Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-19
Fighting in Moscow
More Serious Than in
Petrogrdd, Is Report


Bolsheviki and troops of the pro-
visional government has been 1ar
more serious than anything that has
occurred in Petrograd, according TO
special dispatches received here from
the Russian capital.
me Petrograd correspondent of
the Daily Telegraph says he talked
with member of the Moscow city
council who came to Petrograd to
appeal for help. He was besieged
Iour days in the council building
from which he made his way TO the
railroad station through the Bolshe-
Wiki lines. lie said the real tight
ing began on November 10 when the
Bolsheviki force seized the Krem-
I'M They were expelled by a party
OF cadets, who, in their turn, were
killed by the Bolsheviki The reVo-
lutionists later were again driven
from the Kremlin.
10000 support Rebels
From November IL onward rhe
dispatch adds, the councilman re-
ported that the military operations
were concentrated in the center of
the city. The government force con-
sisted of about 5000 military cadets
and hastily organized white guard
or students. 1t had three guns. a
plentiful supply of rifles and a num-
Der OF machine guns. OF the 100, 600
soldiers forming the Moscow garri-
son not more than $4,000 supported
the Bolsheviki. Most of the regi-
ments remained in their barracks but
thousands of soldiers escaped from
Moscow by train and on foot. The
Bolsheviki Red Guard in Moscow
was composed mostly of boys from
twelve to eighteen years old. It mad
EnII
the kremlin was bombarded con-
tinuously from Sparrow Hill. From
other points their firing was very
bad, the shells falling wide of the
mark, smashing private houses and
killing the inmates.
Three thousand persons, chiefly
members of the peaceful population,
had been killed or wounded up to
Wednesday, the councilman said, and
as there was no means of collecting
bodies they lay for days where they
mad FALLEN. There had been continu-
ed firing in many parts of the city
from windows and roofs and the
population was terrorized and afraid
to move. 1t was impossible to get
food supplies to the center of the
city.
The National Hotel, where there
were many British and French Visi-
tors, was under fire for several days
and the upper part of the hotel was
destroyed by a shell. On Tues
day shells began to fall on the CITY
Hall where the committee on pub
lie safety was sitting and the COM
mittee decided to move to the Krem-
lin. The pavement was dug up and
trench made to insure Il safe pas
sage.
Cadets Defend KPcmIin
When the councilman left Moscow
the Kremlin was we'll defended by
machine guns manned by cadets and
there was an abundant supply of
ammunition and food. A violent
bombardment was concentrated on
the Kremlin last Wednesday, the day
the councilman left Moscow.
On Wednesday the Cathedral of
the Assumption within the Kremlln
with the famous tower of Ivan Veliky
was destroyed and the Church of st.
Basil caught fire. The wanton de-
st"uction of national shrines, the cor
respondent says, shrines which even
Napoleon spared, seems to have slim
ulated both sides to conclude peace.
He adds:
The fantastic Church of st. Basil
is a priceless treasure and one of the
wonders of Oriental architecture,
while the Cathedral of the Assump-
ton was the glory of the Kremlin.
The news will send a shudder
throughout Russia. NJ. Lunacharisky
BolSheviki minister of education, was
so shocked that he resigned, but mas
since withdrawn his resignation. He
has issued an appeal to the people to
preserve the national treasures. On
all sides one hears the eXclama-
ton: Even the Germans would not
have done this"
Robert p. Skinner, the American
consul general, has received tele-
gram dated Saturday from the
American consul at Moscow saying
that he and the other Americans in
Moscow are safe The city was quiet
at the time but there had been much
fighting, the message said.