Evening star., 1917-03-16
By the Associated Press.

period of the great Russian uprising
bore the character rather Of a mock
revolution staged for an immense
audience. Cossacks charging down the
street did so in half-hearted fashion.
plainly without malice or intent to
harm the crowds that they playful1y
dispersed. The troops exchanged good
natured raillery with tho workingmen
land women, and as they rode were
cheered by the populace.
Long lines of soldiers stationed in
dramatic attitudes across Nevsky
Prospect, with their guns pointed Mt
an imaginary foe. appeared to be taxi
ing part in a realistic tab1eau. Machine
guns firing roulades Of blank cart
| ridges seemed only to add another
realistic touch to tremendous thea
trio production, which was using the
whole city as a stage.
Became Genuine Revolution.
| Until Sunday night this pageant con-
tinued without serious interruption.
Then in a flash the whole scene lost
lit. theatric quality: it became gen.
uine revolution.
The regiments had received an order
from the commandant to fire upon per-
sons assembled in the street. This
caused immediate dissension among
the troops who did not understand why
thew should be compelled to take
violent measures against fellow cit1-
zens whose chief offense was that they
were hungry and We're asking the gov
ernment to supply bread. Several regi-
meuts deserted and a pitched battle
began between the troops who stood
with the government and those who.
refusing to obey orders, had mutinied.
| A long night battle occurred between
the mutinous regiments and the police
at the end Of st. Catherine canal. i'm
mediately in front OF tho historic
church built over tho spot where Alex
onder II was killed by bomb. The
police finally fed to rooftops all over
the city and we're seen no more in the
streets during the entire term OF the
| fighting.
| Still. on Monday morning the gov
ernrnent troops appeared to control all
the principal squares of the city.
Result Hangs in Balance.
Then came period when it was i'm
possible to distinguish one side from
the other. There was no definite line
between the factions. The turning
point appeared to como about O'Clock
in the afternoon. For two hours the
opposing regiments passively con-
fronted each other along the wide
Liteiny Prospect in almost complete
silence.
From time to time emissaries from
the revolutionary side rode to the op-
posing ranks and exhorted them to
join the side of the people. For a
while the result seemed to hang in the
balance. The troops appeared irreso-
lutte. awaiting the commands OF their
| officers, who themselves were in doubt
| as to what they should do.
Desultory firing continued along the
side streets between groups of gov
| ernment troops and revolutionists. but
the regiments upon whose decision the
outcome rested still confronted each
other with machine guns and rifles in
| readiness.
! Suddenly a few vo1leys were ex-
changed; there was another period OF
silent suspense, and tho government
regiments finally marched over to join
the revolutionists. A few hours after
the first clash this entire section of
! Petrograd, in which are located the
duma building. artillery headquarters
! and the chief military barracks. passed
| into the hands of the revolutionary
| forces and the warfare swept like a
| tornado to other parts of the city,
where the scene was duplicated.
Decided by the Army.
At first it seemed a miracle that the
revolutionists, without prearranged
plan, without leadership or organiza- :
ton could, in such a short time. with
comparative ease achieve a complete
victory over the government. But the
exclamation lay in the reluctance of
the troops TO take sides against the
people and their prompt desertion to
the ranks of those who opposed the
government
| The scenes in the streets were by
| this time remarkable. The wide thor
| oughfares wher the troops were sta
toned were completely deserted by
yiduals who, creeping along walls and
ducking into courtyards. sped from one
side to the other. But the side streets
were choked with people.
euished by their blue caps and dark
Uniforms, fell into step with rough
units of rebel soldiers and were joined
by other heterogeneous elements united
for the IlHlc DClNS Dy q SaASS q. >"'N.
than partisan differences: unkempt
| workingmen, with rugged sheepskln
coats covering the conventional peas
jants costume of dark blouse ana top
boots. strobe side by side with we'll
groomed city clerks and shopkeepers.
Made Motley Army.
This strange army of people. mus
tered on the street corners, shouldered
their newly acquired rifles and marched
) ont to ioin the ranks of the deserting
regiments.
At nightfall only one small district
of the city, containing the war office,
the admiralty buildings, st. Isaac's Ca
> thedral and the Military Hotel, still
> resisted the onslaught of the revolu-
tionary forces. and the battle for the
. possession Of Petrograd came to dra-
matte conclusion. In the admiralty
building the council of ministers Sc
cretly assembled for a conference and
the last regiments loyal to the old
government were drawn up as a guard.
While the council sat in the last
meeting it was destined to hold
the building was surrounded ant. the
> besiegers poured rife and machine
gun fire upon the defenders. For a few
hours the fiercest battle of the day
continued; the streets were swept by
a steady fusillade and the crowds scat
tered for the nearest shelter, some of
the people being compelled to spend
) the night in courtyards or corridors
Of Office buildings or wherever they