New-York tribune., 1917-12-11

-
ther statement. 20 the effect that the
situation was still favorable and that
the Municipal Council and the Counci!
of Peasants were on the side OF tic
government.
Warships Join Attack
"The fighting continued in the yicin-
ity Of the palace. The guns of the
warships and the armored ears contin-
ued to fire at intervals until nearly
o'clock in the morning During the
evening four destroyers, mine layer
and several mine sweepers with landing
forces were brought from Helsingfors
and took part in the operations
against the palace. Finally, abouJ 2
a. M. the forces Of the Soviet sur-
ceeded in entering the palace.
"While the rifle and artillery fire
was continuing in the vicinity OF the
former imperial palace, performance
was given, as usual, at the Narodny
Dom. where a large audience assem-
bled to hear NJ. Shaliapin. the popular
singer"
Perhaps the most remarkable ac-
count Of the fatal Wednesday, Novem-
Der Z, was given by the Petrograd cor
respondent Of "The London Morning
Post" Under the date Of Thursday,
November 8. he cabled to his journal
as follows:
"Kerensky's ministers. within twelve
hours Of the outbreak. found them
selves in possession Of absolutely moth
ing more than the ground they stood
on that is. the Winter Palace, where
they were besieged. Opposite stands
the Fortress of st. Peter and 81. Paul,
and in the river were anchored three
gunboats. while about a mile down
stream was the cruiser Aurora, holding
the Winter Palace at the mercy of
its guns.
Fire From Armored Cars
"Motor lorrics occasionally passed
containing soldiers, who fired now and
then in the air, a useful measure for
reminding citizens that the streets
must be left free fo- military opera
tions. Once or twice an armored
motor containing partisans Of VI. ke-
rensky opened fire. but quickly met
such an overwhelming fusillade as ef.
fectually stopped further activity, and
the ears passed over to the other side
One of these little events in Mariinsky
Square led to a few bullets entering
the windows of military hotel, the
Astoria, but there were no casualties
This hotel was among the first places
put into military occupation in per
fectly orderly manner, and British
French and other Allied Ulcers. who
form considerable body of residents
together with large numbers of Rus
sian officers, underwent nothing more
alarming than a polite examination OF
identity papers, and those Russians
who we're without a proper certificate
for carrying revolvers had TO give them
UP. but received signed receipts in re-
turn. A few hours later their revol-
vers were returned TO them.
Foreign officers Of higher rank were
not disturbed in any way. and all
passed in such perfect quietness and
order that only later did they learn
what had happened.
"The present movement has been car
ried out in military fashion by military
men under proper military discipline.
Similarly, the State Bank premises were
taken over from the previous guard
without even the appearance OF vlo-
lence. SO ignorant of the real situa-
tion were the nominal government and
It's partisans that the bank guard. with
an armored car. handed over their
charge, including the car, to the SOL
diers who. they supposed, had come to
relieve guard. The central telephone
station was taken in the same way, and
all the telephones at the Winter Pal
ace were Immediately cut out OF the
circuit. A couple of newspaper Offices
were seized in similar orderly military
fashion and set-to printing off for dis
tribution to the army copies of GER
tain papers which NJ. Kerensky had
the day before arbitrarily sup
pressed.
Bolsheyii Hold Complete
On Thursday. November &, the hold Of
the Bolsheviki on Petrograd was COM
pete. The Lenine-Trotzky government
was then formed. Many fantastic re-
ports and rumorS were spread about
Russia in the days following Kerensky's
fall. II now appears that the Bolsheviki
spent their time in consolidating their
gains. They proceeded 20 establish n
dictatorship of the proletariat. While
the American public was agitated over
he situation in Russia. the Petrograd
correspondent of the London DAILY
Telegraph" wired on Saturday, Noyem-
Ger 10:
This is an amazing revolution. &.
A certain amount of disorder might be
diagnosed, yet the sober truth is that
Petrograd is as perfectly calm as a
London suburb on Bank holiday.
There is naturally much talk. People
go on little plgrimages to inspect the
front Of the Winter Palace, which Il
pocHmarked with bullet holes, or to
500 places where two shells fell in the
town, doing extraordinarily little dam
age And that is all"
At the same time, Kerensky made ef.
forts to rally around him some loyal
troops. meeting with some success at
first. His chief forces, composed main
ly Of COssacks, were stationed at
Gatchina, some twenty-five miles south
of Petrograd At the head Of several
thousand troops he advanced toward
the capital. Near Tsarskoye-Selo he
encountered considerable force Of
Bolshevik troops. A battle ensued on
November IL aud Is. kerensky was
decisively beaten, and retreated to
Gatchina TO await reinforcements from
the front, but they failed to come. This
demoralzed the Cossacks, who decided
10 surrender to the Bolsheviki and ar
rest their chief, Kerensky. The latter,
however, managed TO escape, dressed as
a sailor, thus leaving, for the time be-
ing. at least, Lenine and Trotzky as