New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-16
Flame Of Revolt Spread Swiftly
Through Streets Of Petrograd
Troops Joined People Fighting Police, Regiment After Re9'
ment Revolted Killing Officers Jas Burned, Forts
Seized; City Now Quiet

building the Council Of Ministers Sc
cretly gathered" for a conference and
the last regiments loyal to the old
government were drawn up as guard.
Building Is Besieged.
While the council sat in the last
meeting which they were destined to
hold the building was surrounded and
the besiegers poured rifle and machine
gun fire upon the defenders. For a
few hours the fercest battle Of the
day continued. The streets were swept
by a steady fusilade and the crowds
scattered for the nearest shelter, some
of the people being compelled TO spend
the night in court yards or corridors
of office buildings, or wherever they
first found refuge.
Toward morning there was sudden
lull, broken BY exultant shouts. which
deepcned into roar and was sue
ceeded by the Russian Revolutionary
Marseillaise." The regiments defend
ing the Admiralty had surrendered and
gone over TO the side of the revolu-
tionists.
The ministers in the Admiralty
building were then arrested, and the
Russian national colors were replaced
by the red flag of the revolutionists.
Although sporadic fighting continued
between small groups until Wednes-,
day. the "csuse of the people had
triumphed.
Business Is Resumed
To-day the city emerged from
weeks nightmare of revolution and
fguratively smiled under a brilliant
food of sunshine following the series
of gray days which ended with snow
storm yesterday evening. Planks were
pulled down from windows long closed.
Stores, banks and business establish
ments of every description reopened
their doors for the resumption OF ordi-
nary activities as confidence in the new
temporary government gained in force.
Truck sledges and little sleighs for
mire. the most widely appreciated con-
yeniences of Russian cities, began 70
appear again in the streets which for
six DAYS had been absolutely void Of
any means of private transportation.
Newspapers, with the exception OF
revolutionary publications which sprang
into life with the success of the re-
volt. had failed to appear. Street car
service at noon had not been resumed,
but il was believed that night would
see partial service.
The only visible signs Of the des-
perate clash Of authority which turned
the city into a battle-ground were the
charred ruins Of the jail, which were
still pouring a cloud of smoke skyward,
and here and there the remains OF
other police institutions and the homes
OF the few individuals who were re-
garded as offenders against the rights
of the people. In front Of other gov
eminent institutions, which apparently
II was not seen 1T TO destroy, were
piles of charred embers showing where
wreckage and documents had been
dumped and consumed.
With the reopening of bread, sugar,
tea and meat shops lines Of women
with shopping bags and baskets lined
M. often to the length of a block, 20
replenish stores exhausted By the long
siege. The most phenomenal feature OF
the revolution has been the swift and
orderly transition whereby the control
Of the city passed from the regime OF
the old government into the hands OF
its opponents.