The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-03-16
100000 PERSONS
FLEE PETRoGRAD
Chaos Reigns as Soldiers and
Sailors Apportion Supplies
and Hasten Home.
DIVIDE Cash AND CLOTHING
All Passenger Train Service Has Been
Discriminatory Cattle Trains
Are Operating on the Old
Wartime Schedule.

Berlin, March 14--German and Aus
tro-Hungarian troops are now before
Odessa, the war office announces.
Chicago, March 14.-A special cable
gram to the Chicago Daily News from
Petrograd says:
"The evacuation Of Petrograd contin-
ues and practically the whole govern
,ment personnel has gone to Moscow.
The technical sections of the govern
ment institutions are removing the ma
terial as rapidly as trains are prepared
to receive it. The soldiers of the Pc
trograd garrison and the sailors in the
warships on the Neva, considering their
military service terminated, are pro-
ceeding home, carrying as spoils all
movable materials and equipment.
"Day and night motortrucks laden
with every manner Of thing thrown to-
gether In riotous confusion-type-
writer's and machine guns, mattresses
and bombs-move toward the railroad
station, following the street car tracks
to avoid the heavy banks of accumu-
lated snow.
Crews Divide Ships Equipment.
"When the soviet decided to evacu-
ate Petrograd the crews Of the three
warships in the Neva held meetings
and decided that as far as they were
concerned the war was over and that
each sailor was free to return to his
village. The silver plate, crockery, and
every particle of the movable equip
ment were divided and distributed so
that each member of the crew re.
ceived Apr oximate1y an equai share
"A sailor presiding at one of the
meetings presented resolution au-
thorizing the distribution with the ar
gument that the warships formerly be-
longed to the czar, but that the revo-
luton made them the peoples prop
erty. AS 1t was impossible to divide
equally the three cruisers among $780,
! 100000 people of Russia, the crews OF
those three ships had perfect right
to divide the materials, provided they
relinquished claim to any other prop
critics Of the former czar.
Regiments Appropriate Supplies.
Everything in the Russian army
and navy is now in a process of liquida
tion in similar manner. Regiments
are dividing cash, reserve clothing anc
supplies. The automobile units are
selling their motors and supplies ant
dividing the proceeds, while the com
mlssariat is making an equal distribu
tion of food.
The psychological formula of the sol
der units today is to gather all thu
loot and spoils possible, divide then
equally, and return to their native vii
lagos as quickly as they can for tn
purpose of being present when tn
land Is redistributed.
Capital Becoming Empty Shell.
"Petrograd Is rapidly becoming al
empty shell. 1t is estimated that a
ready more than three-quarters OF
million people, including soldiers, sail
ors. civilians and foreigners, have dc
parted. Because there are. fewe
mouths to feed the situation IS bette
than 1t has been before in weeks, Will
the street cars are less crowded tha
at any other time since the beginnin
Of the war.
'Tuesday the municipal soviet Is
sued a paradoxical explanation of tn
evacuation. In proclamation 1t d'
clared that the international situatio
required the soviet government to rt
move to a safer place, but that Petrt
grad was not menaced by Germa
troops. The mayor warned the populi
tion against listening to provocator
who might attempt to cause PAM
and who, according to his proclaim;
tion. should be shot down withor
mercy. Refugees are permitted to gu
Petrograd only after receiving the al
thorization of the evacuation commi
tee. Many thousands Of permits al
issued daily.
"All passenger train service was di
continued three weeks ago, althoug
trains composed of cattle cars are o
Grating more or less on the old wa
time schedule. A cattle truck holt
four horses, but nowadays 60 person
are accommodated In one. Sometime
the passengers are wedged so close
together in the corners that they a
unable to get out or even to sit dow
until their destination is reached"