told the Interpreter
this morning that he looks back upon
them with memories that he can never
efface. He saw battle after battle be-
tween the Russian aeroplanes and the
invading German Taubes.
I'VE were in Praga, a suburb, across
the river from the central part of the
city itself. myself saw the five
great bridges across the river blown
ur by the Russians with old people
and children, and the last part of the
train of young people on them, when
the army evacuated the city. Men,
women and children were clingins tc
the bridges; it seems to me there
were thousands of them. Poland had
already been swept by the war and
many of these people were destitute.
Three days after We left Warsaw
we heard that our property was
destroyed. We thought of nothing
much, there was so much excitement
to it all. In the early days Of our re.
treat shells from the long-range guns
would drop alongside the road and
many times we saw aeroplanes over
head.
"The procession" says Ryack, was
made up of horse carts, what little
property people were able to bring
along being piled on top. This was
not much, however, -.' H. 49,.
Two Days Without Food. ....
Here and there people were forced
to drop out, but those fell destitute
at the roadside, and we pressed on,
driven in the rear by the Russian
guards. The heat was terrific and
cur thirst at times was awful. Some
times we had no food for two days at
q stretch, but generally we fed once
q day. ...t~ y. ss J..
AT night we slept in the open air
or under the carts, and the lucky peo-
pie were those who had food enuogh
to supply themselves. In the daytime
we moved on like so many sheep.
There was not much complaining
people seemed too much impressed
with the awfulness of the situation.
Ryack says that after three weeks
Of this travel the procession came
upon the railroad station of Sarna,
Here the refugees asked to be allowed
to 60 to relatives in the different
parts of Russia, but this request was
refused. They were rounded up with
fixed bayonets and herded into freight
cars. H. @".>.t. =-.EE>.
"The doors of the cars were locked
&c secure us from escaping, says the
tailor. There were from 40 to ~
people in each of the cars and the
air at times was awful. Those who
had extra food divided with the less
fortunate ones, and so we lived on.
My wife and were together.
There were many pitiful sights,
he says, "but we had become so hard
,ned to them that we thought little or
hem. We travelled in these closed
.ars for IA days, and finally arrived
It the station of kiev. The journey
lad been exceedingly slow, for we
n ere run OIL here and there upon side |
racks and switches, sometimes wait |
ng tor hours before moving on.
Il got a little work in Kiev, and !
ny wife and had secured room and
we're beginning to feel settled down a |
little when the order came that all |
persons who had not been in the city |
or as long as a year must move fur.
her into the interior. We were pack |
ID up again in the same manner and /
tut on the cars. e - .--9,r1
4"Our next station was Ekaterinos- I
ay, where We spent three days, the
Quincy there lasting nine days, with /
he same long stops. as before. From
1katerinoslaV to Iiestoff the journey |
ooh 10 days. F'or the most part We
raveled through empty fields, with |
'illages along the track now and then.
AT Rostoff We were herded togeth.
II into the empty warehouses of bus
ness firms, no privilege being given
o buy lodging when persons had mon
y. Many of the refugees had large
Quantities of it.
Arrested Again. ..-
Finally l got permission to leave
he CITY," says Ryack, "and paid our
,wn way to Kozloff, but two days aft
n we landed there we were again ar
'ested by the military authorities and
placed in a camp to be sent later to
he Siberian town of Erkutsck"
1t was at Erkutsck that Ryack saw
opportunity to escape. He and the
wife went in a passenger trai INTO Via
livostok, but were picked up again
by the authorities and placed in the
barracks, where both of them